Ruairi Og, Cushendall 2-12 Loughgiel Shamrocks 0-15
Ruairi Og, Cushendall lifted their third Antrim SHC title in five years with a hard fought win over rivals Loughgiel Shamrocks at Ballycastle on Sunday.
The sides were level six times in a close half. The impressive Donal McNaughton opened the scoring for Cushendall with James McNaughton replying for the Shamrocks. Tiarnan Coyle and Joey Scullion added points for Loughgiel, with McNaughtons Donal and James swapping points.
Two minutes later the sides were level when Conor Carson completed a crisp passing move for Cushendall, and the same player was involved in his side’s 23rd minute goal, latching onto to a Neil McManus pass and feeding captain Paddy Burke who fired home.
A McManus free stretched the lead after the restart but the minimum separated the sides once again on the 50-minute mark when Daniel McCloskey slotted over his third point of the day. Then came the Carson goal. Keeper DD Quinn got plenty of ash behind his shot, the sliotar nestled in the back of the Loughgiel net for a 2-10 to 0-12 Cushendall lead.
A McGill free stretched the lead to five on 55 minutes and although a James McNaughton brace narrowed the gap to three, Loughgiel were unable to breach the Cushendall defence for the required goal.
Cushendall: E Gillan; A Graffin, P Burke (1-0), M Burke; S Delargy, D Kearney, F McCurry; E Campbell (0-1), A Delargy; C Carson (1-1), P McGill (0-2, 1f), R McCambridge (0-1); F McCambridge, N McManus (0-4, 3f), D McNaughton (0-3). Subs: E McKillop for F McCambridge (49), S Walsh for F McCurry (53), N McCormack for R McCambridge (58), S McAfee for C Carson (62).
Loughgiel: DD Quinn; P Gillen, N McGarry, R McCloskey; T McCloskey, D McMullan, O McFadden; M McFadden, T Coyle (0-2); J Scullion (0-1), J McNaughton (0-9, 6f), D McKinley; D McCloskey (0-3), E McCloskey, S Casey. Subs: L Watson for S Casey (ht), M Connolly for O McFadden (49),S McGrath for P Gillan (52).
Referee: C Cunning (Dunloy)
