Antrim Hurling League – Division 1
Cushendall 0-19 Portaferry 0-19
When Joseph McLaughlin scored his 12th point of the game in the second minute of injury time to put Cushendall 0-19 to 0-18 ahead it looked like the Ruairis had sealed the win, but they tried to work the ball out from defence with a short poc out, and the move broke down resulting in a Portaferry free which gave their marksman Paudie Doran the chance to fire over the equaliser and the young corner forward made no mistake.
This was a highly entertaining game, in which both teams had chances to seal the win, but in the end they had to settle for a draw which leaves the Down men on nine points with all their games played and they will hope that Sundays final round of games go their way to keep them in the top half of the table.
Portaferry started well and were 0-3 to 0-0 ahead after seven minutes, Matthe Conlan getting the opener and free take Paudie Doran getting the other two.
Joseph McLaughlin had been off target with a couple of early frees for Cushendall but once he hit his first in the ninth minute it settled the nerves of the young corner forward and he added two more in the next five minutes, which, with the aid of one from play by Alex Delargy, put the home side ahead. It was score for score for the remainder of the first half and the sides were level at the end of normal time, but the men from the Ards finished strongly and points from Finn Turpin, Ciaran Milligan and Caolan Taggart in added time gave them a 0-11 to 0-8 lead at the interval.
McLaughlin got the first point of the second half to cut the gap to two, but Portaferry stretched their lead to four as Finn Turpin and Paudie Dorran found the target. McLaughlin and Alex Delargy brought the gap back to two, but Doran stretched the lead to three again by the 43rd minute. Cushendall got back on level terms when the hit four of the next five points but with ten minutes left to play two Caolan Taggart points put the Down men back on top. McLaughlin and Dominic Delargy hit the target to bring the Ruairis level going down the home straight, and when McLaughlin edged them ahead in injury time it seemed the had done enough. However Portaferry was given the chance to earn a share of the spoils from a 63rd minute free and he again found the target to gives his team a precious league point to take with them on the long journey home.
CUSHENDALL
Eoin Gillan, Michael Quinn, Paddy Burke, Martin Burke, Scott Walsh, Ryan McCambridge, Stephen Walsh, Alex Delargy, Martin McClafferty, Andrew Delargy, Dominic Delargy, Ed McQuillan, Paddy McGill, Emmet Laverty, Joe McLaughlin
PORTAFERRY
Pearce Smyth, Darragh Mallon, Caolan Taggart, Tom Murray, Barry Trainor, Conor O’Neill, Ciaran Milligan, Matthew Conlan, Conor O’Prey, Finn Turpin, Eoghan Sands, Conor Fay, Noah Rodgers, Daithi Sands, Paudie Doran
Referee – Mark O’Neill
