Above – Dunloy full forward Keelan Molloy punches the air in celebration after scoring his team’s opening goal in Saturday’s runaway win over Glenariffe in Cushendall

Bathshack Senior Hurling Championship – Semi Final

Dunloy 5-21 Glenariffe 0-6

Saturday 10 October

Brendan McTaggart reports from Cushendall

Dunloy cruised to the senior hurling final on Saturday afternoon as they dispatched the challenge of Glenariffe with a professionalism and relentlessness that the Oisin’s had no answer to.

Early goals in both halves from the Cuchullains ensured Glenariffe were always under pressure.  Dunloy showed their experience of occasions like these, denying Glenariffe of any opportunity to build momentum and despite the Oisin’s showing work rate in abundance from the first whistle, Dunloy never looked troubled.

Keelan Molloy and Ciarán Elliott raised green flags by the 13^th minute before a brace from Nigel Elliott and substitute Chrissy McMahon after the restart put further daylight between the sides.  Molloy would top score with four points along with his major while Dunloy recorded just four points from placed ball out of their total tally of 5-21.

Glenariffe’s radar let them down in the early stages and recorded just one point in the opening half – that coming from a brilliant sideline cut from Alex O’Boyle in the 22^nd minute.  They recorded four wides in the opening four minutes, the Oisin’s clearly wanting to apply scoreboard pressure early on despite playing into the elements, they had to make do with a false start.  They would reach double figures in wides before the end of a half that saw Dunloy leading 2-12 to 0-1 before the short whistle.

Dunloy gave an exhibition on how to play into the elements after the restart with their crisp passing and ruthless nature giving Glenariffe nothing to grasp.  They played with dynamism, precision and intensity and rarely lifted their foot off the throttle throughout the 60 minutes.

Molloy got the opening goal of the game barely 90 seconds into the game.  Leaping highest to claim a long puck out from Ryan Elliott, Molloy sped through on goal and made no mistake with a typical Keelan Molloy finish.

The Cuchullains had a seven point lead by the 13^th minute when Ciarán Elliott found the back of Paul McMullan’s net.  It came in fortuitous circumstances with Seaan Elliott’s effort for a point coming back off the uprights and the Dunloy inside forward showed his predatory instincts – collecting the lose possession and making no mistake.

Seaan Elliott’s point in the 20^th minute put 14 points between the sides when Alex O’Boyle split the posts with a brilliant sideline from 40 yards out.  A superb strike given the elements and showed the belief O’Boyle is playing with this championship.

Glenariffe did have a chance for a major late in the half, Oisin Gillan and Colla Ward combining before the Glenariffe full forward’s first timed effort was stopped superbly by Ryan Elliott in the Dunloy goals.

Given the elements were in Glenariffe’s favour for the second half, they needed a fast start.  What they got was another two Dunloy goals in the opening six minutes of the half.

Nigel Elliott’s first goal came just 80 seconds into the second half, showing his pace and power to beat two men and finish to the bottom corner.

Elliott turned provider for the next Dunloy goal, collecting a pop pass from Ciarán Elliott, Nigel Elliott sped through and unselfishly passed to Chrissy McMahon and he planted the sliotar into the top corner.

Between those goals, Glenariffe scored their first point from open play, a score from Michael O’Boyle in the 34^th minute.  The Oisin’s couldn’t get any change out of a brilliant Dunloy defence with Eoin McFerran outstanding.

Dunloy had the lead stretched to 25 points when Nigel scored his second and the best of the lot in the 51^st minute.  Keelan Molloy sending the ball cross-field into the path of Seaan Elliott.  Seaan found Nigel haring through the middle with a superb pass and he made no mistake.

With the game long gone, Dunloy continued to make the scoreboard tick.  Molloy, McMahon and Seaan Elliott continuing to raise the white flag as Dunloy cruised to the final with plenty to spare.

It was a disappointing end to a brilliant season for Glenariffe.  Making the semi finals having just come up from Intermediate is no mean fete, defeating St John’s in the quarter final was an immense achievement but they found Dunloy at the business end of the championship a step too far.

Dunloy purred through the gears, tearing Glenariffe apart at will and showing a relentless intensity all over the pitch.  A return to the showpiece final for hurling within the county awaits the Cuchullains.

TEAMS

Dunloy Starting XV: Ryan Elliott; Aaron Crawford, Daire McMullan, Oran Quinn; Aodhan McGarry, Eoin McFerran, Ryan McGarry; Nicky McKeague, Seaan Elliott; Nigel Elliott, Conal Cunning, Luke McFerran; Ciarán Elliott, Keelan Molloy, Eoin O’Neill

Subs: Chrissy McMahon for E O’Neill (30+1); Ben O’Kane for R McGarry (47), Tom McFerran for C Elliott (47); Conor Kinsella for O Quinn (53); Phelim Duffin for A Crawford (54)

Scorers: K Molloy 1-4; N Elliott 2-1; S Elliott 0-5; C Elliott 1-1; C McMahon 1-1; C Cunning 0-4 (3f, 1’65); N McKeague 0-2; L McFerran 0-1; R McGarry 0-1; A Crawford 0-1

Glenariffe Starting XV: Paul McMullan; Odhran Gillan, David Kearney, Conor Patterson; Canice McIntosh, Calum McIlwaine, Niall Magee; Oliver Kearney, Daniel Kearney; Brogan O’Connor, Michael O’Boyle, Seanie McIntosh; Oisin Gillan, Colla Ward, Alex O’Boyle

Subs: Patrick McIlwaine for B O’Connor (45); James Kearney for S McIntosh (45)

Scorers: A O’Boyle 0-3 (2f); N Magee 0-1, O Kearney 0-1, M O’Boyle 0-1

Referee: Kevin Parke (Naomh Éanna)

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