Antrim Hurling League – Division 2
Glenarm 1-09 Cushendun 1-19
PICS BY MICKY MORGAN
Antrim Hurling League Division 2 action saw North Antrim rivals Cushendun secure a convincing 1-19 to 1-09 victory over Glenarm at Feystown. Referee Fergus McAllister threw in the ball for a match that started as a tightly contested affair. Cushendun talisman Conlaoth McNeill, widely known as Loaf, opened the scoring in the first minute with a free. Glenarm quickly responded through Darren Hamill, setting a pattern of tit-for-tat scoring for the opening quarter. John Joe O’Connell and a sideline cut from Loaf kept the visitors ticking over, but points from Aidan Scullion, Kieran O’Boyle, and another pair from Hamill eventually gave Glenarm a narrow 0-05 to 0-04 lead by the 22nd minute. However, Cushendun finished the half strongly. Loaf spearheaded a four-point scoring burst in the closing minutes, including another impressive sideline cut, sending his team into the halftime break with a 0-08 to 0-05 advantage.
Cushendun emerged for the second half with renewed intensity, rattling off three quick points in the opening three minutes through Conor McHugh and two frees from Loaf McNeill to extend their lead. Sean O’Hare temporarily halted the momentum with a free for the hosts, but the visitors kept the scoreboard moving with further points from Loaf and Andrew Breslin. The defining moment of the game arrived in the 15th minute when excellent work from John Joe O’Connell on the wing resulted in a great ball played into Colm McKeegan, who made no mistake and fired low to the net for a crucial Cushendun goal. Glenarm showed signs of a fightback shortly after; following an O’Hare free, Aidan O’Neill found the back of the net in the 18th minute. O’Neill placed the ball into the bottom corner on his second attempt after Archie McSparran had bravely saved the initial shot on the goal line. Despite this lifeline reducing the deficit, Glenarm could not bridge the gap.
The final ten minutes belonged entirely to Cushendun, with Conor McHugh adding two more points to his personal tally and the prolific Loaf converting a string of late frees to cap off a superb individual performance, sealing a comfortable ten-point win for the visitors.
The win gets the Emmet’s league title race back on track after last week’s shock defeat to Carryduff, which adds even more excitement to next Sunday’s clash with league leaders Ballycran back at the Rigs in Cushendun.
TO SEE MORE OF MICKY MORGAN’S PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
https://myalbum.com/album/RsauKqnWJFciSw/?invite=bdd11766-16b3-4464-a4ea-fe01e0d61ef1
+