Antrim Hurling League – Division 1
Rossa 2-30 Cushendun 4-19
In a real scorefest of a game at Rossa Park on Sunday Rossa and visitors Cushendun put on a display of scoring that kept the scoreboard operator on their toes from start to finish. Cushendun scored 4-19, which is probably club’s biggest ever score, and lost by five points in an amazing match in which the home side hit 2-30. Cushendun goalkeeper Gareth McGhee scored a goal and two points, the first point direct from a poc-out which sailed well over the crossbar at the pavilion end of the ground, something the local fans we spoke with said they never saw happen before. His second point was from a free on his own 20 metre line, while the goal also came from a poc-out which dropped just below the crossbar and off the fingers of the Rossa goalkeeper Donal Armstrong and into the net.
The first half the game was score for score with the home team playing ‘up the slope’ and against the strong breeze. Aodhan O’Brien put them two clear in as many minutes but Cushendun went ahead with a goal from David Kilgore and a Conor McHugh point . Thomas Morgan and O’Brien came back with points for Rossa again and after an exchange of points between O’Brien and Conor McHugh the north Antrim side hit three without reply through the Kilgore brothers David and Harry, and one from Conlaoith McNeill
The Emmet’s appeared to be getting on top but goals in the last ten minutes of the half from Stephen Beatty and Dara Rocks, on either side of McGhee’s goal from the puc-out for the visitors, had them all square at 2-12 apiece at half time.
Playing down the slope in the second half Rossa started to pull away and with Aodhan O’Brien showing great accuracy form frees the gap between the sides began to widen. It looked like the gap between the sides at the end was going to be big, but Cushendun grabbed a couple of late goals through Conor McHugh and Callum Kilgore to cut the gap back to just three entering injury time, but two more O’Brien and Shannon had them five clear at the final whistle.