Feis Cup Senior Hurling – Semi-final
Ballycastle 4-18 Dunloy 3-18
Ballycastle pulled off a major shock in Tuesday evening’s Senior Feis Cup Hurling semi-final at Pairc MacUillin when they beat hot favourites Dunloy by 4-18 to 3-18 and book a place in Sunday’s final at Feis na nGleann in Glenariffe. Leading by twelve points at half time, after a brilliant first half, the home team had to withstand a strong second half comeback by a Cuchullains side who came out strongly after half time. On a couple of occasions during the last twenty minutes Ballycastle restored their half-time lead as Owen Kinney and KB McShane grabbed goals, but the Dunloy men kept on coming and it took a brilliant save in injury time by Castle keeper Ryan McGarry to keep his team’s noses in front.
Played on the bottom pitch at Pairc MacUilin Ballycastle hit the visitors early when Ciaran Clarke drilled a ball through the defensive wall from a 20m free to give his team a bit of belief, and when Shane McCarry, Dairmuid McShane and Conor McCurdy added points the Town were six clear with just four minutes on the clock. In Dunloy’s first real attack Keelan Molloy was denied by Ryan McGarry in the ‘Castle goals but the keeper was penalised for the challenge and Conal ‘Coby’ Cunning opened the Dunloy account from the resultant free. An excellent point from play by Coby Cunning and one from out on the left wing by Deaglan Smith seemed to suggest that Dunloy were settling into the game but Ballycastle hit back with a vengeance and a goal from full forward Owen Kinney and four points on the trot from Clarke, Conor McCurdy (2) and Conor Boyd helped put them 2-9 to 0-3 ahead by the 12th minute. Dunloy closed the gap with four on the bounce from Cunning, Keelan Molloy, Kevin Molloy and Deaglan Smith, but three in a minute from Ciaran Clarke and Dairmuid McShane (2) put the home team back in control. Keelan Molly pulled another point back for Dunloy in the 29th minute to cut the gap to eleven but in the final action of the first half Ciaran Clarke fired a penalty over the Dunloy crossbar to leave his team 12 clear by the half-time whistle.
Serious situations call for serious measures and Dunloy came out for the second half a stronger looking side with Nigel Elliott, Seann Elliott, Paul Molloy and Phelim Duffin now in the ranks. They set about clawing back the deficit with purpose and a point from play by Ronan Molloy was followed by three on the bounce from Conal Cunning frees, and the gap was suddenly down to eight. Ballycastle needed a score to settle the nerves and it came from full forward Owen Kinney who got out in front of his man to win the ball before turning and lashing it high into the top left corner of the Dunloy net for a brilliant goal. When Ciaran Clarke added a point from a free on 39 minutes the twelve point cushion was restored, but the Ballycastle fans didn’t get much chance to relax as back came the Cuchullains with a vengeance and in a ten minute spell of dominance they hit 1-5 to Ballycastle 0-1 to cut the gap to five. Coby Cunning got the bulk of the scores from frees but Nigel Elliott got one from play and Seaan Elliott showed his class by firing in his team’s opening goal.
A long free by goalkeeper ‘Charlie’ McGarry created the chance for Ciaran Clarke to pop over a point and arrest the slide, but when Dunloy full-forward Gabriel McTaggart pulled the ball to the Ballycastle net on 58 minutes, to cut the gap back to four, it was game on again. Ballycastle were on the ropes but they landed a telling blow in the first minute of injury time when a sideline cut from 40 meters by KB McShane went all the way to the net, only to see the score cancelled out in the next play when a Kevin Molloy free was lobbed into the Ballycastle square and beat all hands to end up in the back of the net.
Just three between them and still three of the five added minutes to play, right half back James McLister gave Ballycastle a bit of breathing space with a great point from out on the right wing, but there was still drama to come when Dunloy were awarded a 20 metre free in the 65th minute. Paul Molloy had no option but to go for goal and though he struck the ball well McGarry was equal to it and turned it around for a 65. There was still time for it to be taken and Kevin Molloy dropped it in on the crossbar in the hope that a Dunloy stick might get a flick to it, but his strike was just a little too strong and the ball flew all the way over the bar, and the final whistle sounded on the puck-out.
Ballycastle now go through to Sunday’s final at Feis na nGleann in Glenariffe where they will play the winners of Wednesday’s evening’s semi-final between Cushendall and Loughgiel at Paric Mhuire, Cushendall.
BALLYCASTLE: Ryan McGarry, Sean Kelly, Matty Donnelly, Oran Kearney, James McLister, TT Butler, Conor Boyd, KB McShane, Shane McCarry, Eamon Elliott, Ciaran Clarke, Oisin McAuley, Dairmuid McShane, Owen Kinney, Conor McCurdy.
Subs – Lorcan Donnelly for Eamon Elliott.
DUNLOY: Ryan Elliott, Conor Kinsella, Kevin Molloy, Aaron Crawford, Ryan McGarry, Cathar McGuigan, Nicky McKeague, Ciaran Elliott, Chris McMahon, Keelan Molloy, Chris Brogan, Deaglan Smith, Gabriel McTaggart, Conal Cunning.
Subs – Nigel Elliott, Seaan Elliott, Phelim Duffin, Paul Molloy.
Referee – Ciaran McCloskey (Loughgiel)
