Senior Hurling Feis Cup – Semi Final
Dunloy 0-23 Cushendall 1-22
Brendan McTaggart reports from Pearse Park, Dunloy
Cushendall recorded a two point victory over Dunloy on Tuesday evening to book their place in this years Feis final. In a game that saw both sides play excellent hurling, it was the two Joes who paved the way for the Ruairi’s with Joseph McNaughton and Joseph McLaughlin doing the lions share of the scoring for Cushendall.
McNaughton would finish the hour with an impressive tally of nine white flags and just two of those coming from placed ball while McLaughlin split the uprights on six occasions.
Francis McCurry’s goal proved to be the decisive score of the game, coming 11 minutes from time and under fortuitous circumstances but that mattered little on the scoreboard.
Seaan Elliott was exceptional for the home side and finished the game with 13 points beside his name, eight of those from placed ball while Tom McFerran continued his fine form this season by adding five points but the Cuchullains rarely looked like scoring the goal that would swing the momentum in their favour at the death.
The first half was largely an even contest that the visitors to Pearse Park edged 0-10 to 0-9. Cushendall did have goal chances throughout the opening 30 minutes with Ed McQuillan and Fiontan Bradley both going close but for some outstanding defending from Phelim Duffin and Paul Shiels, the Ruairi’s would have had a goal early doors.
Dunloy had a couple of half chances themselves with Tom McFerran electing for a point at a time when he had plenty of grass to run into while Aodhan McGarry’s effort from an acute angle was well saved by Gillan in the Cushendall goals.
Cushendall did seem much sharper throughout the first half with their half forward line and middle third in general creating space for puck-outs coming from Eoin Gillan as Dunloy struggled to make an impact on the Cushendall restarts.
Neither side was exactly prolific in front of the target, 19 wides shared between them with the home side reaching double figures will be something both sets of management will be hoping is an off-day rather than the standard.
The Cuchullians started the second half brightly with Seaan Elliott moving to the inside forward line to give them a greater attacking threat. They opened a two point lead going into the final quarter with Seaan Elliott firing over four of their five scores of the third quarter while the Joe’s were keeping the ‘Dall ticking at the other end of the pitch.
The home side had a glimmer of the Cushendall goal in the 45th minute when Ciaran Elliott broke free from the middle third and had his eyes set on goal but the Cushendall defence did enough to put the Dunloy midfielder off his stride and his shot was well saved by Gillan.
Trailing by one point going down the stretch, Cushendall got the only goal of the game in the 49th minutes. When McCurry gathered the sliotar close to the half way line, he took aim at the target and with his effort dropping short, it looked like a scoring chance had gone. Dunloy ‘keeper Ryan Elliott misjudged the flight of the sliotar however and it nestled into the back of the net.
Aodhan McGarry responded with his second point of the game to leave the minimum between the sides but Cushendall were always able to keep the scoreboard ticking.
Dunloy had a half chance of goal when substitute Gabriel McTaggart looked to latch on to a dropping sliotar that came back off the upright but he couldn’t connect cleanly when under pressure from Paddy Burke.
A brace of points from Joseph McNaughton stretched the Ruairi’s advantage to four points with a little over five minutes of the game remaining and while the home side finished strongly with Tom and Luke McFerran finding their range along with Keelan Molloy, scores from McQuillan, McCurry and Joseph McLaughlin ensured the Ruairi’s would advance to the final by the time referee Mark O’Neill called time.
TEAMS
DUNLOY: Ryan Elliott; Phelim Duffin, Ryan McGarry, Oran Quinn; Keelan Molloy, Paul Shiels, Eamon Smyth; Kevin Molloy, Ciaran Elliott; Seaan Elliott, Nicky McKeague, Tom McFerran; Luke McFerran, Aodhan McGarry, Ryan Mort
Subs: Conor Kinsella for P Shiels (41); Gabriel McTaggart for C Elliott (50)
Scorers: S Elliott 0-13 (8fs 1’65); T McFerran 0-5; A McGarry 0-2; Keelan Molloy 0-2 (1f); L McFerran 0-1
CUSHENDALL: Eoin Gillan; Charlie McAuley, Paddy Burke, Martin Burke; Austin Birt, Eoghan Campbell, Ryan McCambridge; Scott Walsh, Francis McCurry; Ed McQuillan, Joseph McNaughton, Thomas McNaughton; Ciaran Neeson, Joseph McNaughton, Fiontan Bradley
Subs: Dominic Delargy for J McLaughlin (inj); Padraig McKillop for A Birt (inj)
Scorers: J McNaughton 0-9 (2fs); J McLaughlin 0-6 (4fs 1’65); F McCurry 1-1; E McQuillan 0-3; F Bradley 0-3
Referee: Mark O’Neill (Armoy)
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