By Brendan McTaggart

Dunloy manager Gregory O’Kane stood at the entrance to the changing rooms at Páirc Mac Uílín as the cheers from Cushendall could be heard in the background.  It can’t have been easy for him to listen to those cheers.  His side came close to recapturing the Volunteer Cup after 60 minutes of championship hurling against the Ruairi’s played into the teeth of Storm Ashley.

The conditions were bordering ridiculous and it was the hot topic for discussion amongst the patrons in Ballycastle.  O’Kane said: “The wind was so bad, it was hard to know if it was an advantage considering how we played in the second half.”

Leading by six at half time, it took Dunloy 18 minutes to register another score in the second half.  They did have goal chances in that time though and the Dunloy manager said they felt like they could work with the conditions: “You look at the goal chances.  It’s a funny one.  Once you got past the breeze and in behind, there was goals on.  We hit a few wides in the first half, maybe four of them from placed ball.  It came down to millimeters and it was a lottery at the end of the day.

“You’re probably thinking now should the game of been played.  There’s savage amount of county finals called off throughout the country.  It’s just a pity.  You don’t get both teams able to express themselves and the way the ball was going, it became a lottery.

“I know we create inside and that would happen even into the breeze.  We had goal chances and a goal at that stage probably wins that game.”

Despite the defeat O’Kane stressed on how proud he was of his team and rued the loss of Conal Cunning down to a serious knee injury: “Coby is a hell of a player, what team in Ireland would he not get on.  To loss a player of that stature, you really feel it but listen, every Dunloy man on that pitch died with his boots on and you can’t ask for more than that.  They gave absolutely everything on a horrendous day.”

After winning four in a row, Dunloy had set the standard in Antrim.  Sunday was the first time in 9 years the Ruairi’s had won back to back county titles and with talk of Cushendall now setting the standard, O’Kane said: “We take our chances we win that game.  You can talk about levels but at the end of the day we had the chances to win that game.  Over the course of the game we probably had more chances and that’s what it comes down to.

“Fair play to Cushendall, they had the same elements and won the game.”

Brendan McTaggart spoke to Cushendall manager Brian Delargy after Sunday’s final win over Dunloy

The celebrations were in full swing on the Páirc MacUílín pitch as Cushendall lifted the Volunteer Cup for the 16^th time.  In a contest that was every bit as close as expected, it was a game that not only came down to fine margins, but who dealt with the horrendous conditions.

Having won the toss and electing to play against the wind in the first half, Cushendall trailed by 6 at half time.  It felt like the elements was strong enough for double that advantage and Cushendall manager Brian Delargy felt they were in a good place during the break: “We were happy enough.  It was an atrocious day to try and play hurling in and you don’t really know what sort of lead you’re going to need.  Even when Dunloy were playing with the wind when they threw the ball up, it was travelling forward.  Just a hard day for hurling.  Full stop.

“We had to play really hard in that first half.  We dug in. and got a few scores breaking up the field but it wasn’t pretty.  We really had to dig in.”

Despite their position at half time, Cushendall had to grind this one out.  Dunloy played a strong running game from midfield and broke the line regularly.  It ensured they were always in the game and the Ruairi’s weren’t in a position of comfort at any stage: “Fair play to Dunloy, they caused us a lot of bother and seemed to be able to break the line in midfield and get in on us.  Liam Gillan made a super block on Keelan, last ditch stuff.  As much as the boys put the ball over the bar, that block was as good as a goal at that stage.

“Both teams played well into the breeze.  Both like to carry the ball and are suited for that but the battle in the first half set us up well.

“We spoke at half time about getting the ball into the central area before shooting.  But when you go out there, it was just so hard to get the ball where you wanted.” 

The Cushendall defence and midfield were excellent throughout ensuring the Ruairi’s could put Dunloy under pressure and force turnovers.  Wing half back Ruairi McCollam had an superb game, winning countless ruck and aerial ball and Delargy also singled out another of his half back line for praise: “Ruairi is based in Sheffield now with his job.  Thank God for modern technology with GPS’s and our S&C coach can send him over the runs and check up on him and he did play really well but to be fair the defence really stood up to them.  It’s maybe easier when the ball is hanging in the air. 

“I thought Eoghan Campbell was super today.  He came out with a few big catches in the middle third where the battle was.”

Having won the championship last year, the Ruairi’s had moved from being the hunter to the hunted.  They had the bullseye on their back for the rest of the county to track down but Delargy said it had little baring on how they went about their business this year: “Every championship is really hard to win whether you’ve won the one before or not.  We never looked on it like that or like we were being hunted.  We handed the cups back in May before the league started and we were hunting everyone else. 

“All the top performers just want to get better every day they go out and I feel like we’re still on that journey even though we won the championship last year and done well.  We’re still improving and on the upward curve.”

Danske Bank Mageean Cup – Round robin 3

St Killian’s Garron Tower 3-12 St Patrick’s Maghera 1-13

Mageean Cup holders St Killians made a strong start to Tuesday’s Mageean Cup round robin game at Pairc Mhuire, Cushendall, scoring three goals in the first half, and as things turned out they needed every point of the 3-06 to 0-08 lead they had accumulated by half time.

A quick exchange of points between Maghera’s KB Mullan and St Killian’s Oisin Gillan got the game off to a lively start, but when the Garron Tower boys hit two quick goals through Oran McCambridge and Dylan McNaughton it looked like they were on their way to a convincing win.

However the holder had the taste for goals and rather than take a series of easy points they kept going for majors and were denied by some tenacious tackling, and a series of excellent saves by goalkeeper Rian Collins, the Lavey man showing great reflexes, and ball control, when denying Thomas McLaughlin from a penalty.

However Michael Furey did grab a third St Killian’s goal before the break and when they went in with 3-6 to 0-08 advantage they appeared to be comfortable.

Things began to change after the break when the Derry side got on top and they slowly but surely closed the gap as Rian Collins continued his accurate free taking of the first half, while ONeill and McCloskey sent over points from play. When McCloskey cut in from the right to fire home a Maghera goal the gap was down to a single point and it appeared that St Pat’s were on their way to victory. However the Tower reacted well and a series of points from Calum McIlwaine, John Scullion, Thomas McLaughlin and Joe McKay saw them pull clear again.

St Pat’s responded and had the gap down to three going into injury time when they were awarded a free, which gave them the chance to draw level. Collin’s struck the shot well but it flew inches wide of the right hand upright and the Tower survived. They will now face St Mary’s Belfast in the quarter final, just after Halloween, while Mahera will take from the other side of the Glenshane Pass, Gaelcholáiste Dhoire in the comeptition’s first ever Derry derby.

St Killian’s: O McCambridge 1-2, M Furry and D McNaughton 1-0 each, C McIlwaine and C Mooney 0-2 each, J Scullion, C McAuley, O Gillan, T McLaughlin, C McIntosh and C Leech 0-1 each

St Patrick’s: D McCloskey 1-2, R Collins 0-7 frees, C McKaigue (65), KB Mullan, D O’Neill and C Quinn 0-1 each.

St Killian’s: B Duncan, C McNaughton, C Ward, C McCann, J Scullion, C McAuley, J Kearney, C Mooney, A Campbell, O McCambridge, C McIlwaine, M Furey, O Gillan, T McLaughlin, D McNaughton

Subs: C Leech for O McCambridge (HT), C McIntosh for M Furey (36), A McCambridge for J Kearney (50), J McKay for D McNaughton (54)

St Patrick’s: D Collins, F Turner, P O’Kane, N McNicholl, J Molloy, C McKaigue, O Doherty, D McCloskey, KB Mullan, R Collins, T McHugh, D O’Neill, G McIvor, C Quinn, C McCloskey 

Subs: CJ Mulholland for N McNicholl (12), B Bradley for C Quinn (59)

Referee: P Tumelty 

TO SEE MORE PICS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

https://myalbum.com/album/98a2XKUQeRkeb5/?invite=01d4a16c-ca2d-4023-9a24-fe3c29dfd6af

Danske Bank Mageean Cup, Section A

St. Marys CBGS 1-12-1-11 Gaelcholáiste Doire

From Kevin Herron at Pairc Rossa

Sean Og McLaren’s injury time point ensured that St Mary’s would be playing Mageean Cup hurling after Halloween in their 1-12-1-11 comeback win against Gaelcholáiste Doire at Rossa Park on Monday afternoon.

St Mary’s made the short trip across to the Shaws Road knowing that a one-point victory would see them overtake Our Lady and St Patrick’s Knock into third place with  Gaelcholáiste’s victory over Knock giving them reasonable breathing space ahead of their final group clash.

The visitors opted to play with the strong breeze in the opening half and it paid dividents with Dylan O’hÉireamhóin restoring early parity from a free after Darren Delander had drew first blood for St Mary’s.

Cathal O’Mianáin flashed a point over and on the 6^th minute full-forward Ciarán Ó Muiri-Mac Ulliam rifled high to the net to give his side a 1-02-0-01 lead.

A brace of points from Emmet Og Mac íomhair in quick succession pulled them further clear and Cian Ó Dughaill-Ó Cinnéide converted a free.

Sean Og McLaren converted two frees in-between a fine Peadar Pio Ó Dhuibhne score but the Derry outfit tagged on four unanswered points to move ahead by double figures.

Finbar Ó Muiri popped over his first of the afternoon, Ó Dughaill-Ó Cinnéide landed his second free of the half and quickfire points from Daire Ó Lochlainn and Cathal O’Mianáin stretched the advantage further.

St. Mary’s would claw back a goal before the break, Darren Delander fed the ball back from the by-line and Fintan McKinney gathered, and his shot took a deflection on its way past Caoimhin Ó hEireamhóin to make it 1-10-1-03 at the interval.

The Glen Road outfit were wasteful in the early stages of the second period and were kept at bay until the 37^th minute when Sean Og McLaren landed his third free of the afternoon.

Substitute Oisin Boyle then landed a fine point after his introduction from the bench, but Jude Ó Conaire popped over at the other end to leave the margin at six.

The game was scoreless for ten minutes it suited Gaelcholáiste Doire- though Daire Jemfrey floated over from play, McLaren conjured up fourth free and Caolan Wilson dropped over a fine point to half the margin with five minutes remaining.

A further point from Conal Short reduced arrears further as St. Mary’s sensed they were on a cusp on comeback.

Cian Ó Dughaill-Ó Cinnéide missed the chance to open up a three-point gap when his free tailed wide and Sean Og McLaren wasn’t so wasteful at the other end, sending successive opportunities either side of the hour mark over the bar to ensure it was all square at 1-11 apiece.

St. Mary’s were in desperate need of a winning score, and it would arrive in the third minute of added time, Odhran Donnelly picked up the ball in the corner and fed Shea Burns, but the angle against him and under pressure Burns opted to work it further in field where eventually it would arrive to Sean Og McLaren- to pop over and give his side a slender advantage.

They looked to have saw the remainder of time out, however a late free gave Gaelcholáiste Doire the chance to level with what would prove the final puck, and luckily for St. Mary’s it was a chance the Derry side failed to capitalise on as McLaren’s only point from play sealed the victory that saw them overtake Our Lady and St Patrick’s Knock on scoring difference and move into the quarter-final after the Halloween break.

The last remaining group game in Section B sees St Pat’s Maghera take on St Killian’s with the winners facing St. Mary’s in the quarter-final and the 3^rd placed team facing Gaelcholáiste Doire.

St. Mary’s CBGS scorers: Sean Og McLaren (0-7, 0-6f), Fintan McKinney (1-0), Caolan Wilson (0-1), Oisin Boyle (0-1), Darren Delander (0-1), Daire Jemfrey (0-1), Conal Short (0-1).

Gaelcholáiste Doire scorers: Ciarán Ó Muiri-Mac Ulliam (1-0), Cathal O’Mianáin (0-2), Emmet Og Mac íomhair (0-2), Cian Ó Dughaill-Ó Cinnéide (0-2f), Dylan O’hÉireamhóin (0-1f), Finbar Ó Muiri (0-1), Daire Ó Lochlainn (0-1), Jude Ó Conaire (0-1), Peadar Pio Ó Dhuibhne (0-1).

Referee: Colm McDonald (St Galls)