BATHSHACK SHC Group 2
Cuchullains Dunloy 3-28 Naomh Eanna 0-12
Cuchullains, Dunloy secured their place at the top of Group 2 of the Antrim SHC following this comprehensive win over Naomh Eanna on an excellent Cloney pitch in warm conditions on Sunday.
The forecast rain began to filter through as the large crowd were exiting the St. Mary’s ground but the pitch had been kissed by warm sunshine for the majority of the second half.
The game had started in overcast conditions but by the time that the sun began to break through the result was well beyond doubt as a Dunloy team, firing on all cylinders clinically despatched the men from Hightown.
Nigel Elliott raced through to fire past Martin Curran after 30 seconds and two Coby Cunning converted frees followed before Eoin O’Neill found the net again with only 6 minutes on the clock.
Coby, Chrissy McMahon, Keelan Molloy and Coby from his third free of the game had Dunloy 12 ahead by the 11th minute and it was clear, even at this early juncture that it was going to be a difficult afternoon for St. Enda’s.
Despite an inevitability about the result, even at this early stage, St. Enda’s were battling hard to get their own game going but were being turned over on too many occasions as their short passing game came unstuck.
Cormac Jennings did get them going from a pointed free in the 13th minute by which time they had recorded a number of wides but it brought another sustained response from the men in green.
Conal Cunning (f), Keelan Molloy with a high field and shot on the turn and Eoin O’Neill pointed before the impressive Molloy finished to the net to bring their total to 3-9 with 20 minutes gone.
Ruairi Donaghy replied with a pointed free for Naomh Eanna with Coby Cunning and Nigel Elliott replying at the other end before Donaghy recorded his side’s first point from play to conclude the first half scoring.
As the sun emerged from an overcast sky for the start of the second half it was Barry Scott who got the action underway again with his first point for Cuchullains with Ruairi Donaghy replying from a free to bring his side’s tally to 0-4 for the evening
It was brief respite however as Eoin O’Neill, Conal Cunning (f) and Aodhan McGarry on the restart added to the Dunloy ever increasing tally as the Cuchullains introduced Paul Shiels for Tom McFerran.
Coby from a ‘65’, Keelan Molloy, and two more precisely struck frees from Cunning moved the ‘Village’ 24 ahead by the 42nd minute but St. Enda’s continued to fight against impossible odds.
Ruairi Donaghy and Cormac Jennings brought their total to 0-6 with a couple of good points but these were cancelled immediately by an Eoin O’Neill double before Jennings and Cunning exchanged further points from frees.
Malachi McGibbon got his name on the Glengormley side’s score card with possibly the best point of the game and Luke O’Connor added another in reply to scores from Cunning, Barry Scott and substitute Luke McFerran as the Dunloy score board.
The Glengormley side were enjoying more of the play as Ruairi Donaghy replied to a first score of the game from Paul Shiels and Chrissy McMahon and Jennings from a 70 meter free exchanged further scores.
It was academic at this stage as McMahon fort Dunloy and Diarmuid Maguire for St. End’s concluded the scoring in a game that was out of reach for the Hightown men from midway through the opening half.
Dunloy were simply different class and their pace, movement and finishing power was top drawer and they will feel that they are in with a serious shout of winning this year’s championship.
For St. End’s all is not yet lost however and a win over Glenariffe in Waterfoot in the last game in Group 2 on Sunday 13th September could gain them a quarter-final place with Dunloy take on Cushendall in Cushendall on the same day to decide who wins the group.
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Dunloy: 1 Ryan Elliott, 2 Aaron Crawford, 3 Daire McMullan, 4 Oran Quinn, 5 Aodhan McGarry, 6 Eoin McFerran, 7 Ryan McGarry, 8 Nicky McKeague, 9 Tom McFerran, 10 Nigel Elliott, 11 Conal Cunning, 12 Barry Scott, 13 Chrissy McMahon, 14 Keelan Molloy, 15 Eoin O’Neill
Subs used: Paul Shiels, Reece Cunning, Padraig MacGiiligan, Luke McFerran
Naomh Eanna: 1 Martin Curran, 2 Ronan Eager, 3 Malachi McGibbon, 4 Ciaran McvAllister, 5 Cian O’Connor, 6 Diarmuid Maguire, 7 Thomas Mooney, 8 Oisin Quinn, 9 Joe Maskey, 10 Manus Mullan, 11 Cormac Jennings, 12 Eoin Maguire, 13 Killian Jennings, 14 Ruairi Donaghy, 15 Luke O’Connor
Referee: Declan McGarry (Loughgiel)
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