Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Finals

By six o’clock on Sunday evening, four will become two and we will know the pairing for this years Senior Hurling Championship final.  Can Loughgiel get one over their rivals again and can the Ruairi’s juggernaut continue?  Brendan McTaggart looks ahead to the semi finals….

Cushendall v St John’s

Saturday 5 October

Venue: Pearse Park, Dunloy

Referee: Colm McDonald

Throw In: 4pm

The first semi final takes place on Saturday afternoon in Dunloy with the reining champions Cushendall putting their crown on the line against St John’s.  The Ruairi’s have been mighty impressive so far in the championship while St John’s are looking to perfect the art of peaking at the right time.

The champions have had a settled team of sorts in their three matches with the same names appearing in the starting lineup 12 times.  Conor McAllister between the sticks, an unchanged back six and midfield pairing while Ryan and Fergus McCambridge along with Joseph McLaughlin have been the ever presents up front. 

Neil McManus’ contribution has been restricted to a substitution cameo in their last group game against Dunloy, I’d fully expect him to line out at 14 on Saturday however.  He’s been nursing his way back to full fitness throughout the championship and his cameo against the Cuchullains was a wee note to the rest of the county – I’m still here, don’t go forgetting about me. 

The other two positions are a little trickier to nail down.  The work rate of Andrew Delargy or Andrew McNaughton could get the nod in the half forward line while an inside forward line of McManus, McLaughlin and Ciaran Neeson would be enough to give any team nightmares.  Ronan McAteer, Paddy McGill and Dominic Delargy could all make a claim for a starting berth however and wouldn’t lessen the strength of the Ruairi’s starting 15.

The Johnnies panel has been stretched in the earlier rounds and an indication of such is the fact they have just seven names in the starting 15 in all four matches.  In their last two matches which have essentially been knock out, they’ve shown a much more settled team with just two changes from the Rossa and Naomh Eanna starting 15’s.  From the 15 that started against Naomh Eanna two weeks ago, just 10 started in the swimming pool against Cushendall in Ballymena.

Mickey Johnston has selected an unchanged back six in front of Simon Doherty for the last two matches, two matches that they have been mighty impressive in and recording high scores at the other end of the pitch.  With Peter McCallin playing at six, Michael Bradley and Michail Dudley back in the starting lineup, the Johnnies look to be clicking into gear at the right time.

Having already played each other in group stages, neither will be paying attention to both performances and results.  It mattered little in the grand scheme of things and given the conditions, it was a game that both wanted to get out of the road with no major injuries.

The midfield pairing of Fred McCurry and Alex Delargy have been instrumental so far for the Ruairi’s and how St John’s deal with them along with McManus and McLaughlin could be telling.  St John’s have racked up 1-27 against Rossa and 0-30 last day out against Naomh Eanna.  Their attacking unit will take some looking after with Shea Shannon, Conor Johnston and Conal Bohill all impressing while Dudley has chipped in with eight points over the two games.  They’ll need to be at their best to get anything from a Cushendall defence that are notoriously stingy when it comes to space and time for their opponents.

Cushendall are favourites with Paddy Power, priced as low as 1/5 with St John’s at 4/1.  I don’t think it will be just as comfortable as the odds would suggest but I would expect the Ruairi’s to reach the final.

Loughgiel v Dunloy

Venue: Pairc Mhuire, Cushendall

Sunday 6 October 2024

Referee: Mark O’Neill

Throw In: 4pm

And as if fate would have it, one of the oldest rivalries in Antrim hurling is paired again at the same stage as last year.  12 months ago, Loughgiel put an end to Dunloy’s Drive for Five with a barnstorming performance in Ballycastle that left the Cuchullains shellshocked.  Needless to say, the Shamrocks will be hoping for something similar again on Sunday.

Their paths to the final couldn’t be much different.  For Loughgiel, Sunday will be their first match in four week and third competitive fixture in eight weeks while the Cuchullains line out for the fifth time in the same time period.  It’s not ideal from a Loughgiel point of view and if you were to ask any of those in red, you can be guaranteed they’d prefer a schedule like that which Dunloy have come through.  Championship runs are all about momentum and feeding off the energy that each win can bring.  When you have to wait as long as the Shamrocks have between fixtures, it’s not impossible to get momentum but it certainly adds to the work of the backroom team.

From their two championship matches so far, Loughgiel have had the same 14 names in the starting 15 with their ‘keeper, back six and half forward line all unchanged.  Against Ballycastle they lined out with James McNaughton and Paul Boyle in the middle of the pitch while Enda Og McGarry was on the inside forward line.  I’d expect Enda to play further out the field with Rian McMullan and Shan McGrath staying inside when they look for their match ups against Dunloy.

The Cuchullains haven’t really had a settled team throughout their four matches.  Just 10 regulars in the starting 15 which is quite surprising with Ryan Elliott in goals and the midfield pairing of Paul Shiels and Seaan Elliott the only guarantees.

Their win against Ballycastle in the quarter-finals took it’s toll with Keelan Molloy and Seaan Elliott both taking knocks and while Conal Cunning made a return from injury to start that game, he wasn’t exactly the picture of health by the time the final whistle came.  Those three are a major cog in the Cuchullains machine and while I expect them to start, it remains to be seen if they are 100%.

Ronan Molloy was missing from the starting lineup against Ballycastle having played wing half back throughout the championship.  He’s been struggling with injury at different times this year and while he wasn’t part of the match day panel, I’d expect him to take his place in the back six again.

Up front is where all the changes have come from Dunloy.  Eoin O’Neill, Keelan Molloy and Nigel Elliott are the only players to have started every match so far.  Aodhan McGarry has started the last two games and was excellent against Ballycastle.  I’d expect him to line out again in the half forward line and leave an inside forward line of Coby, O’Neill and one of Chrissy McMahon or Nicky McKeague. 

Despite the changes and that chastening defeat to Cushendall, Dunloy remain bookies favourites to reach the final.  Paddy Power prices the Shamrocks at 7/4 with Dunloy at 4/7 and a draw a tempting 8/1.

There won’t be much in this.  There rarely is between these two sides through the years.  The hurt of losing last years semi could well give Dunloy the motivation they need to get over the line against a Loughgiel team who haven’t really been tested in the championship to date.