Late Foggarty point breaks Cushendall hearts

AIB All Ireland Senior Club Hurling Semi-Final

O’Loughlin Gaels 1-17 Cushendall Ruairi Og 1-16

A late point from out on the stand sideline from O’Loughlin Gael’s right half back David Foggarty saw the Kilkenny Champions edge out Cushendall in Sunday’s AIB All Ireland Club Hurling semi-final in Navan. Ruairi Og captain Neill McManus had a chance seconds later to bring the game to extra time but his shot was just wide of the target and a day that had looked so promising in the early stages ended in heartbreak for the Antrim champions who gave so much in a remarkable contest.

***Cushendall’s Joseph McLaughlin celebrates after scoring his team’s goal early in the game.***

Playing with the wind at their backs in the first half the Ruairis gave an exhibition of slick hurling as they raced away to lead their much vaunted opponents by 1-5 to 0-0 after just five minutes, the goal coming from young corner forward Joseph McLaughlin who broke away from a ruck of players and send a low shot past O’Loughlin’s goalkeeper Shephen Murphy. Things got even better when they stretched their advantage to eight as they dominated play, but the Kilkenny men started to find their feet. Cushendall right half forward Ed McQuillan was desperately unlucky to see his goal-bound shot rebound off the base of the upright during the second quarter and the Leinster champions took advantage. They slowly edged their way back and boosted by a goal from corner forward Sean Bolger they closed to the gap to just three by half time.

When O’Loughlin’s wiped out the three point deficit within four minutes of the restart it looked like the Cushendall fans were in for a long afternoon, but with the Burke brothers Paddy and Martin, centre back Eoghan Campbell and midfielder Ryan McCambridge in superb form they steadied the ship and kept their noses in front until seven minutes from time. Against the wind, and the odds, the Cushendall men produced heroics, but they shot five wides in the last ten minutes, all from very scoreable positions, which proved their undoing and the men from Kilkenny city took advantage to set up a final place against Galway champions St Thomas in the final in four weeks’ time.

**Sean Bolger celebrates after scoring O’Loghlin’s goal**

O’Loughglin’s captain Mark Bergin won the toss and elected to play against the strong diagonal breeze, and it was Cushendall who flew from the traps with a point from a Neill McManus free and one from play by Niall McCormick. Ryan McCambridge split the uprights to put his team three clear and when Joseph McLaughlin cut in from the right corner to five home a brilliant goal the Cushendall fans must have thought they were in dreamland.

Things got even better when masterful centre back Eoghan Campbell sent over a point from distance, and though the Kilkenny champions opened their account soon afterwards, Campbell struck again to restore the Ruairi’s seven point advantage.

When Neill McManus sent over a monster free from well inside his own half the gap was out to eight. You felt it was too good to be true, and it was, as O’Loughlin’s began to claw their way back.

The gap was back to five when Ed McQuillan cut through the O’Loughlin’s defence, but his well struck shot rebounded off the post and it was a sign that things were beginning to change, and they closed the gap to just two, but a later McManus point from a free sent his team in with a three point lead at the break.

***Ed McQuillan cuts through the O’Loughlin defence before rattling a shot of the base of the upright***

O’Loughlin’s appeared to be gaining the upper hand when they wiped out their three point deficit inside four minutes, with two points from Mark Bergin and one from Eoin O’Shea.

Neill McMaus settled his team with two well taken points, one from a free and the other from play to give his team a two point advantage, but his opposite number Mark Bergin came back with one at the other end for the Kilkenny champions.

Cushendall rode their luck when O’Loughin’s Sean Bolger fired wide of an open goal following a long free out of defence when Alex Delargy was adjudged to have over-carried, but in truth the free should have gone the other way as Delargy was clearly being held.

Going down the ‘home straight’ O’Loughins twice edged ahead, only to be pulled back and the tension rose. When David Foggarty hit the lead score for the Leinster men in injury-time the Antrim fans were hoping their team would get one more chance. As things turned out they got a couple but lady luck was not on their side and the men in white and green squeezed home.

***Joseph McLauglin and O’Loughlin’s Mickey Butler give confilicting signals after McLaughlin struck a late point***

O’Loughlin Gaels: Mark Bergin (0-9, 0-5 frees); Sean Bolger (1-1); David Fogarty, Conor Heary (0-2 each); Paddy Deegan, Jack Nolan, Eoin O’Shea (0-1 each)

Ruairi Og Cushendall: Neil McManus (0-9, 0-7 frees); Joseph McLaughlin (1-1); Eoghan Campbell (0-2); Paddy Burke, Ryan McCambridge, Ronan McAteer, Ed McQuillan (0-1 each)

O’Loughlin Gaels: Stephen Murphy; Tony Forristal, Huw Lawlor, Mikey Butler; David Fogarty, Paddy Deegan, Jordan Molloy; Jack Nolan, Cian Loy; Eoin O’Shea, Mark Bergin, Conor Heary; Sean Bolger, Luke Hogan, Owen Wall.

Subs: Conor Kelly for Bolger 44 mins; Jamie Ryan for Nolan 54 mins; Paddy Butler for O’Shea 57 mins.

Ruairi Og Cushendall: Conor McAlister; Paddy Burke, Liam Gillan, Martin Burke; Scott Walsh, Eoghan Campbell, Ruairi McCollam; Francis McCurry, Ryan McCambridge; Ed McQuillan, Fergus McCambridge, Ronan McAteer; Joseph McLaughlin, Neil McManus, Niall McCormack.

Subs: Sean McAfee for McAteer 22 mins; Alex Delargy for McCormack h-t; Aidan McNaughton for Gillan h-t; Stephen Wash for McCollam 47 mins; Christy McNaughton for McCurry 58 mins.

Referee: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary)