Bathshack Senior Hurling Championship
Group 1 – Match Day 3 – Sunday 7 September
Cushendall 2-15 Loughgiel 0-19
Brendan McTaggart reports from Páirc Naomh Mhuire, Cushendall
For 59 minutes on Sunday afternoon, it looked like Loughgiel had brewed the perfect storm. A brace of points from Ben McGarry stretched the Shamrock’s advantage over Cushendall to six points and it felt like enough to see Loughgiel over the line.
The Ruairi’s forgot to read the script. Two goals from substitute Sean McAfee, the second in the fifth minute of injury time either side of a Neil McManus free and before a late Callagh Mooney point with what was the last puck of the game.
Dick Turpin was draped in maroon and white for the day. There’s no doubting Loughgiel were the better team for the majority of this game and had Cushendall on the ropes. They just couldn’t land a knockout blow. The Ruairi’s showed their undying spirit and never-say-die attitude to scrape through in the end but the Shamrocks will be wondering just how they let this one slip from their grasp.
But this was a game that Loughgiel had in their grasp, they shouldn’t have been letting this slip. Decisions may have gone against them at the end but they didn’t deal with the danger and Cushendall did what Cushendall do. I had a very brief chat with the Ruairi’s manager Brian Delargy afterwards and he said: “You should know, Brendan. You can never write us off.” There never was a truer word spoken.
While the rain might have subsided the wind was making life difficult for both sides. Scott Walsh opened the scoring and James McNaughton split the posts with a free soon after, it was the last score either side would record until the 10th minute.
The Shamrock’s went two ahead when Roan McGarry and Paul Boyle fired over. McGarry’s effort coming from a ridiculous angle and made light of the elements while Boyle’s score showcased his strength, power and pace as he held off two Cushendall defenders.
Thomas McLaughlin and Fintan Bradley raised white flags either side of a spectacular score from McNaughton for Loughgiel to edge his side ahead once more.
Another brace of points from Ronan Fitzgerald and McNaughton (’65) put three between the sides with a little over 10 minutes of the half remaining. It could have been even further but Dan McCloskey’s rifled effort was well saved by Conor McAllister between the sticks for the Ruairi’s.
Neil McManus was having his own personal battle with Enda Og McGarry at the other end of the pitch and while the Shamrock’s full back looked to have the upper hand, McManus should have scored the opening goal of the game in the 19th minute. Collecting a high delivery, he shook the challenges before kicking the sliotar towards goal. His effort beat the rushing Cormac McFadden but it went high and over the bar. A Bradley point followed to leave the minimum between the sides before Cushendall had another glimpse of the Loughgiel goal. Callagh Mooney collecting the sliotar in the right-hand corner, he looked for options before sending a pass into the path of McManus but his drive was well saved by McFadden in goals.
The reprieve seemed to spur the Shamrocks into life. Three points in as many minutes from McNaughton (free), Declan McCloskey and Paul Boyle were answered by a McManus’ first free of the contest to leave three between the sides in the 27th minute.
It was the Shamrock’s turn to go close to a major with Roan McGarry going close. Getting on the end of a high ball from Rosie Fitzgerald, McGarry deflected the sliotar goalward but his effort came back off the bottom of an upright.
McNaughton’s third free of the half, fifth overall put four between the sides but Cushendall rallied to hit the last two scores of the half. Another McManus free was followed by a Joseph McLaughlin point with the last puck of the half to leave the score 0-10 to 0-8 in the Shamrock’s favour.
Loughgiel made a dream start to the second half with Ruairi McCormick and McNaughton (free) splitting the uprights. Cushendall went close to the opening goal of the game but it was Liam Glackin who denied McManus with the goal at his mercy.
Ed McQuillan fired over nine minutes into the second half for the Ruairi’s first score of the half as the sides went score for score in the opening quarter. Dan McCloskey and Rosie Fitzgerald coming in response to a brace of frees from McManus.
The Shamrock’s clicked into gear again however with three points in as many minutes. Boyle and McCormick firing over after a typically classy score from McNaughton. Using his speed and guile to split the uprights off the hurl to leave six between the sides.
Cushendall responded with scores from McManus (free) and Walsh but Loughgiel had the scent of victory despite a couple of misses, a brace of points from Ben McGarry looked to have sealed the win with just over a minute of the hour remaining and six between the sides.
Cushendall may have been on the ropes, but they made a Lazarus like if not Rocky Balboa style comeback with Sean McAfee taking centre stage. His first major came in the 59th minute after smart work from Ryan McCambridge to drop a free into the danger area, McAfee timed his swing to perfection and doubled on the sliotar to the back of the net.
Loughgeiel looked to answer that goal but a brace of wides did little to help their cause. McManus stood over a free 30 yards from goal and the Loughgiel defence braced themselves but he clipped the sliotar over to leave two between the sides in the third minute of injury time.
The game defining moment came from a contentious ’65. Loughgiel weren’t happy, Cushendall rolled the dice. Joseph McLaughlin took the ’65 and found Ryan McCambridge, he drilled his effort into a crowded square with the sliotar deflecting into the path of Sean McAfee. The Cushendall substitute gathered and struck for goal instinctively, finding the bottom corner to give Cushendall the lead for the first time in the match. A Callagh Mooney point followed as Loughgiel looked for an equaliser but it never materialised.
The Ruairi’s got out of jail at the death, something we’ve seen plenty of times over the years. They never know when they’re beaten and while Loughiel head to the quarter finals and a tie against Ballycastle, they have plenty of positives to take from this contest despite defeat.
CUSHENDALL: Conor McAllister; Charlie McAuley, Paddy Burke, Ronan McAteer; Scott Walsh, Eoghan Campbell, Ryan McCambridge; Fred McCurry, Callagh Mooney; Ed McQuillan, Neil McManus, Thomas McLaughlin; Fiontan Bradley, Ciaran Neeson, Joseph McLaughlin
Subs: Sean McAfee for T McLaughlin (45); Joseph McNaughton for C Neeson (52)
Scorers: N McManus 0-7 (6f’s); S McAfee 2-00; S Walsh 0-2; F Bradley 0-2; C Mooney 0-1; E McQuillan 0-1; T McLaughlin 0-1; J McLaughlin 0-1
LOUGHGIEL: Cormac McFadden; Tiernan Coyle, Enda Og McGarry, Liam Glackin; Ben McGarry, Rory McCloskey, Declan McCloskey; Rian McKee, Ruairi McCormick; Daragh Patterson, James McNaughton, Roan Fitzgerald; Roan McGarry, Paul Boyle, Dan McCloskey
Subs: Rian McMullan for D Patterson (43); Shan McGrath for R Fitzgerald (49); Donal McKinley for D McCloskey (60+2)
Scorers: J McNaughton 0-7 (4f’s, 1’65); P Boyle 0-3; B McGarry 0-2; R McCormick 0-2; R Fitzgerald 0-2; Dan McCloskey 0-1; R McGarry 0-1; Declan McCloskey 0-1
Referee: Mark O’Neill (Armoy)
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