Antrim U21 Hurling Championship Final
Cushendall 2-15 Loughgiel 0-19
Monday 4 August
Brendan McTaggart reports from Páirc MacUílín, Ballycastle
Cushendall held off a second half comeback from Loughgiel to take the U21 championship on Monday evening with just two points to spare by the final whistle. Midway through the second half, it looked like the Ruairi’s were going to cruise to victory when they opened up a seven point advantage but the Shamrock’s fought back and were probably worthy of at least earning extra time at the death.
The Ruairi’s were in debt to netminder Nicholas McLaughlin by the time the final whistle came with the Cuchendall ‘keeper producing two top class saves in the last five minutes while Sean McKay’s hook on Liam Glackin when the Loughgiel defender had the goal at his mercy was ultimately the winning of the game.
The old adage of goals winning games couldn’t have been more true in this contest and it was Joseph McLaughlin who bagged both majors for his side. The first from rather fortuitous circumstances when Loughgiel ‘keeper Pearce Patterson misjudged the flight of his free from full 75 yards out and while the penalty McLaughlin scored for his second could be somewhat questionable, McLaughlin’s finish was not. He would finish with 2-7 for his 60 plus minutes of work.
Jack McCloskey was the star of the show for the Shamrocks, he finished with 13 white flags, 11 from placed ball but he was the one player who really led the fight for Loughgiel and almost singlehandedly brought them back into this contest.
Ultimately, the Shamrocks were too reliant on his talents and Cushendall did just enough. Despite going through 17 minutes without scoring, the Cushendall defence soaked up pressure with a series of tackles, hooks and interceptions that it was going to take something special for Loughgiel to get the goal that would have changed the momentum of this final. Charlie McAuley, Sean McKay and Padraig McKillop all excelling and revelling in the contest being put their way.
With the wind from Storm Floris going more cross field towards the scoreboard, it favoured Cushendall more in the first half and they could have had two goals in the opening minutes of this final. Alex McCambridge going close only to be denied by a superb piece of defending from Tiago McGarry while Pearce Patterson denied Oisin Woodhouse with an outstanding piece of bravery.
Joe McNaughton and Thomas McLaughlin pointed either side of a Ronan ‘Rosey’ Fitgerald point for the Shamrocks to get the scoring going before a brace of frees from Jack McCloskey had the Shamrocks ahead.
The game was very even in the opening exchanges with neither side really stamping their authority on the game but with 10 minutes to go, it was the Shamrocks who held the lead by the minimum.
The Ruairi’s recorded four unanswered scores in the space of three minutes to take a three point lead for the first time – the scores coming from Thomas McLaughlin, Aodhan Campbell and a brace from Fiontan Bradley (one free).
Just when it looked like Cushendall would put some daylight between the sides, Loughgiel hit back. Jack McCloskey pointed either side of a brilliant score from Roan McGarry to the sides on nine points apiece with five minutes of the half remaining.
The sides went score for score with Joseph McLaughlin (two) firing over for the Ruairi’s while Eoin McGarry and Ruairi McCormick responded for Loughgiel to leave the sides tied on 11 points each at the short whistle.
Loughgiel would have been happier at the interval with the elements at their back for the second half but they got off to the worse possible start. Joseph McLaughlin stood over a free fully 75 yards from goal and while ‘keeper Pearce Patterson looked well placed to deal with the dropping sliotar, he could only deflect it into the net.
A Joseph McLaughlin free followed but the opening quarter was dictated by the Ruairi’s as they dominated the breakdown and didn’t give Loughgiel a sniff.
The Shamrocks first score of the second half came from a Jack McCloskey free in the 38th minute but by the time he would add to their score tally eight minutes later, Cushendall had opened a seven point lead thanks largely to a penalty in the 41st minute.
Austin Birt sending the sliotar high in to the edge of the square where Thomas McLaughlin was lurking. He got to the sliotar ahead of Roan McGarry and the Loughgiel man was deemed to have been overzealous with his tackle with referee Piaras McCaffrey awarding a penalty. Joseph McLaughlin made no mistake with his strike and with a free moments later as the Ruairi’s looked to cut loose with 15 minutes remaining.
Incredibly, they would only score two points in the time that remained as Loughgiel found some momentum in the final quarter. Despite having missed a couple of chances previously, Jack McCloskey landed five points from frees in the space of nine minutes while team captain Padraig McKillop split the uprights with the solitary response for his side.
With three points separating the sides going into the final minute of the hour, Loughgiel finally created clear cut goal chances. Tiago McGarry sent the sliothar high into the danger area where Roan McGarry claimed the loose ball. He got his shot away instinctively but Nicholas McNaughton somehow managed to stop his effort with a sensational piece of goal keeping.
McCloskey would convert the resulting ’65 and when Ben McGarry pointed moments later, it left just one point between the sides with just over three of the four allotted minutes of injury time remaining.
The Shamrocks had their chances with Ruairi McCloskey and Eoin McGarry both going wide while Eddie Smyth was denied by Nicholas McLaughlin’s bravery from point blank range. Liam Glackin looked for the world to score a major with the goal at his mercy but Sean McKay produced a quite brilliant block from out of nowhere to deny him at the last moment.
Joseph McLaughlin would have the final say when he pointed his sixth free of the final in the fifth minute of injury time to ensure it was the Ruairi’s who were celebrating at the final whistle.
TEAMS
CUSHENDALL: Nicholas McLaughlin; Conor McCann, Sean McKay, Callagh Mooney; Padraig McKillop, Charlie McAuley, Austin Birt; Aodhan Campbell, Joe McNaughton; Killian McNaughton, Thomas McLaughlin, Joseph McLaughlin; Oisin Woodhouse, Alex McCambridge, Fiontan Bradley
Scorers: J McLaughlin 2-7 (1-6f, 1-00pen); F Bradley 0-3 (2f); T McLaughlin 0-2; J McNaughton 0-1; A Campbell 0-1; P McKillop 0-1
LOUGHGIEL: Pearce Patterson; Cahir Connelly, Liam Glackin, Tiago McGarry; Eddie Smyth, Ben McGarry, Finn Henry; Ronan Fitzgerald, Ruairi McCormick; Eoin McGarry, Darragh Patterson, Conan Johnston; Roan McGarry, Jack McCloskey, Ronan McCollam
Scorers: J McCloskey 0-13 (10f, 1 ’65); B McGarry 0-1; R Fitzgerald 0-1; R McCormick 0-1; E McGarry 0-1; D Patterson 0-1; R McGarry 0-1
REFEREE: Piaras McCaffrey (Naomh Gall)
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