Under 17 Hurling Championship – Quarter final
Cushendall: 5-12 (27) Ballycastle : 4-16 (28)
For score taking and excitement Cushendall was the place to be on Sunday when Ballycastle held on at the final whistle to take their first win over the Ruairis this season. These two teams had met each other on three previous occasions this season and though all the games were very close, Cushendall came out on top in them all….until yesterday.
It was far from plain sailing when Ballycastle did eventually make the breakthrough however as the Town fans had to endure a roller coaster of emotions as their team trailed by 8 after ten minutes, led by 3 at half time. They saw that lead increase to 9 by the second half water break, but were left holding on by their finger nails at the last as Cushendall made a last gasp effort to save the game. When it was all finished Ballycastle were ahead by a single point and into a semi-final with Loughgiel on September 9th.
Ballycastle had the first score of the game when James Bakewell sent over a free but Cushendall hit back with a point from Darach Bradley and two goals from Austin Birt and Killian McNaughton to go six clear by the fourth minute. Jack Colgan pulled one back for Ballycastle but Cushendall found the net again when corner forward Oisin Woodhouse fired home to stretch his team’s lead to eight after just six minutes.
That gap went between four and eight points for the next twenty minutes as the scores flew over at either end, when Ballycastle hit a purple patch when points from Daragh Donnelly (2), Darragh Kelly and James Bakewll, plus a goal from corner forward Craoiste Bamba McAuley swung the game in their favour and helped them to a three point lead at half time, 2-13 to 3-7.
An early Bakewell pointed free (one of ten he hit throughout the game), was answered by one from Padraig McKillop inside the opening minute of the new half. There was less than three minutes on the clock with ‘Bamba Og’ struck for his second goal and when Orann Donnelly added another fifty seconds later the gap was out to eight.
The scoring dried up on both sides for a while apart from a couple more from Bakewell frees and one in reply my Padraig McKillop, and by the time the whistle sounded for the second half water break the gap was out to nine in Ballycastle’s favour.
It all seemed plain sailing for the team in black and amber now, but Cushendall had other ideas and when points by Padraig McKillop and Joseph McLaughlin were followed by a Stephen McAuley goal it was game on again. McKillop added another to leave just three between the sides and there was great relief when Bakewell added another point from a free to open the gap to four. There was still some anxious moments for the Town fans to endure however when Cushendall substitute Aodhan Campbell grabbed his team’s fifth goal in the 66th minute, but to the relief of the visiting fans time was up and their team had survived a mighty scare.
CUSHENDALL
Thomas McLaughlin, Oissine McMullan, Sean McKay, John Mitchell, Callagh Mooney, Michael Quinn, Stephen McAuley, Joe McLaughlin, Joseph McNaughon, Austin Birt, Padraig McKillop. Darach Bradley, Oisin Woodhouse, Killian McNaughton, John Birt
Subs – Aodhan Campbell, Fiontan Bradley
BALLYCASTLE
Anthony Mullan, Cian Baudant, Patrick McAlonan, Eamon Butler, Conal Magee, Jack Colgan, Gavin McToal, James Bakewell, Somhairle Mathers, Daragh Donnelly, Tiernan Heggarty, Darragh Kelly, Cathair Donnelly, Orann Donnelly, Criosta McAuley.
Subs – Cormac Dallas, Aidan Hamilton, Frank McCaughan, John McHenry
In the others quarter final games Loughgiel beat Sarsfields 2-15 to 1-11 at Fr Healy Park, Oisins beat Naomh Eanna by 3-15 to 1-7 in Glenariffe, while St Paul’s beat Dunloy by 3-11 to 3-4 in Pearse Park.
The semi-final are fixed for September 9th and sees Loughgiel play Ballycastle and Oisins v St Paul’s
