Antrim Senior Hurling Championship – Round 2
At Fr Maginn Park, Glenravel
Cushendall 10-28 Carey Faughs 0-18
The final scorline must have had the historians scanning the record books as county champions Ruairi Og Cushendall won 10-28 to 0-18 against last years’ Intermediate champions Carey Faughs in Round 2 of the Antrim Senior Hurling Championship game at Fr Maginn Park, Glenravel. The Carey men would have been pleased to hit a more than respectable total of 0-18 and Brian Delargy and his management team would be a little concerned by that, but it was at the other end of the field the champions really shone. 10-28 must surely be the biggest total ever recorded and it will certainly do their score difference no harm, but it also begs the question why the Faughs were forced into playing senior this year.
Unfortunately it is the case that the teams winning Intermediate Championship, or even Division 2 League find it very difficult to compete at the higher level, especially in championship. Cushendun were the last team to really make a mark when they came up to senior in the mid to late nineties and reached the senior final in 2000, actually leading Dunloy at half time. St Enda’s are the last to have done it, the Glengormley men surviving in the top division in the league and in the Senior Championship for a few years now.
However those are the exceptions and especially clubs with low number are always going to find it hard to survive at the top level and it might be worth thinking of changing the rules to allow teams to stay in Intermediate unless they win the title twice in a row, or even two out of three. Of course that scenario would rule the likes of Carey out of Ulster, after their provincial success last season, if they were to win titles back to back, but it is certainly worth considering.
Back to Sunday’s game and despite lining out without Neil McManus Cushendall had just too much scoring power for the Faughs defence. Carey started very well and actually led by 0-03 to 0-01 after four minutes, their scores coming from Conal McGlynn and Conor McBride (2), but one the Ruairis found their range there was no stopping them. It was the goals that did the real damage and once Thomas McLaughlin got the first one on ten minutes there was no way back. McLaughlin’s brother Joseph got the second on fourteen minutes and Fiontann Bradley got number three five minutes later. Joseph McLaughlin added number four on 22 minutes, while two inside a minute from Joe McLaughlin and Dominic Delargy sent them in at the break with a 6-14 to 0-09 lead.
The second half was more of the same and with Carey facing the breeze it was even more difficult. To their credit they Faughs battled away against the odds and with Conor McBride leading the line they scored the same (0-09) against the wind as they did with it, while Cushendall mirrored their first half total by hitting 14 points again. The goals were once again the difference and the Ruairis fell a bit short, hitting just four in this thirty minute spell.
Carey finish their campaign with a home game against Rossa in two weeks’ time, while Cushendall host Loughgiel in what will be the biggest game of the campaign so far,
CUSHENDALL
Conor McAllister, Charlie McAuley, Paddy Burke, Martin Burke, Scott Walsh, Eoghan Campbell, Ryan McCambridge, Francis McCurry, Joseph McNaughton, Ciaran Neeson, Tomas McLaughlin, Ed McQuillan, Fiontann Bradley, Dominic Delargy, Joseph McLaughlin.
CAREY FAUGHS
Jimmy Joe Burns, Zach McCaughan, Collum McKiernan, Michael McVeigh, Conal McGlynn, Conlith McKinley, Shea Hunter, James Black, Callum Cane, Conor McBride, Darren Magowan, Fiachra McVeigh, Patrick Butler, Patrick Gillan.
Referee – Kevin Parke
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