O’Neill Sportswear Hurling League – Division 1
Rossa 2-19 Cushendall 2-22
A late surge by Cushendall which brought a Fred McCurry goal and points by Dominic Delargy and Paddy McGill gave the Ruairis victory over luckless Rossa at Rossa Park on Sunday and sealed a place in the top half of the Division 1 table for the second half of the league.
Points from Aodhan O’Brien and two from full forward Stephen Beatty had edged the home team in front going down the home straight, but McCurry’s goal turned the game back in favour of the Glensmen and the points by Delargy and McGill sent them over the line with three points to spare.
In a great game of hurling Cushendall started really well and an early goal by Ed McQuillan and points by ‘Fred’ McCurry and Scott Walsh put them five clear. Stephen Beatty opened the Rossa account with a well taken point but the next four scores went to the visitors as Cormac McClafferty, Joseph McLaughlin, Paddy McGill and Ronan McAteer all added points to go eight clear. Eoghan McMenamin and Conal Shannon stemmed the tide with two well taken points but the Ruairis came back with three of the next four scores through Joe McLaughlin, Ronan McAteer (2) but Rossa battled hard against the odds and two points apiece by Aodhan O’Brien and Geard Walsh brought them back to within four by half time.
A goal by Owen May and an Aodhan O’Brien point changed the whole complexion of the game and playing down the slope towards the Shaw’s Road end of the ground things looked much brighter. Two Joe McLaughlin points, one from a free and the other from a 65 put Cushendall back in front, but a goal by Rossa full forward Stephen Beatty and points from centre forward Gerard Walsh and right half back Pearce Shortt three clear.
Two points by Dominic Delargy and one by Fred McCurry brought the visitors back level by the water break, and when Patrick Sharpe added another just after the restart they were back ahead. An exchange of points between Thomas Morgan and Cushendall’s Ryan McCambridge kept it that way, but when Rossa grabbed the next three scores through Stephen Beatty (2) and Aodhan O’Brien they appeared to be in a strong position.
However Cushendall finished the game strongly and when Fred McCurry got in for his team’s second goal they were back in front and Dominic Delargy and Paddy McGill added two more points before the end to secure a vital win.
