Cushendall ease their way to Antrim hurling final
Thursday, 21 August 2008
Cushendall take a point.
Cushendall were never pushed in this Antrim Hurling Championship semi-final at Ballycastle as they strolled to an eighteen point victory, 3-17 to 0-8.
After missing out last season, when they had to watch Dunloy and Loughgiel do the business, they have come back from a less than impressive run in the league to perhaps surprise even themselves.
That said they had as easy a draw as it is possible to get at this level and certainly have made the most of it.
Apart from the opening quarter this was never a contest. The game was level at one each after three minutes and again at five each approaching the quarter way mark.
Up to this stage it looked as if the Belfast side might make a game of it but they were soon pulled into line as the Ruairi Ogs got their act together.
In a ten minute spell they moved into a five point lead and never looked back The crucial score of the opening half came in the twenty third minute when Conor McCambridge picked up their first goal.
The big full-forward won the sliothre twenty five yards out, dashed goal wards and had a simple task in flicking it home. This score and four points from top marksman Paddy McGill left them in a comfortable position at the half way mark,1-9 to 0-6.
The second half was a rather lop-sided affair with the Belfast side permitted just two points. Half back Steven Shannon pointed a free after eight minutes and Vincent Carabine got number eight, twelve minutes from the end.
In between they were gifted a penalty which they wasted.
Goal-keeper Francis McAuley, in his bid to deny Aiden Hamill, pulled the Rossa mid-fielder to the ground and was promptly given his marching orders.
On came regular net minder Ronan Kearney, who has been out of action due to injury and he stopped the penalty shot.
For Rossa this was the last straw and, despite having the extra player they were completely brushed aside. Just one minute after the penalty miss Cushendall went to the other end and a Brian Delargy goal put the Rossa lights out.
Both Delargy and the man who set him up, Nial McManus had just come on as substitutes giving some idea of their back up strength.
At this stage it was well and truly over. A third goal , a couple of minutes from the end, put the icing on the cake. This was the best of the three with mid-fielder Donal McNaughton whacking home an unstoppable long range effort.
Once again another satisfying championship performance from Cushendall. They should however not get carried away remembering, of course ,that this was second division material.
Aaron Graffin ,Sean Delargy and a half back line of Mickey McCambridge, Karl McKeegan and Kevin Elliott, which is the engine room of the side, all had top performances as had the mid-field pair of Donal McNaughton and Paddy McGill.
The attack was sharp, all six starters playing their part along with a couple of substitutes who also scored.
Rossa were, to a certain extent ,out of their depth. Their defence was suspect with only Mickey Kettle and Steven Shannon matching it with the opposition. Chris Hamill gathered a lot of loose ball at mid field but in the attack they were weak. Vincent Carabine failed to make his usual handsome contribution with Conor Rocks the only one to impress.
Scorers: Cushendall: Paddy McGill (0-8), Donal McNaughton (1-2),Conor Cambridge (1-1),Brian Delargy (1-1),Shane McNaughton (0-3),Aiden Delargy (0-1) and Colm McKeegan (0-1).
Rossa: Chris Hamill (0-2), Aiden McCormick (0-1),Steven Shannon (0-1), Gavin Bell (0-1),Vincent Carabine (0-1), Rory McMorrow (0-1), and Paul Beattie (0-1).
Teams: Cushendall: Francis McAuley: Aaron Graffin, Oran Scullion, Sean Delargy: Mickey McCambridge, Karl McKeegan, Kevin Elliott: Donal McNaughton and Paddy McGill: Conor Carson, Declan McKillop, Brian McNaughton: Aiden Delargy, Conor McCambridge, Shane McNaughton.
