Bathshack Senior Hurling Championship
Group 1 – Match Day 2
Loughgiel 4-25 Rossa 3-18
Saturday 23 August
Brendan McTaggart reports from Dunsilly
Two goals in the opening minutes of the second half proved to be the platform the Shamrocks needed for winning this game as they swept aside the challenge of Rossa. It was an impressive second half from Loughgiel who managed to hit 3-16 in the second 30 minutes with all but three of their final tally of 4-25 coming from open play.
James McNaughton top scored with 2-6 for his hours work but he had plenty of support around him with Paul Boyle and Roan McGarry chipping in with majors while Ronan ‘Rosey’ Fitzgerald raised the white flag on five occasions.
Defensively, Deaglan and Rory McCloskey were excellent while the puck outs of Cormac McFadden were a huge attacking threat, played with pace and precision.
Rossa will rue those opening exchanges to the second half and having led by three points midway through the first half, they looked to have curtailed the Shamrocks attacking threat. Deaglan Murphy put in another top performance with nine of his 11 points coming from placed ball with the Rossa goals coming from Gerard Walsh and substitute Thomas Morgan. Walsh’s majors coming from a 21 yard free and a penalty and while Morgan’s goal reduced the deficit to six points with the same amount of the hour to be played, the Shamrock’s finished this contest strongly to maintain their winning start to the championship.
Louhghgiel made a bright start to the game and but for a last gasp hook by Stephen Beatty on Paul Boyle, they could have had the games first goal in the opening attack. The opening five minutes saw the sides share six points between them with a brace from Deaglan Murphy (one free) and a Liam McEnhill effort coming in response to scores from Darragh Patterson, Boyle and Declan McCloskey.
Ruairi McCormick edged the Shamrocks ahead but it would be their last score for 10 minutes as Rossa took a semblance of control. Their cause was helped with Loughgiel hitting a number of uncharacteristic wides and dropping four shots short but the Shaws Road men built a three point lead through scores from Eoin Trainor and three from Deaglan Murphy (all frees). It could have been better for the Jeremiah’s with Dominic McEnhill going close to a major but his effort was half blocked before McFadden cleared the danger.
The opening goal came in the 19th minute through a piece of individual brilliance from James McNaughton. Leaping like a salmon among a crowd, McNaughton caught the sliotar and headed for goal. There’s no doubting he had a major on his mind and he made no mistake with an unstoppable drive.
Dan McCloskey split the uprights either side of another Deaglan Murphy free before Niall Crossan made a brilliant block to deny Paul Boyle Loughgiel’s second goal of the evening.
The sides went score for score in the time that remained with a brace from Deaglan Murphy (one free) and Joe Mulholland coming in response to scores from Patterson, Boyle and Fitzgerald to leave the half time score 1-9 to 0-11 in the Shamrocks favour.
Rossa probably did enough to edge the first half and Loughgiel got a lift from McNaughton’s brilliance to stop the west Belfast side from opening further daylight between the sides.
The second half was barely 15 second old when Loughgiel fired their second major of the contest. Ruairi McCormick looking for a point but his effort dropped short into the hands of Donal Armstrong. The Rossa ‘keeper looked for options but his clearance was blocked by Roan McGarry with the sliotar going into the back of the net. A piece of brilliant opportunism from the young Loughgiel forward but reward for chasing down what many would have seen as a lost cause.
Loughgiel’s third major came with the next attack through Boyle. The county star was causing the Rossa defence plenty of problems and while they looked to have curtailed that threat when Gerard Walsh moved to mark him, Boyle showed his class with this major. Collecting the sliotar in the left hand corner, he rounded his marker and set for goal. He fired low despite a less than favourable angle and found the back of the net.
A point from substitute Diarmuid Rogan briefly halted the Loughgiel charge before Fitzgerald and McNaughton (free) opened a nine point lead after just six second half minutes.
Loughgiel turned the screw in the next 10 minutes, outscoring Rossa six points to two. Scores coming from Fitzgerald (2), Dan McCloskey, McNaughton (2) and Roan McGarry with Deaglan Murphy (free) and Gerard Walsh firing over for Rossa.
Murphy brothers Deaglan and Tiernan got the Jeremiah’s firing again and despite Fitzgerald splitting the posts for the Shamrocks, Rossa looked to have found a way back into the game through Gerard Walsh’s first goal of the game. Standing over a 21 yard free, the county star fired low and beat the red wall on the line to reduce the deficit to eight points.
Scores from McNaughton (free) and substitute Shan McGrath briefly halted the Rossa charge but a goal from substitute Thomas Morgan breathed more life into the city side. Morgan showed his predatory instincts to pull the sliotar over the line after Cormac McFadden did superbly to deny Diarmuid Rogan from close range.
McNaughton and Deaglan Murphy (free) swapped scores before Liam McEnhill hit his second of the game to leave six between the sides and while there was just three minutes remaining, Rossa looked to have the momentum in the closing stages.
Any thoughts on an unlikely result for the Jeremiah’s were quashed by McNaughton. First splitting the posts for his sixth white flag of the game before firing his second major. Declan McCloskey with a brilliant catch before finding McNaughton on the charge. He went on a trademark run and made no mistake.
Points followed from Roan McGarry (two) and Conall McCloskey to open a 13 point lead but Gerard Walsh had the final say. The Rossa man fired his second major of the game through a penalty but it was merely a consolation score.
Loughgiel now head to a meeting with the Ruairi’s in Cushendall in two weeks time in a contest that will determine who finishes top and secure passage to the semi finals. Rossa will travel to Ballyvoy with their 2025 championship on the line against the Faughs.
TEAMS
LOUGHGIEL: Cormac McFadden; Tiernan Coyle, Enda Og McGarry, Liam Glackin; Ben McGarry, Rory McCloskey, Deaglan McCloskey; Rian McKee, Ruairi McCormick; Darragh Patterson, James McNaughton, Roan Fitzgerald; Roan McGarry, Paul Boyle, Dan McCloskey
Subs: Shan McGrath for D Patterson (49); Conall McCloskey for L Glackin (51); Caolan Blair for E Og McGarry (60)
Scorers: J McNaughton 2-6 (3fs); R McGarry 1-3; R Fitzgerald 0-5; P Boyle 1-2; D McCloskey 0-3; D Patterson 0-2; D McCloskey 0-1; R McCormick 0-1; S McGrath 0-1; C McCloskey 0-1
ROSSA: Donal Armstrong; Ciaran Orchin, Joe Mulholland, Niall Crossan; Gerard Walsh, Aodhan O’Brien, Stephen Beattty; Seaghan Shannon, Deaglan Murphy; Daire Murphy, Declan McCartney, Liam McEnhill; Eoin Trainor, Eoghan McMenamin, Dominic McEnhill
Subs: Diarmuid Rogan for Daire Murphy (30); Corey Walsh for J Mulholland (HT); Conor Savage for S Shannon (46); Tiernan Murphy for E McMenamin (46); Thomas Morgan for E Trainor (57)
Scorers: Deaglan Murphy 0-11 (9fs); G Walsh 2-1 (1-00f, 1-00pen); T Morgan 1-00; L McEnhill 0-2; J Mulholland 0-1; E Trainor 0-1; D Rogan 0-1; T Murphy 0-1
Referee: Colum Cunning (Dunloy)
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