
Bathshack Senior Hurling Championship
Group 2
Dunloy 1-21 Cushendall 0-18
Brendan McTaggart reports from Cushendall
Dunloy sealed their place in the last four of the senior hurling championship on Sunday afternoon as they defeated Cushendall with six to spare. In a top of the group clash, both sides knew that a win would give them the luxury of a four week break and any psychological advantage a win would have over the other at this stage of the season.
These teams are two of the big hitters in the club game in Antrim hurling and would be looking for any edge over the other. Dunloy’s win would be a welcome advantage to the Pearse Park men given their dual commitments and fighting on both fronts. The overriding feeling before the match was that the win was more beneficial for the Cuchullains while Cushendall would be happy to take another game via the quarter final route.
Any thoughts that the Ruairi’s weren’t taking the game seriously were gone as soon as Mark O’Neill blew for the game to start. This was a keenly contested game that had plenty happening all over the pitch. A game that had plenty of moments of brilliance both in an attacking and defensive sense and a game that had plenty of talking points.
Conal Cunning top scored for the Cuchullains in a quite brilliant performance for the Cuchullains. 13 white flags were unlucky for the Ruairi’s put ‘Coby’ put in a phenomenal performance showcasing his touch, speed, agility and power.
Keelan Molloy’s goal was the pivotal moment of the game and came at a time when Cushendall were looking like were starting to get an edge on the game. The Dunloy star would finish the hour with 1-3 while a further five men in green and gold added their names to the list of scorers.


Joseph ‘Pep’ McLaughlin was the main attacking threat for Cushendall, raising the white flag on 11 occasions with eight of those from placed ball. The Ruairi’s had another six names on their list of scorers and posed a serious threat up front. The physical presence of Sean McAfee and Neil McManus always causing Dunloy cause for concern while Thomas McLaughlin’s aerial ability ensured they had an outlet to create space.
The Ruairi’s didn’t register another score from the 52nd minute however as Dunloy finished the game strongly.
Both sides started the contest brightly with the wind have little or no effect on the game. Dunloy held an early advantage with scores from Molloy, Cunning (free) and Eoin O’Neill coming in response to points from Callagh Mooney and Joseph McLaughlin.
McMahon had the first sniff of a goal chance in the eighth minute but his shot flashed wide from an acute angle.
Ed McQuillan and Cunning (free) swapped scores to leave Dunloy ahead by the minimum. The visitors looked to have the momentum but a run of four wides looked to knock the wind out of their sails and when Joseph McLaughlin fired over his first free of the match in the 18th minute, the sides were tied.

The Cuchullains put daylight between the sides with a run of four successive scores in a little over five minutes – all coming from the hurl of Cunning as he tormented the Cushendall defence.
The four point Dunloy advantage stayed until injury time as Charlie McAuley, Austin Birt and Joseph McLaughlin split the uprights in response to a trio of white flags from Cunning – two from placed ball.
Cushendall had the final say of the half with a brace of white flags from a Joseph McLaughlin free and Ed McQuillan’s second of the game to leave the half time score 0-11 to 0-9 in Dunloy’s favour.


For how good the second half was, both sides found another gear in the second half. Cushendall restored parity to the scoreline with a brace of points from placed ball by Joseph McLaughlin before Keelan Molloy got the Cuchullains off and running in the second half.
Cunning fired over for his 10th point of the game after another Joseph McLaughlin free before Thomas McLaughlin had a sight of Ryan Elliott’s goal. Using his feet to pick up the sliotar while on the run, McLaughlin fired his shot at goal but the angle was against him and Ryan Elliott dealt with his effort expertly. Joseph McLaughlin converted the resulting ’65 as the sides went toe to toe.
Aodhan McGarry and Cunning (free) adding scores for Dunloy with Joseph McLaughlin and Scott Walsh responding for the home side.

As the game entered the final quarter, it was the Cuchullains who grabbed the game by the scruff of the neck. Keelan Molloy’s goal came from a moment of brilliance as he broke through the heart of the Cushendall defence and while his initial shot was blocked by Conor McCann, substitute Luke McFerran recycled and found Molloy and he made no mistake.
The Ruairi’s continued to find ways and scores at the other end with Joseph and Thomas McLaughlin on target while Nigel Elliott and Eoin McFerran did the same for Dunloy. Joseph McLaughlin reduced the Dunloy lead to two points with eight minutes of the hour remaining but the Ruairi’s wouldn’t register another score.

Dunloy had another sight of Conor McAllister’s goal, Cunning going close only for his effort to be well saved by the Cushendall shot stopper but he would add a further two white flags in the time that remained.
Keelan Molloy and Seaan Elliott added further scores to add gloss to the scoreline for the Cuchullains before the final whistle.
Cushendall will have a quarter final tie with Ballycastle to look forward to in a fortnights time while Dunloy will cast their eyes towards a quarter final clash with Lámh Dhearg next Sunday.
TEAMS
Cushendall Starting XV: Conor McAllister; Conor McCann, Martin Burke, Fred McCurry; Scott Walsh, Austin Birt, Charlie McAuley; Neil McManus, Callagh Mooney; Thomas McLaughlin, Ed McQuillan, Ryan McCambridge; Oisin Woodhouse, Sean McAfee, Joseph McLaughlin
- Subs: Fergus McCambridge for O Woodhouse (48); Eoghan Campbell for E McQuillan (52)
- Scorers: J McLaughlin 0-11 (6fs, 2’65s); E McQuillan 0-2; S Walsh, A Birt, C McAuley, C Mooney, T McLaughlin – all 0-1
Dunloy Starting XV: Ryan Elliott; Aaron Crawford, Daire McMullan, Oran Quinn; Aodhan McGarry, Eoin McFerran, Ryan McGarry; Nicky McKeague, Tom McFerran; Nigel Elliott, Conal Cunning, Barry Scott; Chrissy McMahon, Keelan Molloy, Eoin O’Neill
- Subs: Seaan Elliott for T McFerran (HT); Luke McFerran for B Scott (39); Ciaran Elliott for C McMahon (46); Paul Shiels for O Quinn (52); Eamon Smyth for D McMullan (59)
- Scorers: C Cunning 0-13 (8fs, 1’65); K Molloy 1-3; A McGarry, E McFerran, N Elliott, E O’Neill, S Elliott – all 0-1
Referee: Mark O’Neill (Armoy)
TO SEE MORE OF BRENDAN’S PHOTOS FROM THE GAME, CLICK ON THE LINK….
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