Leadon Timber Frames Ulster Minor club Hurling Cup semi-finals:

Sunday 13th October, 5pm in Ballinascreen

Loughgiel (Antrim) v Ballygalget (Down)

ALL four teams remaining in the Leadon Timber Frames Ulster Minor club semi-finals have played each other this season in the Antrim minor league – but one of them stands out from the others.

Loughgiel finished the league with a perfect record of 12 straight wins and then went on to collect the Antrim championship title with a 4-14 to 1-11 victory over Ballycastle in the county final a fortnight ago.

That was Loughgiel’s first county minor crown in 11 seasons and it was their ability to find the net that back-boned the win.

Three of the goals came in the opening half from Rian McMullan, Michael McGarry and Odhrán McGrath and they led by 3-6 to 0-7 at the turnover. McMullan’s goal was a sublime finish and he added their fourth goal during the second half.

When a team has not lost a game all season, a lot of credit should go to the defence where Ruairí McCloskey has been dominant at full back and the half-back line of Enda óg McGarry, captain Declan McCloskey and Tiernán McAlonan difficult to penetrate.

Shane O’Boyle and Cathal Hargan are good workers in midfield while each of the six forwards have been capable of accumulating match-winning totals.

When Loughgiel met Ballygalget, the Ards’ team took a tanking (6-23 to 1-5). Yet Ballygalget managed to finish third overall in the Antrim league, just behind Ballycastle. In their defence that game took place at the end of July when players were on holiday and, with a small enough squad, Ballygalget had some very young players in action that evening.

One of their more experienced players is Ulster Schools’ All-star and Danske Bank Mageean Cup medallist Ciaran Watson, who also won a MacLarnon Cup football title as a midfielder with St Patrick’s Downpatrick.

Watson co-captains the club side along with defender Michael Toner while Oran O’Connor is also a strong presence at the back.

Caolan Coulter and Watson are to be found in the engine room of the team, but there could be changes for this game with usual centre half back John Dorrian still struggling with his hamstring.

He played full forward in the Down final when they defeated Bredagh by 1-17 to 2-13 – but looking back now the closeness of exchanges that day should benefit them heading to Ballinascreen.

However given Loughgiel’s form this year, it is difficult to see anything other than a victory for the north Antrim team.