McKeever Hotels Intermediate Hurling Championship
Group 2
Cushendun 2-20 Cloney Gaels 0-16
Friday 24 July
Brendan McTaggart reports from Cushendun
With a little over 10 minutes of this championship opener remaining, it looked like the men from Cloney Gaels had created the perfect storm. Trailing by two but well and truly in the game, they had just scored back to back points after Cushendun defender Matthew McCartin was sent off.
But, as the old cliché goes, goals win games and it was the men from Cushendun who managed to get those vital scores. 10 points was the difference by the time referee Shane McDonnell called for the sliotar at the end of the hour but there certainly wasn’t 10 points between these sides.
Going down to 14 men seemed to focus the minds of the Emmett’s and they produced their best hurling of the game. Harry Kilgore’s goal seemed to kill any momentum the Ahoghill men had built but the home side pushed for the line when the chips were down.
The Kilgore brothers revelled in the pressure cooker final quarter while Connlaoth ‘Loaf’ McNeill was putting on an exhibition in high fielding and scoring. He would finish top of the scoring charts with 1-7 while Harry Kilgore’s 1-5 was a massive reason for the Emmett’s recording an opening day win in the championship for the first time in three years.
The Cloney men were well organised and defensively sound for long portions of the game. The twice they took their eye off the ball, Cushendun made the most of it by scoring two goals but captain James ‘Bobby’ Magee was excellent at the edge of his own square. Bernard Graham excelled in midfield and in a free role with both sides looking to play a sweeper while PJ O’Connell was at his impish best. The miles are on the clock but the natural hurling ability and competitive nature burns as bright as ever. The introduction of James O’Connell off the bench seemed to coincide with the Ahoghill men sensing a win but his match up with Donal O’Hara was a great sub-plot to the game. Colla McDonnell topped the Cloney Gaels scoring chart with nine white flags on the evening but his efforts were in vain.
Cushendun goalkeeper John V Morgan didn’t have a huge amount to do for most of the game but he was called into action late in the game and twice he produced top saves to deny Cloney a way back into the game as the home side saw off the challenge of the visitors.
The opening goal came in the eighth minute with the Emmett’s leading two points to one. McNeill it was who applied the finish with an outstanding piece of stickwork with Fiontan McQuillan’s shot evading everyone at the heart of the Cloney defence.
The visitors responded superbly with a brace of points from Owen Neeson and Eamon Brady, wrestling back any momentum the Cushendun goal may have given them.
Harry Kilgore and Conor McHugh opened a four point lead but it would be almost 10 minutes before they would register another score. The Ahoghill men hit four points unanswered in the same period of time, Colla McDonnell (two), Patrick Graham and PJ O’Connell with the scores to tie the sides as the Cushendun attack faltered. A run of four wides in a row did little to help their cause.
The Emmett’s did finish the half strongly however with McNeill, Sean McKay and Calum Kilgore all finding their range.
Three points separated the sides at the interval with the home side leading 1-9 to 0-9. Cushendun had the help of a slight wind advantage coming in from the Irish Sea for the second half and when Harry Kilgore split the uprights right from the throw in for his third of the match, it looked like they were going to go through the gears.
That never materialised. If anything, the defensive organisation of the visitors was proving a difficult nut to crack for Cushendun. Colla McDonnell’s accuracy from frees keeping them in touch.
That four point cushion remained when the home side were reduced to 14 men with a quarter of the game remaining. McCartin’s second yellow and subsequent red card coming after an altercation with both sides getting involved in some early championship shenanigans.
Cloney Gaels responded by firing over the next two scores, a Colla McDonnell free and James O’Connell with an exquisite score with what must have been very close to his first touch.
The home side reorganised and with Harry Kilgore’s goal in the 49th minute, they got some breathing space. The Cushendun forward getting on the end of a long ball that evaded everyone and while he still had plenty to do, his finish was out of the top drawer.
PJ O’Connell scored his second point of the contest to leave just four between the sides with seven minutes remaining and the Cloney hopes were still alive. That would be their last score of the contest however as a combination of brilliance from the Cushendun midfield and attack along with the reflexes of Morgan in goals kept them at bay.
Morgan would deny both James and PJ O’Connell, the sliotar heading to the top corner on both occasions but he was equal to their efforts.
Cushendun tagged on more scores with McHugh, Harry Kilgore, McNeill and substitutes Shane McQuillan and Andrew Breslin adding gloss to the scoreline for the Emmett’s.
Cushendun will be hoping to keep the momentum going when they welcome St Paul’s to the north coast next Sunday while Cloney Gaels will host Tír na nÓg the Friday before hoping to record their opening win of the campaign.
TEAMS
Cushendun Starting XV: John V Morgan; Mark McSparron, Archie McSparron, Paddy Morgan; Jack McKay, Donal O’Hara, Matthew McCartin; Thomas Scally, Calum Kilgore; Harry Kilgore, Conor McHugh, Connlaoth McNeill; Fiontan McQuillan, Sean McKay, Conor Bannon
- Subs: Shane McQuillan for T Scally (44); Donncha Laverty for F McQuillan (53); Andrew Breslin for D O’Hara (60+2), Sean Hamilton for C Bannon (60+2)
- Scorers: C McNeill 1-7 (5fs); H Kilgore 1-5; S McKay 0-2; A Breslin 0-1; S McQuillan 0-1
Cloney Gaels Starting XV: Aiden Graham; Shea Neeson, James Magee, Harry O’Donnell; Diarmuid Graham, Ronan Graham, Eoin Graham; Eamon Brady, Bernard Graham; Conor Paul Crossey, Donal Graham, Patrick Jr Graham; Colla McDonnell, PJ O’Connell, Owen Neeson
- Subs: James O’Connell for D Graham (41); Patrick Dougan for D Graham (55)
- Scorers: C McDonnell 0-9 (8fs); PJ O’Connell 0-2; E Brady 0-1, B Graham 0-1, P Jr Graham 0-1, O Neeson 0-1, J O’Connell 0-1
Referee: Shane McDonnell (Glenariffe)
TO SEE MORE OF BRENDAN’S PHOTOS FROM THE GAME, FOLLOW THE LINK….
https://myalbum.com/album/U5QJCZ4aspchdQ/?invite=577a8f54-1cb2-4a19-8137-23a1ba7628d1
TO SEE CURLY’S PICS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
https://myalbum.com/album/2SqwFPTR646fCw/?invite=d176fea3-02f1-4433-829f-fd21321d5308