Antrim SHC Final: Dunloy overcome Cushendall
Fiontán Bradley, Cushendall, and Aodhan McGarry and Eamon Smyth, Dunloy, in Antrim SHC Final action. Photo by Paul Phelan/Sportsfile
Antrim SHC Final
Dunloy 1-19 Cushendall 1-13
By Maghnus Dunne a****t Pairc MacUílin
Dunloy managed to see off the late challenge from Cushendall to clinch their 17th Antrim Senior Hurling title despite a late Neil McManus goal.
Cushendall started brightly as Fiontán Bradley thumped the opening score of the tie, but it was not long before Seaan Elliot responded with a terrific point from the middle of the park.
Most of the opening period followed that trend with the sides nip and tug for the best part of half with the key men being the free taking specialists for each side Conal Cunning and Joseph McLaughlin.
Dunloy made a major breakthrough on the 17th minute when Ciarán Elliot managed to put real separation between the sides in the first half with a goal.
The Dunloy forward slipped through the Cushendall back line and was the recipient of a Nigel Elliot pass before ensuring the sliotar’s safe passage to the net.
Neil McManus drove an emphatic free to reduce the deficit, but a first half five-point lead allowed Dunloy build on their margin as the second half commenced.
Cuchullains were straight out of the blocks and made sure it would take something special from Ruairi Óg’s to cause any real trouble.
Elliot and Cunning continued to provide Dunloy’s point-scoring threat with five points apiece by the final 10 minutes with Cushendall’s only answer coming from McManus and McLaughlin’s sharpshooting from dead balls.
McManus did threaten to reignite the comeback for Cushendall when with five minutes left of normal time, the former Antrim star blasted the ball into the turf and beat a pile of Dunloy bodies to find the net.
Dunloy would not falter, however, and scores from Keelan Molloy and a late Tom McFerran strike ensured the Village side would be lifting title number 17 in Antrim.
Scorers for Dunloy: Conal Cunning 0-11 (6fs), Seaan Elliot 0-4, Ciarán Elliot 1-0, Aodhan McGarry 0-1, Nicky McKeague 0-1, Tom McFerran 0-1, Keelan Molloy 0-1
Scorers for Cushendall: Neil McManus 1-2, Joseph McLaughlin 0-5 (4fs), Fiontánn Bradley 0-2, Charlie McCauley 0-1, Joseph McNaughton 0-1, Eoghan Campbell 0-1, Callagh Mooney 0-1,
Dunloy: Rian Elliot; Aaron Crawford, Eamon Smyth, Oran Quinn; Aodhan McGarry, Eoin McFerran, Ryan McGarry; Nicky McKeague, Seaan Elliot; Nigel Elliot, Conal Cunning, Luke McFerran; Ciarán Elliot, Keelan Molloy, Chrissy McMahon
Subs: Tom McFerran for Chrissy McMahon (47'), Barry Scott on for Ciarán Elliot (55'), Paul Shiels on for Eamon Smyth (56’).
Cushendall: Conchúr Mac Alastair; Conor McCann, Martin Burke, Fred McCurry; Scott Walsh, Austin Birt, Charlie McAuley; Eoghan Campbell, Callagh Mooney; Thomas McLaughlin, Ed McQuillan, Fiontán Bradley; Fergus McCambridge, Neil McManus, Joseph McLaughlin
Subs: Joseph McNaughton on for Ed McQuillan (57’), Sean McAfee on for Fergus McCambridge (43’).
