Bathshack Senior Hurling Championship
Group One – Match Day Two
Dunloy 2-32 Sarsfields 1-10
Saturday September 1
Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy
Dunloy cruised to the semi-finals of the Bathshack senior hurling championship with a comprehensive victory over Sarsfields on Saturday afternoon. 25 points separated the sides in the end with the Cuchullains putting on an exhibition over the hour. Nicky McKeague top scored for the reigning champions with 16 points over the 60 minutes in a man of the match performance. The Dunloy forward only hit one wide over the hour and that came deep in injury time. Five points from play, 11 from placed ball from all angles and a work rate in broken play that makes him a manager’s dream, McKeague was the standout performer for the Cuchullains.
Two first half goals went a long way in keeping the Sarsfields challenge at bay, Keelan Molloy and the returning Conal Cunning finding the back of the net as the home side put this game to bed by the half time whistle.
Sarsfields put in a battling performance and in Kevin and Daniel McKernan they had two lads who didn’t deserve to be on the losing side. Both men shone on the Paddies return to senior hurling, scoring 0-9 of Sarsfields 1-10 but it wasn’t enough for the men from the Bear Pitt. Dunloy were just too strong all over the pitch and they dismantled the Sarsfields challenge from the first whistle.
Showing five changes to the starting 15 against Cushendall, the Cuchullains gave Karl O’Kane and Conor Kinsella their championship debuts while Conal Cunning, Gabriel McTaggart joined the attack with Ciaran and Nigel Elliott forming a new midfield partnership.
Sarsfields were keeping Darragh McGuinness as sweeper with Ryan Carson dropping from full forward into midfield but it had little effect in the opening exchanges as the Cuchullains got down to business from the first whistle. McKeague scored his first point of the match with barely 15 seconds on the clock before Coby repeated the feat shortly after.
Sarsfields opened their account with Daniel McKernan splitting the posts in the third minute before his brother Kevin brought the sides level in the fifth minute with his first of five frees over the hour. Before anyone could think on the unthinkable at Pearse Park, Dunloy began to go through the gears. Taking advantage of the open spaces and nullifying the Sarsfields sweeper, Dunloy took points from all angles. Four unanswered points from McKeague (two), Chrissy Brogan and Keelan Molloy put Dunloy in charge as they showed their class and while Kevin McKernan fired his second free of the match in the 10th minute, Dunloy replied with the first goal of the game with the next attack. The Cuchullains full forward started the match superbly and it was he who provided the pass for Molloy for the goal. Working for the sliotar in a ruck, Brogan released the pass for Molloy to run onto the Sarfields goal. Molloy’s left the Sarsfields attack in his wake and letting the ball drop before firing to the back of David Ward’s net, he gave the Paddies ‘keeper no chance.
A further three points from McKeague (two frees) and Shane Dooey – a touch of class from wide on the left gave Dunloy a nine point lead after 20 minutes before they scored their second goal of the match. Cunning applied the finish but the build-up was close to fantasy hurling. Ronan Molloy finding Dooey before the Dunloy forward passed inside to McKeague. McKeague unselfishly found Coby and the young starlet made no mistake from point blank range and with that, effectively ending any hopes Sarsfields had of causing an upset.
McKeague landed his sixth point of the match with the next attack and while Sarsfields hit back to back points from Aaron Stewart and Daniel McKenna, Dunloy finished the half on top. Three further points from McKeague (two frees) before Dooey’s second of the match left the Cuchullains 2-14 to 0-5 ahead at the short whistle.
Dunloy continued to press in the second half and continued to take apart Sarsfields from the restart. Seven unanswered points followed, three from McKeague, two from Molloy and one each for Cunning and Conor McKinley reinforced the Dunloy dominance in the opening eight minutes of the half. Sarsfields replied with a brace of frees from Kevin McKernan in the 38th minute and while Brogan landed his second point of the match to response, Sarsfields scored their goal in the 43rd minute. Thomas Doherty getting the last touch on a long free from Kevin McKernan on the edge of the square. The Dunloy defence will be disappointed with the nature of the goal, it was soft and avoidable but with the nature of the game it wasn’t going to be a costly error.
Kevin McKernan landed his fifth point of the match, sending the sliotar between the uprights from a side line cut on the 45 yard line as the Paddies reduce the deficit to 17 points going into the last quarter but Dunloy continued to press. Coby Cunning landed his third and fourth points of the match either side of Kevin McKernan’s first from play and while Dunloy emptied their bench to give other players more championship minutes under their belt, it didn’t deter their fluency. Three frees from McKeague along with points from substitutes Chrissy McMahon and Paudie Conlon either side of another Coby free took the Cuchullains to the 30 point mark on the scoreboard.
Kevin McKernan took his tally to 0-7 for the hour in the first minute of iniury time but a McKeague free and Chrissy McMahon’s second of the match ended the route for the home side. Dunloy cruised to the semi-finals with plenty to spare while Sarsfields welcome Cushendall to the Bear Pitt next weekend in match day three.
Dunloy: Ryan Elliott; Phelim Duffin, Karl O’Kane, Conor Kinsella; Ronan Molloy, Paudie Shivers, Conor McKinley; Ciaran Elliott, Nigel Elliott; Nicky McKeague, Gabriel McTaggart, Keelan Molloy; Shane Dooey, Chrissy Brogan, Conal Cunning.
Sarsfields: David Ward; Peter Corr, James Cunningham, Jack Daniels; Eoin Rogers, Caolan Mervyn, Caolan Caldwell; Kevin McKernan, Darragh McGuinness; Thomas Doherty, Daniel McKernan, Niall McAlea; Aaron Stewart, Ryan Carson, James McKenna.
Scorers for Dunloy: Nicky McKeague 0-16 (11 f’s); Conal Cunning 1-5; Keelan Molloy 1-3; Shane Dooey 0-2; Chrissy Brogan 0-2; Chrissy McMahon 0-2; Conor McKinley 0-1; Paudie Conlon 0-1.
Scorers for Sarsfields: Kevin McKernan 0-7 (5 f’s 1 side line); Thomas Doherty 1-00; Daniel McKernan 0-2; Aaron Stewart 0-1
Referee: Paul McSparran (Cushendun)