Cushendall crowned Ulster champions
Thursday, 23 October 2008
For a team which began the season with absolutely no form, Cushendall have certainly been a revelation.
With a string of league defeats in their opening games they were a side which looked like going nowhere.
As the year progressed ,so too did the Ruairi Ogs, adding the Antrim championship title and, on Sunday, the Ulster crown.
In an absolute cracker at Casement Park both sides made light of the strong wind and gave their fans plenty to shout about.
When the dust settled the North Antrim men were champions, but only just ,1-14 to 1-13, reversing the result of three years ago when the Down side went on to the All Ireland semi-final.
Cushendall went in as firm favourites but when this game got under way that simply counted for nothing.
They were pushed all the way with a late rally at the end of both halves very nearly getting Ballygalget there.
It was indeed with a sigh of relief that they received the trophy and headed home to celebrate a title they won just two years ago.
A goal from Conor McCambridge in the fifteenth minute when, from a kneeling position, he beat Graham Clarke, helped his side to a comfortable 1-8 to o-5 position as the game headed for the break. Paddy McGill, Sean Delargy, Shane McNaughton, Aiden Delargy and Neil McManus had all been involved in the Cushendall scoring and, as a unit ,looked very strong.
That said their last first half score came in the 28 minute and they allowed the opposition back in with three late points. Martin Coulter scored two, bringing his first half total to seven and Steven Clarke got the third to leave them just three behind, 1-8 to 0-8 when the sides took a well deserved breather.
Ballygalget certainly didn't use the wind advantage as well as their opponents and they allowed the Antrim champions into a fairly convincing position by the 58 minute when they trailed 0-12 to 1-14.
They had a goal disallowed which, had it stood, could well have won this game, but they didn't allow that to hold them back. Like the first half they came with a blistering finish and a Martin Coulter goal and point very nearly swung it.
While Cushendall have turned in better performances this season it would have been a grave injustice had they lost.
Overall they were the better side with their forward department outstanding.
At the back there were times when they looked suspect but when Karl McKeegan moved to centre half in the second half things tightened up.
In all they had they had half a dozen players involved in accumulating their total while the opposition relied entirely on Martin Coulter.
In fact he scored everything apart from a Steven Clarke point in the first half and a Gerard Monan score from a sideline cut in the second.
A player from either side saw double yellows, the Dalls Brian Delargy and the Down sides Steven Johnson, perhaps only to be expected in a game of such intensity.
Cushendall, although their defence was not as strong as usual had fine performances from Oran Scullion, Mickey McCambridge, Donal McNaughton and Karl McKeegan when he moved back.
At mid-field they struggled but in the attack were as sharp as razors with Conor McCambridge, rolling back the years and Shane McNaughton, once again proving he is the most accomplished player on the side.
Ballygalget had stars in Graham Clarke, Aaron Dynes and Gabriel Clarke at the back with Pat Monan and Darren Flynn always in control at mid-field.
Had they had a few more like Martin Coulter in the attack this might well have been a very different story.
The Cushendall scores came from: Paddy McGill (0-6), Conor Cambridge (1-1),Shane McNaughton (0-3),Sean Delargy (0-2),Aiden Delargy (0-1) and Neil McManus (0-1).
Ballygalgets reply came from - Martin Coulter (1-11),Steven Clarke (0-1) and Gerard Monan (0-1).
The Cushendall team was :Francis McAuley: Aaron Graffin, Oran Scullion, Mickey McCambridge: Donal McNaughton, Neil McManus, Kevin Elliott; Paddy McGill and Karl McKeegan; Brian Delargy, Declan McKillop, Sean Delargy: Shane McNaughton, Conor McCambridge and Aiden Delargy.
