Antrim Hurling League Division 1

St John’s 5-16 Cushendall 1-23

St John’s made a good start to their Division 1 Hurling League campaign when they beat county champions Cushendall at Corrigan Park on Sunday in a high scoring encounter.

With teams short a good few regulars the home team were on top from the start and went on to lead by four at half time.

Cushendall closed the gap after the break but the Corrigan Park men were always able to react and with full forward Oisin McManus in superb form they came back strong to win by five in the end.

The Johnnies made a good start to the game with a goal and a point in the opening minute, the goal coming from full forward Oisin McManus Cushendall came back with points from Ed McQuillan and Callagh Mooney. Both teams  added points but St John’s gained the upper hand again when full forward Oisin McManus got his second goal and then added a point from a free. Neill McManus kept Cushendall in touch hitting four of his team’s next five points and though the Johnnies pulled clear again a goal from the Ruairis full forward Joseph McNaughton on 23 minutes brought his right back into the game. However the home team steadied the ship in the run-in to half time and two more points by Oisin McManus and one from play by Aaron Bradley had them five in front at the short whistle.

Two points by Neill McManus and one from Fred McCurry early in the second half cut the Cushendall deficit to just two points, but four on the bounce by Oisin McManus (2), Shea Shannon and Daragh McGuinness had the gap out to six. Cushendall kept in touch as Neill McManus Fergus McCambridge and Joe McNaughton came back with scores but when Oisin McManus fired in this third goal and Shea Shannon added a point it was clear the league points were staying in Corrigan.

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