Antrim Hurling League – Division 1
Cushendall 2-21 Naomh Eanna 1-18
Cushendall got the better of visitors Naomh Eanna on Wenesday evening at Pairc Mhuir, but they were made to work for their victory by the Glengormley men who fought from start to finish.
Early points from Eoin Conlon and Ruairi Donaghy put Naomh Eanna two ahead by the third minute but Cushendall drew level by the seventh as Fergus McCambridge and Paddy McGill fired over. The visitors came back with three in a row, two from Cormac Jennings and one from Niall O’Connor, but two McGill points from frees cut the gap back a single point by the tenth minute. The decisive score of the opening quarter came on 13 minutes when Christy McNaughton fired in the first goal of game which put the Ruairis 1-6 to 0-7 ahead by the water-break.
The second quarter saw Cushendall open a bit of game as Feruse McCambridge and Andrew Delargy picked off some nice points, but Noamh Eanna were right back in it when Cormac Jennings grabbed a goal three minute from the break to leave them trailing by just two points at half time.
When Christy McNaughton set up Paddy Sharpe for Cushendall’s second goal two minutes into the second half they looked like pulling away, but a dogged and determined Naomh Eanna side and two points from Ruairi Og and Cormac Jennings left them trailing by just four at the second half water-break 0 2-15 to 1-14.
The scoring rate dropped off a little in the final quarter but Cushendall were able to find a reply each time the visitors edged closer and two late Christy McNaughton points saw them over the line with six to spare.
CUSHENDALL
Eoin Gillan, Shane McKenna, Martin Burke, Liam Gillan, Scott Walsh, Terry McAllister, Mark Emerson, Alex Delargy, Andrew Delargy, Dominic Delargy, Eoin Laverty, Fergus McCambridge, Paddy McGill Fiontan McQuillan.
NAOMH EANNA
Martin Curran, Dara Maguire, Rian Gillan, Manus Mullan, Cormac Ross, Mark Donaghy, Matthew O’Hare, Eoin Conlon, Ryan Bogue, Ruairi Donaghy, Rian O’Connor, Eddie O’Connor, Killian Jennings, Philly Curran, Cormac Jennings
Referee – Ciaran McCloskey (Loughgiel).
