Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship, Group One
Loughgiel Shamrocks 1-14 O'Donovan Rossa 0-21
ROSSA secured top spot in Group One of the Antrim Senior Hurling Championship and a bye into the semi-final as they proved too good for 14-man Loughgiel at Fr Healy Park on Sunday.
The West Belfast men were full value for their victory as they recovered well from an early Shamrocks' blitz to take a grip on this game and didn't let go.
The hosts will rue the dismissal of Tiernan Coyle on 22 minutes, but their problems were greater than this as it took until the 44th minute before someone other than James McNaughton scored and this point was their first from play in 34 minutes.
This highlighted just how well the Rossa defence kept the hosts on a firm leash and they had the quality at the other end to build a winning tally and claim what was a huge victory on the road.
Loughgiel couldn't have got off to a better start as James McNaughton fired over a point within 30 seconds and then on three minutes, Christy McGarry did well to find John Francis Connolly in space and he in turn spotted McNaughton out to his left and the Shamrocks' talisman buried to the net.
James McNaughton is challenged by Stephen Shannon
Despite this quick start, it was Rossa who actually began to take control as a pair of Stephen Beatty points and another from Tiernan Murphy after a good move left the city side just one adrift and as thew half wore on they really started to boss proceedings with Loughgiel rather toothless in attack as they hit just three further scores in the half, all from McNaughton with his ninth-minute point from midway their last score from play for all of 34 minutes.
In contrast, Rossa had a much healthier spread with Deaglan Murphy scoring from play and frees, while Seaghan Shannon got in on the act with a brace either side of the water break.
Loughiel's cause wasn't helped when Coyle got his marching orders in the 22nd minute after referee Column Cunning consulted with his umpires and motioned that the Loughgiel corner-back had struck out at Murphy.
The visitors were worthy of their 0-10 to 1-4 half-time advantage with late points from Gerard Walsh and a Murphy free, and then powered on in the third quarter with some excellent scores through Beatty, Eoin Trainor and a monster effort by Aidan Orchin with Murphy also knocking over. pair of frees as Rossa moved eight clear.
It was up to McNaughton to keep his team moving with a pair of frees before they finally had a different scorer with Dan McCloskey firing over from deep in the 44th minute.
Deaglan Murphy goes on the attack
The gap was six at the water break and Rossa kept the scoreboard ticking over when play resumed with the Murphys to the fore as Deaglan, Tiernan and Daire all found their range.
Loughgiel did keep plugging away with a late rally although McNaughton saw two close-in frees clear the bar and a third saved on the line, while two late points by substitute Michael McGarry got them to within four, but time was up as Rossa claimed a big win as they now advancer to the semi-finals with Loughgiel facing into a quarter-final with St John's next week.
LOUGHGIEL: C O'Connell; T Coyle, T McCloskey, R McCloskey; R McKee, S Dobbin, Declan McCloskey; J McNaughton (1-11, 0-9 frees), S McGrath; D McKinley, C McKendry, P Boyle; C McGarry, Dan McCloskey (0-1), JF Connolly.
Subs: R McMullan for JF Connolly (28), N McNaughton for C McKendry (30+2), E McCloskey for S McGrath (41), M McGarry (0-2) for C McGarry (51), O Laverty for R McKee (51)
ROSSA: D Armstrong; C Orchin, N Crossan, A Orchin (0-1); Stephen Shannon, A Kenneally, A O'Brien; G Walsh (0-1), E Trainor (0-1); Daire Murphy (0-1), Seaghan Shannon (0-2), D McEnhill; T Murphy (0-3), S Beatty (0-4), Deaglan Murphy (0-8, 0-6 frees).
Subs: D Rocks for D McEnhill (35), T Morgan for E Trainor (49), C McGettigan for S Beatty (57).
REFEREE: Colum Cunning (Dunloy)
