Bathshack Senior Hurling Championship
Group 1 – Match day 1
Dunloy vs Cushendall @ Pearse Park, Dunloy
Date: Sunday August 11 – Throw In: 6pm
Referee: Mark O’Neill (Armoy)
Dunloys Nigel Elliott and Cushendalls David Kearney
The pick of the weekend games and is given top billing. The 2017 champions against the 2018 champions to kick off the Group One round robin in Pearse Park, Dunloy in a repeat of the same fixture at the same time in last years championship. On that occasion, Dunloy edged Cushendall by the minimum with Paul Shiels dragging the then reigning champions over the line with 10 points to his name. The Ruairi’s would off course have the final say, claiming their 14th Antrim crown.
If league form is anything to go by, everyone sit your ground on Sunday evening and wait on the report coming through on the Saffron Gael. League form will have this one as a Dunloy victory. The Cuchullains tasted defeat on the last day of the season away to St John’s with the retention of their league crown in the bag. They defeated the Ruairi’s comfortably by eight points on both occasions but it’s fair to say Cushendall adopted the adage of ‘the leagues for playing in’ for their 2019 campaign. Five wins, four losses and three draws over their 13 games wouldn’t be described as the most successful league campaign for a Cushendall team but and simply put, they’ve been utilising their squad and used the league to get their younger players more experience at senior level.
The Ruairi’s fielded an ‘experimental’ team at this stage last year but I would expect 11, possibly 12 of that same starting 15 to be given a starting shirt on Sunday. The likes of Niall McCormick and Francis McCurry have grown into valuable assets for the Ruairi’s and have added to the Cushendall first team but their key man, as always will be Neil McManus – if he starts. The rumour mill is churning once again and the latest is a knee injury for the Ruairi’s ace marksman. He didn’t start this fixture last year so don’t be surprised if he doesn’t make the starting 15 again.
The Cuchullains will be without the services of Nicky McKeague with his red card in last years semi-final loss to Loughgiel carrying over while their remains doubt over the fitness of ace marksman Conal Cunning. ‘Coby’ sustained a finger injury during the loss to St John’s but the forward line is somewhere the Cuchullains aren’t lacking. Seán Elliott has appeared more in a senior shirt this year and certainly hasn’t looked out of place while Deáglán Smith has caught the eye with some prolific performances. Conor McKinley looks to be the full back of choice this year while the Dunloy management may edge towards Eamon Smyth over Ryan McGarry at centre half. They may look to Paul Shiels and Nigel Elliott to partner in midfield but to try and second guess Gregory O’Kane and his management team is just as difficult as Ciaran Kearney and the Ruairi’s management.
Who wins? My heart says Dunloy and on this occasion, so too does my head. Cushendall will undoubtedly play to superior levels than their league form has shown, that’s the one absolute certainty I can guarantee for this fixture but the Cuchullains have been improving in every fixture this year. They’re my tips for the championship and I think they will get their campaign off to a winning start on home turf.
