McKeever Hotels Antrim Intermediate Hurling Championship – Round 5

Cushendun Emmet’s1-16 Glenarm Shane O’Neill’s1-16

Cushendun snatched a dramatic 1-16 to 1-16 draw from the jaws of defeat against Glenarm at Pairc Mhuire, with three injury-time points securing their position at the top of Group 2 in the McKeever Hotels Antrim Intermediate Hurling Championship. For much of the hour, Glenarm looked destined for victory, controlling the tempo and leading by up to eight points in the second half. However, Cushendun’s relentless battling spirit paid off in the dying moments, leaving Glenarm to settle for the runner-up spot and a quarter-final clash with the third-placed team from Group 1 in two weeks.

Playing with the aid of a strong breeze, Glenarm flew out of the traps. Niall McGarel opened their account from a ’65 before Cushendun’s Thomas Scally briefly leveled. A sharp save from Cushendun goalkeeper John V Morgan denied an early goal, but he could do nothing on six minutes when Dylan McLoughlin found the net from a tight angle. Glenarm capitalized on the momentum, with McGarel, Niall Rodgers, and McLoughlin firing over quickfire points. Cushendun kept themselves in touch through the reliable free-taking of Connlaoth ‘Loaf’ McNeill, alongside scores from Fiontan McQuillan and Archie McSparran. Despite their efforts, Glenarm’s Ciaran Magill, Aidan Scullion, and the ever-accurate McGarel kept the scoreboard ticking, giving the coastal men a commanding 1-09 to 0-07 lead at the break.

Upon the restart, most spectators assumed Glenarm’s five-point cushion might not be enough into the wind, but they quickly dispelled those doubts. McGarel hit two rapid points, and after McNeill fired just over the crossbar at the other end, Glenarm extended their advantage to a daunting 1-13 to 0-08 with fine scores from Daniel Black and McGarel. Cushendun refused to fold. Jack McKay and Conor McHugh hit back with vital points, though McGarel continued his exhibition display, weaving past two defenders for a stunning score and later slotting a sideline free.

The turning point arrived late in the game. After Glenarm’s defense executed a heroic double-save on the line, Cushendun finally found the breakthrough on 27 minutes. The referee played a brilliant advantage, allowing substitute Pearse McKeegan to rattle the net and suddenly cut the deficit to two. Though McGarel answered to stretch the lead back to three heading into added time, the momentum had completely shifted. In a breathless finale, McKeegan struck a point, McNeill nailed a clutch ’65, and a final equalizer deep in injury time broke Glenarm hearts, ensuring a 1-16 to 1-16 finish and crowning Cushendun as group winners.

Glenarm

1 Michael Abram, 2 Ciaran McLoughlin, 3 Barry Hamill, 4 John Scullion, 5 Kieran O’Boyle, and 6 Ciaran Magill  7 Michael Furey, 8 Conal Ward, 9 Aidan Scullion, 10 Sean McDermott, 11 Niall McGarel, 12 Daniel Black. 13 Dylan McLoughlin, 14 Darren Hamill, 15 Sean O’Boyle,

16 (GK) Liam Mulvenna, 17 Declan McDermott, 18 Niall Rodgers. 19 Aidan O’Neill, 20 Liam Og McLoughlin, 21 Liam O’Neill, 22 Ben O’Boyle, 23 Paddy McAuley, and 24 Sean O’Hare. 25 Rory Mulvenna, 26 Ryan McLoughlin, 27 Ryan O’Boyle, 28 Anthony McNeill, 29 Charlie Ward, and 30 Shea McConnell.

Cushendun

1 John V Morgan, 2 Mark McSparran, 3 Archie Mc Sparran, 4 Paddy Morgan, 5 Donal O’Hara, 6 Matthew McCartin, 7 Shane Mc Quillan, 8 Thomas Scally, 9 Jack McKay, 10 Donncha Laverty, 11 Conor Mc Hugh, 12 Connlaoth McNeill, 13 Andrew Breslin, 14 Sean McKay, 15 Conor Bannon,

16 Liam Magee, 17 Sean Hamilton, 18 Michael McHugh, 19 Dominic Sharkey, 20 Pearse Mc Keegan, 21 Pierce Bannon, 22 John Joe O’Connell, 24 Calum Magee, 25 Dominic McQuillan, 26 Fiontan McQuillan, 27 Leo Morgan.

Referee – Fergus McAlister (Ruairi Og)

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