Bathshack Senior Hurling Championship
Group Two
Naomh Éanna 0-12 Cushendall 3-23
Saturday 15 August
Brendan McTaggart reports from Hightown
Cushendall sent out an early championship warning to the rest of the county as they dispatched Naomh Éanna with consummate ease on Saturday evening. A 20 point win, nearly as many in wides and a scintillating performance from Joseph ‘Pep’ McLaughlin.
The Cushendall ace marksman finished the game with 1-13 beside his name before being taken off with a little under 10 minutes of the game remaining. To say McLaughlin was unmarkable would be an understatement. The Midas touch? Perhaps, it was certainly as close to the perfect performance from an inside forward as I have seen in quite some time. He was that good in every facet of the game with his attacking movement, touch, bringing others into play along with his scoring exploits.
The only blot on an otherwise top performance for the Ruairi’s was the red card given to Eoghan Campbell in the 45th minute. Hi action was borne out of frustration, he saw red for a strike much to the disbelief of those of a Cushendall persuasion on the Hightown Road. Cushendall’s response? Joseph McLaughlin sending a sideline cut over the bar from roughly 30 yards out.
All the majors came in the first half with Pep turning provider for Ed McQuillan while Ryan McCambridge struck a powerful effort in first half injury time, capping a powerful yet serene first half by a Cushendall side who had seven of their u21s in their starting team and brought another three on in the second half.
It was a disappointing evening for Naomh Éanna who struggled with the pace and power of Cushendall. Their defence was overworked and they got little change out of a solid Cushendall back six. Cormac Jennings finished top of their scoring charts with seven white flags while Ruairi Donaghy chipped in with a couple but this was pretty much all one way traffic once the first Cushendall goal went in on the seventh minute.
The home side did make a bright start to the game with points from Cian O’Connor and Donaghy splitting the uprights. Cushendall and Thomas McLaughlin opened their account before Ryan McCambridge and Sean McAfee combined to put Joseph McLaughlin through on goal and he made no mistake.
Cormac Jennings and Donaghy split the uprights in response to leave the sides tied in the eighth minute but Cushendall went through the gears and limited Naomh Éanna to just four further points for the remainder of the half.
Points from Joseph McLaughlin, McQuillan and Woodhouse preceded the Ruairi’s second goal. Pep’s pass for McQuillan a highlight of the first half before McQuillan hammered his shot low and to the back of the net. Points from Jennings came either side of a brace of points from Joseph McLaughlin but a further four points in as many minutes from Cushendall put real daylight between the sides. Three from Joseph McLaughlin and McCambridge with the other.
Jenning’s raised white flags either side of scores from Charlie McAuley and Thomas McLaughlin before the Ruairi’s third goal from McCambridge. Woodhouse initially with the chance but his shot was blocked, Joseph McLaughlin recycled to McCambridge and he made no mistake with a powerful strike without taking the sliotar into his hand to leave the score 3-12 to 0-8 at the short whistle.
Despite Naomh Éanna scoring the opening point of the second half through Chris Roberts – a quite brilliant score from wide on the left and under pressure, Cushendall continued on their merry way. Going through the gears early in the second half and playing with an unrelenting accuracy in their play.
Woodhouse had a glimpse of goal for Cushendall’s opening score but Naomh Éanna goal keeper Martin Curran deflected the sliotar over the bar. Cormac Jennings split the uprights in the 35th minute with his sixth white flag of the evening but it would be fully 20 minutes before the home side would register another score.
Four points in as many minutes from Joseph McLaughlin and another from Charlie McAuley stretched the Cushendall lead even further before Eoghan Campbell received his marching orders. Looking to break from his own defence, Campbell was being fouled and while advantage was being played, Campbell reacted. Tempers flared, players got involved and referee Tumelty took action. The game threatened to boil over with Cushendall incensed with the decision but calm heads prevailed and Cushendall maintained their dominance.
The red card had little impact on the game, it was hard to see where the spare Naomh Éanna player was on the pitch given the work rate of the Cushendall players. Joseph McLaughlin’s side line cut and a further brace of points along with Woodhouse’s third of the match made it nine points unanswered for the Ruairi’s and their lead was out to 21 with eight minutes remaining.
The Ruairi’s only added one more point in the time that remained, Joseph McNaughton with a free while Cormac Jennings (free) and Manus Mullan added scores for the home side.
Naomh Éanna will hope for better when they meet Dunloy in two weeks (Sunday), Ahoghill the neutral venue set for that one while Ballycastle will host Cushendall and Glenariffe on the same day.
TEAMS
Naomh Éanna Starting XV: Martin Curran; Aaron Quinn, Diarmuid Maguire, Ciaran McAllister; Cian O’Connor, Malachi McGibbon, Thomas Mooney; Oisin Quinn, Luke O’Connor; Manus Mullan, Cormac Jennings, Ruairi Donaghy; Frank Kane, Ronan Eager, Joe Maskey
- Subs: Eoin Maguire for A Quinn (30); Chris Roberts for R Eager (HT); Joe Mackin for C McAllister (51); R Eager for T Mooney (56)
- Scorers: C Jennings 0-7 (4f, 1’65); R Donaghy 0-2; C O’Connor 0-1; M Mullan 0-1; C Roberts 0-1
Cushendall Starting XV: Conor McAllister; Conor McCann, Liam Gillan, Fred McCurry; Scott Walsh, Austin Birt, Charlie McAuley; Eoghan Campbell, Callagh Mooney; Thomas McLaughlin, Ed McQuillan, Ryan McCambridge; Oisin Woodhouse, Sean McAfee, Joseph McLaughlin
- Subs: Joseph McNaughton for E McQuillan (Blood Sub 28, reversed at HT); Nicholas McLaughlin for S McAfee (47); Joseph McNaughton for J McLaughlin (52); Alex McCambridge for C McCann (57)
- Scorers: J McLaughlin 1-13 (4f); R McCambridge 1-1; E McQuillan 1-1; O Woodhouse 0-3; T McLaughlin 0-2; C McAuley 0-2; J McNaughton 0-1 (1f)
Referee: Paddy Tumelty (Lámh Dhearg)
TO SEE MORE OF BRENDAN’S PHOTOS FROM THE GAME, CLICK ON THE LINK…
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