Under 21 Hurling Championship semi-final

Cushendall Ruairi Og 3-16 Glenariffe/Glenravel 015

Cushendall set up a final meeting with Loughgiel when they beat neighbours Glenariffe/Glenravel in Monday evening’s semi-final at Pairc Mhuir, Cushendall. O-05 to 0-01 up after ten minutes the home side always held the upper hand and went on the lead by 1-11 to 0-05 at the interval.

Glenariffe/Glenravel got the first score of the second half but Cushendall were soon back in control, and added two more goals on their  way to an emphatic win.

The home side hit five points in the first five minutes, three of them from Jospeph McLaughlin and one each from Fiontan Bradley and Oran McCambridge and while Orrin O’Connor came back with two for the visitors Cushendall took over and after adding another Joseph McLaughlin point at the end of the first quarter Thomas McLaughlin got their first goal after a high ball into the ‘square’ by Oran McCambridge. Joseph McNaughton and Joseph McLaughlin tagged on two more points, and while James McHenry and Calum McHenry came back with two in the final minute of the half Cushendall were still 1-11 to 0-5 clear at the interval.

The lead was out to eleven early in the second half and while Cormac McKeown and Calum McIlwaine sent over two more for the visitors a goal from Oisin Woodhouse and a point from Fiontan Bradly ended the game as a contest. When Bradley scored his second goal inside five minutes there was no way back for Glenariffe/Glenravel side, and even though they came back with five points on the trot, two from Cormac Keown, two from Canice McIntosh and one from Peadar McDonnell, Cushendall finished strongly with points from Joseph McLaughlin and Fiontan Bradley to set up a meeting with Loughgiel next Monday evening.