Senior Hurling League
Division One
Loughgiel 2-21 Dunloy 3-18
Sunday 21 June
Brendan McTaggart reports from Healy Park, Loughgiel
The points were shared on Sunday evening in this derby as Loughgiel and Dunloy played out an intense contest at Healy Park. In a game that for long periods looked like the Shamrocks were going to take the bragging rights over their rivals, it was the Cuchullains who produced a strong finish to maintain their push for the league crown.
Going into the final quarter, the home side led by eight points with Paul Boyle putting in a man of the match performance. Boyle would finish with 1-7 before coming off late in the game while the genius of Jack McCloskey always gave Loughgiel a threat inside. His goal helping the Shamrocks into an early lead.
Conal Cunning top scored for the Cuchullains, finishing the match with 1-11 beside his name while Oisin McCallin’s two majors came at crucial times for the visitors. Dunloy dug deep at the death however, finishing the game strongly with Cunning instrumental. There were some unsavoury scenes towards the end that gave referee Kevin Parke plenty to consider but there was no separating the sides at the final whistle.
To say Loughgiel made a fast start would be an understatement. By the ninth minute of the game, they had 1-7 on the scoreboard with Nigel Elliott and Cunning points the only response for the Cuchullains at the same time. Paul Boyle (4), Jack McCloskey (2) and Eoin McGarry with the points while Jack McCloskey’s goal was a tidy finish after great work from Liam Glackin in the build up.
After Coby Cunning and Boyle swapped further scores, the Cuchullains found their scoring range with five points unanswered in the space of six minutes. Keelan Molloy (2), Nicky McKeague, Nigel Elliott and Cunning (’65) with the scores for Dunloy.
A Ben McGarry score from distance put Loughgiel’s lead out to four points by the 17th minute before Dunloy scored their first major of the contest. Ryan Elliott’s free from distance dropping into the danger area where McCallin broke the sliotar into his own path before pulling first time to the back of Cormac McFadden’s net.
Loughgiel finished the half strongly however, raising the white flag on six occasions to just a brace of frees from Cunning in the same period of time. Ruairi McCormick, Rian McMullan (2), Roan McGarry (free) and a long distance free from Jack McCloskey leaving the half time score 1-13 to 1-9 in the home sides favour.
The opening exchanges of the second half were fairly even with Cunning firing over three frees and Molloy splitting the uprights for the third time in the match while the Shamrocks found the target through Roan McGarry (free), Boyle and substitute James McNaughton (2).
Loughgiel’s second goal looked to have put some daylight between the sides in the 42nd minute with Boyle finishing off a super move that involved substitute Dan McCloskey, Jack McCloskey and Pearce Patterson.
Dunloy responded with Cunning’s second point from open play before a quickfire brace of points from Paul Boyle put eight between the sides with a little over 13 minutes remaining. But, it was Dunloy’s turn to finish a half strongly with McCallin’s second major giving them hope of reeling in the Loughgiel lead. Collecting a sliotar delivered over the top of rushing challenges from Aaron Crawford, McCallin rifled a fierce shot that McFadden partially stopped but the sheer force of his drive meant the sliotar went over the line.
The challenges were heavy in the closing stages with the temperature increasing. Crawford and Rian McMullan swapped scores before Cunning’s major came in the 50th minute as off the ball skirmishes began to develop.
Roan McGarry pointed for his fourth of the contest and first from open play to leave three between the sides with nine minutes remaining. That would be the Shamrock’s last score of the contest however.
Tensions boiled over with unsavoury scenes that Kevin Parke eventually brought control to. Tensions were barely calmed when play resumed but it was the Cuchullains who had enough composure and the accuracy of Cunning to tie the scores in the fifth minute of injury time.
Loughgiel had one last roll of the dice to get a winner when substitute ‘Betty’ McKee took a sideline cut from close to 40 yards out, but his effort fell to the right hand side of the posts and wide.
On the longest day of the year and Fathers Day, there was little friendly or neighbourly about this contest. There’s always and edge to the games when it comes to contest between these sides, throw in the fact the championship isn’t far away and this was always going to be a contest not to be missed.
Dunloy are three points clear with two matches of their schedule remaining, the first of those against Ballycastle at Pearse Park next Sunday while Loughgiel will travel to Cushendall for their next league game on the 1st July.
TEAMS
Loughgiel Starting XV: Cormac McFadden; Rory McCloskey, Enda Og McGarry, Liam Glackin; Ruairi McCormick, Declan McCloskey, Ben McGarry; Eoin McGarry, Ronan Fitzgerald; Rian McMullan, Pearce Patterson, Roan McGarry; Jack McCloskey, Paul Boyle, Shan McGrath
- Subs: James McNaughton for E McGarry (30+2), Dan McCloskey for S McGrath (38), Ryan McKee for P Patterson (46), Conall McCloskey for P Boyle (56)
- Scorers: P Boyle 1-7, J McCloskey 1-2, R McGarry 0-4 (3fs), R McMullan 0-3, B McGarry 0-2, J McNaughton 0-2, R McCormick 0-1
Dunloy Starting XV: Ryan Elliott; Oran Quinn, Ryan McGarry, Reece Cunning; Eamon Smyth, Eoin McFerran, Aodhan McGarry; Aaron Crawford, Nigel Elliott; Oisin McCallin, Paul Shiels, Conal Cunning; Ciaran Elliott, Keelan Molloy, Nicky McKeague
- Subs: Seaan Elliott for P Shiels (37), Barry Scott for A McGarry (39), Chrissy McMahon for N McKeague (51)
- Scorers: C Cunning 1-11 (7fs, 1’65), O McCallin 2-00, K Molloy 0-3, N Elliott 0-2, A Crawford 0-1, N McKeague 0-1
Referee: Kevin Parke (Naomh Éanna)
To see more of Brendan’s photos from the game, follow the link below….
https://myalbum.com/album/vLCZu9AAUYehj6/?invite=03a4aa27-3b94-4782-8f2c-b76fafd4d752
TO SEE CURLY’S PICS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
https://myalbum.com/album/GD8uSYpBAo9CNZ/?invite=7cdc597d-7222-4bcc-b2bb-0ddc95fac046