McAuley Cup semi-final in Armoy

Cushendall 3-17 Loughgiel 0-18

Cushendall booked their place in the final of the McAuley Cup at Armoy on Sunday with an eight point semi-final win over Loughgiel.

Both teams were short a good few regulars but they still produced a high scoring and entertaining game. Loughgiel went ahead in the early stages with points from Rian McMullan and Conor Deery but when Sea McAfee put Cushendall ahead with a goal in the third minute they held the upper hand for much of the game. Rian McMullan was picking off the points for the Shamrocks, with Enda Og McGarry and Conor O’Mullan adding to the tally but a second goal for the Ruairis by corner forward Ciaran Neeson and points from Padraig McKillop, Paddy Sharpe and Dan Delargy helped them to a 2-08 to 0-10 lead by half time.

Delargy increased Cushendall’s lead six minutes into the second half to push the gap out to five, but Loughgiel stayed in touch with good scores from ‘Bubbles’ McMullan (2) and Eoin McGarry (2). Half way through that second period the veteran Paddy McGill, who had been introduced at half time, started to make his prescence felt and two points inside a minute gave the Ruairis a bit more breathing space.

The Shamrocks got themselves back into contention when they hit four points without reply, two from Bubbles and one each Eoin McGarry and Donal McKinley, but Cushendall finished strongly and after McGill got another point, Padraig McKillop and Fergus McCambridge did likewise before Paddy Sharpe put the icing on the cake with an injury time goal

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