Bathshack Senior Hurling Championship
Match Day Two
By Brendan McTaggart
Meatloaf sang a song back in the day about ‘Two outta Three’ not being bad. I wonder what he would have said about my ‘one out of four’ predictions last weekend? I can only imagine that it would not be song worthy, by any stretch of the imagination.
But……it could have been different.
A McCal penalty hitting the post, a Snoozer effort drifting wide and Naomh Éanna running out of steam in their senior championship debut. All if’s, but’s or maybe’s.
Thanks to Michael Bradley for giving me some shred of confidence to cling onto as a pundit. Late and all as it was, I’ll take it.
Even if the result for my own club didn’t go the way I wanted, all four matches were close and exactly how you’d want it from a hurling fan’s perspective.
It was great to have hurling back. I was in Pearse Park and witnessed what looked like the first shock of the championship. Ballycastle pushed the Cuchullains all the way and were unlucky not to come away with anything other than a share of the points. Squeaky bum time and additional time that seemed to last forever. The joys of the water break and while it’s got it’s detractors, having so much injury time adds to the tension that only the championship can bring.
A draw and maybe the awakening both sides needed. For the Town, they’ve shown that they have the game to make waves in the championship and with a bit more belief, they could have made it over the line.
For Dunloy, maybe any overconfidence they might have had is now gone. They didn’t hurl or hit the heights they have in the recent past. Ballycastle didn’t allow them but they fought and dragged their way back into the game. Moving Ronan Molloy to the half back line proved to be a master-stroke and a major factor in the Cuchullains turning the tide last weekend.
I’m sure the Cuchullains were disappointed not to get off to a winning start and with their two remaining group matches in the City, they would have wanted two points on the board. I’d imagine there will be a reaction – something Rossa don’t need to hear.
The Jeremiah’s come undone against their Old Firm rivals last weekend having led for most of the match. A defeat tomorrow and a Ballycastle win against St John’s will see their hurling championship ended. A very possible permutation. Sunday could well be looked upon as knockout hurling for the Shaw’s Road men already.
St John’s and Rossa is a match that really does throw the form book out the window. Rossa looked like they had it, the Johnnies had the final say. Their match against Ballycastle will be worth watching. A win for either side put’s them in pole position in the group.
Loughgiel travel to the Milltown Row off the back of a morale boosting win against Cushendall. Their first against their rivals in the championship since the 2016 championship final. Having watched the game back, the first assessment is the Ruairi’s missed the assuredness of Neil McManus over placed ball and won’t have been jumping over the moon at hitting 18 wide’s. But in true Cushendall fashion, they hurled the shirt off their backs until the final whistle. A side who truly never know nor accept defeat.
That match alone saw the return to a Loughgiel shirt for Neilly McGarry and Benny McCarry. Both with massive games, Neilly in particular on the edge of his own square in fine form while McCarry has that impish brilliance that makes him a constant threat. Then there’s Liam Watson. Giving Floyd Mayweather a run for his money for the number of times he’s came out of retirement. From a neutral, brilliant to see him back, as a Dunloy man, well, not so brilliant.
The Shamrocks are now in pole position and anything other than a direct route to the semi-finals will be a massive shock. St Galls and Naomh Éanna might have something to say bout that but that’s the nature of the beast in our game at the moment.
Any niggles McManus might have had that ruled him out last weekend, I’d imagine Eamon Gillan et al won’t be rushing him back. The sight of Christy McNaughton having to come off after 20 minutes or so will have been a major setback for both player and club. Sambo’s youngest has battled his way back from serious knee injuries and showed tremendous determination to get back out on the field once again. Let’s hope it’s not reoccurrence.
Naomh Éanna travel to the glens with nothing to lose. They came close last weekend to getting an opening senior championship win on their debut, if they get that win on Sunday the ‘Dall are in trouble. That, however is a massive ‘if’.
Prediction time.
My time for redemption after last weekend’s disaster. Loughgiel, Cushendall, Dunloy and Ballycastle. A very north Antrim feel about that selection when I see it written down. I’ll be in Rossa Park for those who want to tell me any different.