Creagh Concrete Minor Hurling Championship

Loughgiel Shamrocks 1-20 Cushendall 2-8

County champions Loughgiel took a step nearer retaining their Minor Hurling Championship title when they had nine points to spare over Cushendall in Thursday evening’s semi-final in Armoy. The Shamrocks were always in control of the game and though Cushendall got it back to five points when Conlith McKinley got his team’s second goal midway through the second half, Loughgiel eased away with four unanswered points to win by nine points and book a final spot against Ballycastle.

Cushendall had started the game well with two points from the excellent Conlith McKinley but Dillon Devlin settled Loughgiel down with a point in the fourth minute. Killian McNaughton put Cushendall two clear again on seven minutes but two points in the next minute from Rian McMullan and Conor McCormick restored parity once again. McKinley edged the Ruairi Og back in front with a point in the 10^th minute but that was to be the last time they would lead as points from Eunan Laverty, Conor McCormick and Ronan McCollum  gave Loughgiel a two point lead.

McKinley got it back to point again with his fourth score of the game but a scoring burst by the Shamrocks brought points from Damien Quinn,, Christy McGarry and Rian McMullan, plus the first goal of the game from corner forward Ronan McCollum. Cushendall kept in touch when Padraig McKillop pointed a free and Fiontan McQuillan got in for goal, to leave just three between the teams, but two late points from Conor McCormick and Rian McMullan put the Shamrocks five clear by half time. (1-11 to 1-6)

Dylan Devlin stretched the lead to six when he pointed early in the second half and though McQuillan responded with one at the other end for Cushendall, the gap was getting wider and a point from Conor O’Mullan and two from Rian McMullan stretched the lead out to eight. It stayed that way as Quinn and McKinley exchanged points but there was brief hope for the Dall boys when McKinley grabbed his team’s second goal to leave just five between the sides.

That was as close as it got however as the Shamrocks restored their dominance and four unanswered points from Christy McGarry, Enda Og McGarry (2) and Conor McCormick had them nine clear at the end.

LOUGHGIEL

Kevin McAuley, Finn Henry, Ruairi McCloskey, Ruairi McCormick, Conal McCloskey, Enda Og McGarry, Conor Dickson, Christy McGarry, Eunan Laverty, Conor McCormick, Dylan Devlin, Ronan McCollum, Rian McMullan, Conor O’Mulan

CUSHENDALL

Colm McKeegan, Michael Quinn, Liam McLaughlin, Conor McCollum, James McAlister, Pierce McKeegan, Shane McKenna, Mark Emerson, Calum Kilgore, Fiontan McQuillan, Conlith McKinley, Padraig McKillop, Stephen McAuley, Ciaran Magill, Killian McNaughton.

Referee – Vincent Boyle (Dunloy)

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Creagh Concreate Minor Hurling Championship semi-final

Rossa 1-16-1-17 Ballycastle

Kevin Herron reports from Dunsilly 

Ballycastle had just the minimum to spare as they edged a breath-taking semi-final with Rossa 1-17-1-16 on Thursday evening to progress to the final of the Creagh Concreate Antrim Minor Hurling Championship.

Seamus McAuley accounted for six of his sides first-half scores as the north-Antrim side led 0-10-1-05 at the break and just after the restart McAuley saw his free deflected to the net.

Rossa battled back and nudged ahead through an Owen May point but they failed to hang on and a nip and tuck encounter eventually swung the way of Ballycastle- who advance to meet Loughgiel in next week’s decider.

Both sides went into this evenings encounter in positive mindset with very little to separate the teams on paper.

Ballycastle advanced straight into the last four after topping their group- whilst Rossa took the hard road to the last-four after defeating Dunloy in the quarter-final seven days previous.

It was Ballycastle who were quickest to settle with Seamus McAuley landing successive free’s inside the opening five-minutes.

Midfield partner Reuben McClean then floated over a further point with McAuley converting a 65’ to give his side a 0-04 advantage early-on.

Daire Murphy replied for Rossa through a converted free and a nailed a 65’ in the aftermath to half the deficit.

Just before the first-half water break Ballycastle restored their four-point advantage, Seamus McAuley landed his first point from play with Joe McToal conjuring up another soon after.

Rossa had made a rocky start to proceedings but were back in contention as they hit the opening goal of the game.

On 18 minutes a defensive clearance from Diarmuid Rogan was seized by Eoin Trainor who burst into a wide position and rifled to the net past Tiernan Smith to reduce arrears to a single point (0-06-1-02).

Seamus McAuley replied with successive frees for the second time in the half, with Daire Murphy keeping his side in contention from the same scenario.

The sides equally traded the final four points of the half- McToal twice moving his side three-points to the good, only for Murphy (free) and Ruairi Murray to respond on each occasion.

Rossa also had Ben McAuley to thank for making a terrific double goal-line clearance in first-half injury-time to ensure his side trailed by two at the midway point (0-10-1-05).

A Caolan O’Dubhfinn point gave Rossa the perfect start to the second period, but the Shaws Road side would suffer a fresh set-back on the 32^nd minute.

Seamus McAuley saw his free float dangerously towards the target and with a help of a deflection via a Rossa hurl; McAuley’s effort dropped to the net to give his side a 1-10-1-06 lead.

McAuley then landed his fifth point from frees in the aftermath and Rossa had a mountain to climb.

But they attempted the comeback trail with Ruairi Murray conjuring his second score of the evening.

O’Dubhfinn then angled over his second point of the half and Daire Murphy floated over his first point from play of the evening.

Confidence was returning and back to back scores from Ruairi Murray and Daire Murphy (free) ensured the sides were on level terms for the first time in the game with 17 minutes left on the clock.

Ballycastle almost had their second-goal from a close-range McAuley free that was deflected behind by namesake Ben on the Rossa goal line.

Rossa made it six scores on the spin and edged ahead for the first-time in proceedings through a superb Owen May point.

The lead didn’t last for long however as Callin O’Connor slipped a pass to big Jack Egan who levelled the game at 1-12 apiece.

Castle goalkeeper Tiernan Smyth then landed a free from around the halfway line with McAuley scoring from the same scenario shortly after.

Rossa went about their business quietly and levelled thanks to back to back frees from the accurate stick of Murphy.

Further points were exchanged between McAuley and Jay Burns before goalkeeper Tiernan Smyth and midfielder McAuley opened up a two-point lead for Ballycastle with time ticking down.

Rossa had a late-goal chance when. Murphy opted for a short free to Eoin Trainor, but his shot was saved brilliantly by Tiernan Smyth in the Ballycastle goals and eventually scrambled clear at the second time of asking by the keeper.

Jay Burns picked out Caolan O’Dubhfinn from a side-line cut and O’Dubhfinn floated it over to cut the deficit back to a single score again and with less than 60-seconds to play man of the match Tiernan Smyth ran down the clock with a solo run out beyond midfield as Ballycastle hung on to claim a place in the decider.

Rossa: A Carey, A McLean, B McAuley, D Rogan, J Burns (0-01), D Murphy (0-08, 0-06f, 0-01 65’), D Magee, E Trainor (1-00), R Murray (0-03), O May (0-01), C Boyle, R Murray, D Murray, P Short, C O’Dubhfinn (0-03). Subs: F McIlroy for D Magee (HT).

Ballycastle: T Smyth (0-01f), P McAllister, L McCollum, M McClean, E Boylan, R Laverty, J McGowan, S McAuley (1-10, 1-07f, 0-01 65’), R McClean (0-01), J Egan (0-02), C O’Connor, F McKiernan, D Kelly, J Bakewell, J McToal (0-03).

Referee: Darren McKeown (St Galls)

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Creagh Concrete Minor Hurling Championship preview

Ballycastle v Rossa at Dunsilly – Throw-in 6-30

Loughgiel v Cushendall at Armoy – Throw in-6-30

Tomorrow night (Thursday) sees the two semi-final of the Creagh Concrete Minor Hurling Championship with Group 1 winners Loughgiel taking on Cushendall in Armoy while Group 2 winners Ballycastle face Rossa at Dunsilly

Loughgiel and Ballycastle topped their groups and so qualified to go straight through to the semi-final while Cushendall, who were in the same group as Loughgiel, made their way through thanks to a win over Group 2 runners-up Oisins. Rossa were in the same boat and after losing narrowly in their Group 1 game to Loughgiel in the round-robin series they finished runners-up and last week beat Dunloy, who were third in Group 2

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Loughgiel are the overall favourites to defend their title and will go into Thursday evening’s game against Cushendall as short odds favourites. They were in the same group as Cushendall and beat them convincingly on the opening day of the campaign back in July, running out winners that day by 2-15 to 0-7. The Ruairis put up a much better display in their second game against Rossa but still lost by 1-13 to 0-14, but they still qualified because their group had only three teams and took advantage of their good fortune by beating Oisins Glenariffe in last week’s quarter final in Waterfoot.

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The Ruairis will go into the game confident they can do better against the champions than they did in that opening day in July, but the Shamrocks must start favourites to advance to their third final in a row.

Ballycastle were winners of Group 1 with three wins out of three, running up big scores against Oisins, Dunloy and Corpus Christie Gaels along the way. However they face a tough task against a Rossa side who were just edged out of top spot in Group 2, when they were beaten narrowly in extra time in their round-robin game at Rossa Park. In last week’s quarter final win over Dunloy they were in control all the way and despite losing their way a little near the end of the first half they had too much in the tank for Dunloy and won in the end by 5-17 to 2-08.

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The extra game may have done Rossa a favour and could have a bearing on Thursday’s semi-final as Ballycastle haven’t had a match since their last group game three weeks ago.  

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MINOR B HURLING SEMIS

In the Minor B semi-final Con Magees Glenravel have home advantage over Cloney Gaels, Ahoghill as do Tir na nÓg who take on Loch Mór Dál gCais at Whitehill.