Antrim Minor Hurling Final at Slemish Park, Ballymena

Ruairi Og, Cushendall 1-13 Cuchullains Dunloy 0-15

Holders Cushendall (Ruairí Óg) did just enough to edge past Dunloy in the Antrim U18 Minor Hurling Championship final at Slemish Park, Ballymena. Cushendall held the upper hand for large parts of the game and survived a breathtaking finish to secure back-to-back titles with a final score of 1-13 to 0-15. It may not have been a classic as lots of chances were missed by both sides, but the closeness of the scoring meant it was always exciting and it kept the large crowd as Slemish Park on their toes right to the final whistle.

Dunloy opened the scoring within the first minute thanks to a point from Euan Molloy but Cushendall responded emphatically just over a minute later when full forward Connlaodh McNaughton found the back of the net for the game’s only goal, putting his side 1-00 to 0-01 ahead.

Cushendall extended their lead through points from Jake Laffan and Cahir McCambridge but Dunloy stayed well in contention, driven by the accuracy of McAlonan, who registered three points (one from a free), and additional scores from Euan Molloy and Aaron Doherty. A late first-half free converted by Nicholas McLaughlin left Cushendall leading by just a point at the break, 1-04 to 0-06.

Cushendall burst out of the gates in the second half, with Cahir McCambridge and Nicholas McLaughlin pointing early on. Connlaodh McNaughton proved to be a constant threat, registering four points (one from a free) in the second period. McLaughlin added two more points from frees, pushing Cushendall to an eventual tally of 1-13.

Dunloy refused to quietly fade away, mounting a determined comeback. The introduction of substitute Paidi O’Kane lifted the young Cuchullain and Euan Molloy added two more points to his tally, while PJ Molloy and Odhran Boyle also got on the scoresheet. O’Kane hit two quick points in succession around the 24th and 25th minutes to keep the pressure on.

However as the game entered injury time, Cushendall were still a goal clear and looked safe but Dunloy were not done yet, and they reduce the deficit to the absolute minimum, with late frees successfully converted by Jay McAlonan and James McGarry.

In a heart-stopping final act at Dunloy were awarded a chance to tie the game and the tension was palpable. However, the well-struck free from McAlonan went just inches wide of the target, allowing Cushendall to survive the scare and claim their second championship in a row.

Cushendall: Shane Coulter, Sean McAuley, Paddy Morgan, Charlie McAlister, Cormac Burke, Conor McCann, Rian Laverty, Oliver Mooney, Aaron Dylan Mcnaughton, Donncha Laverty, Nicholas McLaughlin, Shane Mc Quillan, Cahir McCambridge, Connlaodh Mcnaughton, and Jake Laffan. During the second half, Calum Magee was brought on as a substitute.

Dunloy: Damian McMahon, Ronan Black, Joseph Doherty, Seamus McMullan, Jack McQuillan, James Mc Garry, Ollie Mc Clements, Aaron Doherty, John Ferguson, Anthony Og Cochrane, Jay McAlonan, Eanna McGuckian, Euan Molloy, PJ Molloy, and Odhran Boyle. Substitutes used during the match included Padai O’Kane and Jamie Mc Mullan.

Referee – Ray Matthews (Rossa)

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