Bathshack Senior Hurling Championship
Dunloy 1-17 St Rossa 0-10
County champions Dunloy secured their place in the semi-final of the Senior Hurling Championship when they beat Rossa on Saturday at Pearse Park in what was a repeat of last year’s final. The Cuchullains led by double scores at half time 0-12 to 0-6, and while Rossa had slightly the better of the second, there was still five between them at the final whistle.
Dunloy got the run on a slow starting Rossa side in the opening ten minutes when points from Nigel Elliott, Seann Elliott )direct from a sideline cut) and two from full forward Conal Coby Cunning had them four ahead. Rossa got off the mark with a Thomas Morgan point, and though Deaghlan Smith came back with one from Dunloy a minute later, Stephen Beatty pointed for the Belfast men to cut the gap back to 0-5 to 0-2. The next ten minutes was all Dunloy as they hit five in a row through Conal Cunning (2), Deaglan Smith, Keelan Molly and a monster strike from his own half by Eamon Smyth to go eight clear by the 24th minutes. Aodhan O’Brien pulled one back from a free and though Coby Cunning came back with one for the Cuchullains, three in a two minute spell from Seaghan Shannon and Tommy Morgan (2) had the gap back to four as the game entered first half injury time.
Things looked more promising for the Befast men at this stage, but in first half injury time Deaghlan Smith and Ronan Molly added points to send their team in at the break with a six point cushion.
Two early points from Tommy Morgan and Gerard Walsh (from a long range free) early in the second half brought Rossa within four. Points from Dunloy’s Deaglan Smith and Conal Cunning in reply to one from Rossa’s Stephen Beatty pushed the gap out to five by the 37th minute, but two pointed frees in quick succession from Aodhan O’Brien left just three between the sides, but a goal and a point from the ever dangerous ‘Coby’ Cunning gave the home side a bit of breathing space. O’Brien and Beatty came back with points for the men form Shaw’s Road, but they could not get the goal they needed to get back within striking distance. With six minute of normal time Ronan Molloy and Deaghan Smith pushed the gap out to seven and hard though they tried Rossa could not quite bridge the gap, though two more late points from Aohan O’Brien got them to within five.
The win puts Dunloy straight into the semi-final, while Rossa face a quarter final clash with Loughgiel Shamrocks. St John’s face Ballycastle in the other quarter final with Dusilly appearing to be the perfect venue for the games.
DUNLOY
Ryan Elliott, Phelim Duffin, Ryan McGarry, Oran Quinn, Eamon Smyth, Kevin Molloy, Aaron Crawford, Nicky McKeague, Deaglan Smith, Ronan Molly, Gabriel McTaggart, Nigel Elliott, Keelan Molloy, Conal Cunning, Seann Elliott.
ROSSA
Philip Crean, Adrian Keneally, Cricky McGuinness, Ciaran Orchin, Ruairi Murray, Michael Armstrong, Eoin Trainor, Seaghan Shannon, Gerard Walsh, Dara Rocks, Stephen Beatty, Aodhan O’Brien, Thomas Morgan, James Connolly, Dominic McEnhill
Referee – Ciaran McCloskey (Loughgiel)
