Antrim ACHL Division 1

Cushendall 1-18 Loughgiel 0-21

12th June 2024

PICS AND REPORT BY MICHAEL CORCORAN

Wednesday evening’s league game between Cushendall and Loughgiel was an evenly matched affair. Despite a goal from the Dall in the first half, the shamrocks would rally round and lead with one point in the dying minutes of the game, but it was Cushendall’s Joseph McNaughton that would spoil the Shamrocks celebrations and bring the game level in the end.

Colum Cunning was our match referee and rolled the sliotar in promptly at 7:30pm on an excellent evening for hurling. It was Loughgiel’s Daniel McCloskey that stirred the scoreboard into action, pointing after a Shan McGrath offload. McCloskey would find the uprights again with a long haul from around the 60m mark Although further scores from McCloskey wouldn’t be forthcoming, the half forward would continually pose a threat on the wing for the Dall, at times drawing fouls for McGrath to take.

Cushendall’s Joe McLaughlin got his side underway on the Moyle Transport scoreboard, when he scooped up a spilled ball from Loughgiel and punched it into the ball net over the bar. Cushendall’s Scott Walsh found the stick of Ciaran Neeson for the Dall’s second point before the game would lapse into a period of central play at short range, predominately from Cushendall. As the sliotar was worked up towards the dugouts, Declan McCloskey intercepted and managed to pass to Damon McCloskey, taking his point from along the sideline.

The Dall’s Andrew Delargy would draw sides again at 0-03, with an efficient point that was back fed out from an aborted attack on Cormac McFadden’s goals. Points would be traded back and forth but at 0-05 each, Loughgiel had an opportunity to move ahead whenever Dan McCloskey was fouled. Cunning played the advantage but when that amounted to nothing, Shan McGrath stepped up and hit the upright and not for the only time in the game.

At five points apiece, Cushendall advanced into Loughgiel’s danger zone and from a congested mix of players, Cushendall’s Fergus McCambridge made the most of an opening space and racked up the only goal in the game.

More points would come for the Dall as Ronan McAteer and Joe McLaughlin moved them ahead by two, but after that, Loughgiel would never allow the Dall more than a point of a difference for the remainder of the first half as each side pointed up to the break at Cushendall 1-10 Loughgiel 0-12. Out of those points, Shan McGrath took a slap on the arm for a foul and pointed over the black spot on the bar, which brought his accuracy back into the game. For the Dall, Andrew Delargy picked up the sliotar from a loose ball, found a running Dominic Delargy who offloaded to Joe McLaughlin for a solid point. Finding McLaughlin was a hallmark in the Dall’s game as the second half played that out better.

From the throw-in, Cushendall’s Paddy McGill found Fergus McCambridge in a sea of space and used the time to sail the sliotar over the bar. Joe McLaughlin would follow that up with a shot on target but the Shamrock keeper, Cormac McFadden, stretched and pushed the ball over for a 65 and McLaughlin would make amends by taking and scoring that point.

Not for the first time in the match, we watched point for point until approximately seventeen minutes into the second half, referee Cunning blew for a heavy tackle in the Loughgiel box. Cushendall’s centre half forward, Joe McLaughlin stepped up and powered the penalty to McFadden’s right side for a successful one-handed stretching save. With the scores standing with just the goal difference, Cushendall 1-15 Loughgiel 0-15, the Shamrocks would open up a rich vein of points, three of those from careless fouls, an overcarry, a trip on Eoin McGarry as he ran to collect a useful ball and Donal McKinley was brought down. This run of points brought Loughgiel into a one-point lead but when Tiernan Coyle clipped Fergus McCambridge, attempting too eagerly to offload the sliotar, Cushendall’s Joe McLauglin used the free to equal the scores.

With only minutes left in the game, Loughgiel found another two points, a McGrath free and a hard-earned ball by Declan McCloskey found Darragh Patterson for his point that pleased the supporters along the sideline.

Another ball fed deep into Joe McLaughlin had an ominous air for the Shamrocks about how the match might end but a gathering defence spoiled the opportunity and McLaughlin had to settle for the point.

With barely seconds left in the game, Joseph McNaughton would level the sides Cushendall 1-18 Loughgiel 0-21 with the last point and score of the match. An evenly matched set of squads that had several key players away, entertained everyone for what some along the sideline thought was a fair outcome and great evening’s hurling.

Cushendall Scorers:

Andrew Delargy 0-01, Fergus McCambridge 1-02, Ronan McAteer 0-01, Joseph McLaughlin 0-09 (5f), Joseph McNaughton 0-02, Ciaran Neeson 0-02, Alex Delargy 0-01

Loughgiel Scorers:

Declan McCloskey 0-04 (2f), Cahal Hargan 0-02, Damon McMullan 0-01, Darragh Patterson 0-02, Daniel McCloskey 0-02, Maol Connelly 0-01, Shan McGrath 0-07 (5f), Christy McGarry 0-02

Photos from tonight’s game can be found by clicking on the photo album link here…

https://myalbum.com/album/ZHg9YGBrCQtSs3/?invite=b4bd9d48-f01b-4a8c-b894-de5d7673c1ea