Bathshack Antrim SHC final: Ruairi Og, Cushendall 1-12 Loughgiel Shamrocks 1-15

Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship final: Ruairi Og, Cushendall 1-12 Loughgiel Shamrocks 1-15

Sharing the stage Goalkeeper DD Quinn & defender Paul Gillan, the pair eventually raised aloft the old bit of silverware after outclassing defending champions Ruairi Og, Cushendall by three points.

The final scoreline flattered last season’s All-Ireland finalists – and yet they could have stolen a draw in stoppage-time after a mad scramble in front of Loughgiel’s goal.

DD Quinn saved from Donal McNaughton’s speculative effort and managed to turn Neil McManus’s rebound away for a ’65.

It would have been cruel on the Shamrocks had the sloithar found its way past Quinn because they’d bossed yesterday’s absorbing final for long periods.

Ruairi Og substitute Christy McNaughton converted the resultant ’65 to narrow the deficit to two points but a few moments later, Loughgiel sealed the deal thanks to a sumptuous point from the evergreen Liam Watson – his third of the day.

In slippery conditions, the former Antrim ace made scoring look ridiculously easy.

In the 12th minute, the 34-year-old sold Paddy Burke a wonderful dummy to open his account.

Ten minutes later and under serious pressure from three Ruairi Og defenders, Watson off-loaded to Shay Casey to point and he got his second of the day in the dying embers when Loughgiel needed him most.

The key to Shamrocks winning was the brick wall they’d erected along their half-back line and the pace in their attack.

Wing-backs Tiernan Coyle and James Campbell excelled for the winners with centre-back Tony McCloskey sweeping up any loose balls.

Loughgiels’ front six all scored from play and accounted for the team’s entire tally.

Still only 34 and in his first season as Loughgiel manager, former county defender Johnny Campbell was “over the moon” after yesterday’s triumph – but it didn’t replace winning as a player.

“No, it doesn’t even come close,” he said.

“I’d rather I had number 32 on me today. But that’s just the way it is. I’m over the moon – don’t get me wrong.

“It’s the first time in 17 or 18 years I haven’t been involved with the team as a player. It’s just great as a Loughgiel man to see the cup coming back to the club.”

Eddie McCloskey was immense for the Shamrocks at centre-forward, scoring two points and working tirelessly for the 60-plus minutes.

Shay Casey bagged the all-important goal after 19 minutes – to cancel out Paddy McGill’s first-minute major for Cushendall – when his electric pace pierced the centre of the Ruairi Og defence before slapping the ball past Eoin Gillan in goal.

Although they held gallantly to Loughgiel’s coat-tails throughout, they fell well short of their best.

The deposed champions made it a two-point game on two occasions in the second half but Loughgiel looked sharper in most areas of the field.

Neil McManus, a late change to Cushendall’s starting team, battled hard to steal three points off the Shamrocks defence and second half substitute Christy McNaughton found his range with ease but there were too many wearing maroon who were swallowed up by those wearing red.

“We got off to a good start,” said Ruairi Og boss Philip Campbell.

“We got an early goal but we didn’t kick on. Loughgiel started turning us over. The best team won on the day.

“I thought we’d a great chance to do it this year again. But we knew there was only going to be a score in this game.

“Loughgiel just seemed to want it a wee bit more than us. DD Quinn made a great couple of saves at the very end. I don’t know how he got his stick to them. But when you’re going to win championships you need those things going for you.

“I congratulate Loughgiel – they’re a super team.”

Campbell, whose club were going for three-in-a-row, added: “We knew Loughgiel hadn’t been to a final in three years, we knew they were going to be hungry and we knew we had to match their work-rate but unfortunately in the first half we just didn’t do it.”

And in the crucial period after half-time, Cushendall gift-wrapped a couple of points for their rivals.

Two poor clearances in quick succession allowed Eddie McCloskey and Benny McGarry to add to Loughgiel’s tally as they stretched their lead to four points [1-10 to 1-6] after 40 minutes.

Campbell added: “We knew Cushendall play a certain brand of hurling. They’d a new manager in and they tweaked things, the same as us. They didn’t throw the baby out with the bathwater either.

“We looked at a couple of match-ups and it didn’t work out too badly for us. Every day you play Cushendall it’s going to be small things that win it.”

Despite the bouts of heavy rain and chill in the air, you couldn’t have dampened the mood among the Shamrocks if you tried.

MATCH STATS

RUAIRI OG CUSHENDALL: E Gillan: R McCambridge, M Burke, E McKillop: D Kearney, P Burke, S Delargy; E Campbell, A McNaughton; C Carson, S McAfee, E Laverty (0-4, 0-3 frees); P McGill (1-0), A Delargy (0-1), N McManus (0-3); SUBS: C McNaughton (0-4, 0-2 frees, 0-1 ‘65) for S McAfee (h/t), D McNaughton for E Laverty (51), K McKeegan for C Carson (57), C McAllister for D Kearney (59), R Delargy for A Delargy (60);

YELLOW CARDS: S McAfee (8), P McGill (27)

LOUGHGIEL SHAMROCKS: DD Quinn; P Gillan, N McGarry, R McCloskey; J Campbell, T McCloskey, T Coyle; M Fadden, D McMullan; M Connolly (0-4, 0-3 frees), E McCloskey (0-2), D McKinley (0-2); B McGarry (0-2), L Watson (0-3), S Casey (1-2); SUBS: O McFadden for T McCloskey (50), D McCloskey for J Campbell (57), J McNaughton for D Kinley (60)

YELLOW CARDS: E McCloskey (28), T McCloskey (50)

REFEREE: O Elliott (All Saints, Ballymena)

**Report by Brendan Crossan.