Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship, semi-final

Cushendall, Ruairi Og v Loughgiel Shamrocks (Ballycastle, Sunday, 2pm)

IT will be something of a throwback at Ballycastle on Sunday as Cushendall and Loughgiel face off to decide who will be the first team into this year's Antrim SHC final.

Páirc MacUílín has played host to many engrossing encounters between the teams in recent years with the pair in a bit of an arm-wrestle to decide dominance in Antrim prior to Dunloy's recent takeover.

The sides met earlier in this year's competition with the Ruairi coming out on top in a Group Two game, but this Sunday will be a different contest as there is no longer a safety net in the 'win or bust' phase of the season.

Cushendall glided straight into the semi-final with three from three in the group and seem in a good place to return to their first final since 2019 having lost out to Rossa in quarter-finals and semi-finals over the past couple of seasons.

The disappointment of being on the outside looking in on county final day will surely fuel Brian Delargy's side that will not want to be an onlooker at the big dance for another year.

There is little those with even a passing interest in hurling in the county will know about Cushendall as they are littered with household names including county captain Eoghan Campbell, while in the Burkes - Paddy and Martin - Neil McManus, Ryan McCambridge, Alex Delargy, Scott Walsh, Paddy McGill... you get the picture.

Christy McNaughton seems to have fully rediscovered his top form and 1-15 in their win over St John's highlights the potential he has to be a match-winner for the 'Dall, yet forewarned will be forearmed for Hugh McCann's Shamrocks who will have identified McNaughton as one they must stop.

Loughgiel have built gradually throughout the competition, recovering from early defeats to St John's and Sunday's opposition to claim a win over Naomh Éanna to book a quarter-final with Rossa where they exploded into life.

On the day, they were simply awesome with Eddie McCloskey rolling back the year, supplementing the next generation led by Paul Boyle whose two goals knocked the stuffing out of the city side's challenge.

James McNaughton's ability to open up a defence will be crucial, while Shan McGrath is well equipped to drop back into the middle and assist the ever-industrious Dan McCloskey or spearhead the attack.

Games between this pair may not have always turned into free-scoring thrillers, but they have always been keenly contested and it would be no shock if this was another claustrophobic clash with space at a premium as both sides tear into each other.

Should that be the case, then dominating the rucks and making the best of the chances will be the winning and losing of this game and with a lot of rain forecast to hit the north coast from early Friday, the Ballycastle sod may still be heavy come Sunday.

It would be no shock if this game is relatively low scoring with a puc of the ball between them.