Antrim Hurling League Division 2 Venue: CushLig an Airgid, Cushendun
Referee: Shane McDonnell
Cushendun 1-16 – Ballycran 1-22
Ballycran continue their relentless march towards promotion, making it a perfect six wins from six with a comprehensive 1-22 to 1-16 victory over Cushendun. Even this early in the season, the men from the Ards return to Division 1 hurling looks like a cast-iron guarantee.
For the home side, the defeat shakes up the table significantly. The result leaves Cushendun embroiled in a four-way tie for the runner-up spot, sitting dead level with St Paul’s, St Gall’s, and Carryduff on 8 points apiece.
Playing with a stiff breeze at their backs in the opening thirty minutes, the visitors made their advantage count. While Cushendun’s ace marksman Conlaoth ‘Loaf’ McNeill drew first blood with a free in the opening minute, Ballycran quickly clicked into gear.
The story of the first half was one of attacking variety versus isolated brilliance. Ballycran showcased a remarkable spread of scorers, with Connor Dorrian, Steven Gilliland, and Connor Woods all finding their range early on. Paul Sheehan proved lethal both from open play and dead balls, keeping the scoreboard ticking over relentlessly.
Cushendun, playing into the wind, were forced to rely almost entirely on the dynamic duo of Conor McHugh and ‘Loaf’ McNeill to stay in touch. McNeill was incredibly accurate from placed balls, slotting over five first-half frees, while McHugh chipped in with two fine scores from play. However, Ballycran’s sheer volume of options—including late first-half points from Sean McCarthy, Eon Kelly, and Scott Nicholson—allowed them to pull away. By the time referee Shane McDonnell blew for half-time, the visitors had established a commanding seven-point lead, 0-15 to 0-08.
Turning around to face the breeze, Ballycran showed no signs of letting up. Scott Nicholson and Paul Sheehan fired over early points to extend the gap, but Cushendun dug deep. ‘Loaf’ McNeill hit a purple patch, rattling off three unanswered points (two frees) between the 6th and 8th minutes to breathe some life into the home crowd.
The game’s pivotal moments arrived midway through the half. After Ballycran had restored a comfortable nine-point cushion through Dara Rogers and the ever-reliable Sheehan, Cushendun finally breached the visitors’ defense. In the 22nd minute, Conor McHugh found the back of the net, instantly followed by quickfire points from Colm McKeegan and McNeill, suddenly dragging the hosts right back into the contest at 1-14 to 0-21.
However, Ballycran demonstrated the ruthless streak of a team destined for the top tier. Just as Cushendun looked poised to mount a grandstand finish, Phelim Savage struck a decisive blow in the 25th minute, raising a green flag for the visitors to instantly kill the comeback momentum.
McHugh and McNeill kept fighting to the bitter end, adding late points for the home side, but fittingly, it was Ballycran’s top scorer Paul Sheehan who had the final say with a 32nd-minute free to cap off a six-point victory.
Scorers
Cushendun (1-16)
- Conlaoth ‘Loaf’ McNeill: 0-12 (0-09 frees)
- Conor McHugh: 1-03
- Colm McKeegan: 0-01
Ballycran (1-22)
- Paul Sheehan: 0-09 (0-04 frees, 0-01 ’65)
- Connor Dorrian: 0-04
- Scott Nicholson: 0-03
- Connor Woods: 0-02
- Phelim Savage: 1-00
- Steven Gilliland: 0-01
- Sean McCarthy: 0-01
- Eoin Kelly: 0-01
- Dara Rogers: 0-01
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