Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship semi-final (AET)
Cushendall 1-27 St John's 0-26

AN epic Antrim Senior Hurling Championship semi-final in Dunloy on Saturday went the way of defending champions Cushendall who broke St John's hearts in extra-time.

Both sets of players threw absolutely everything into this game and at the end they looked absolutely spent having served up a slobberknocker of a game.

It would be difficult not to feel for St John's as they poured all they had into this and still just came up narrowly short, the fine margins again just not going their way.

Looking for a turning point or key moment in this game would be difficult, but perhaps it came before extra-time began as Cushendall won the toss and opted for the strong wind at their backs for the second period.

With tanks rapidly emptying, that second period of 10 minutes would see players running on empty and every advantage down the stretch would be crucial.

When push came to shove, it was the leaders on this Cushendall team that helped them over the line as Paddy Burke and Eoghan Campbell produced huge performances, but once again it was Neil McManus who shone. His final tally of 14 points - five from play - was a big enough contribution on its own, but he delivered so much more as with the game on the line, he seemed to be everywhere, wining ball, forcing turnovers and driving his team on - all this with his first start of the championship.

He didn't get anything easy, none of the victors did, as St John's fought like tigers throughout. Ciaran Johnston had a stormer at full-back, same with Jack Bohill who completely shut down Joseph McLaughlin. Peter McCallin was a colossus, Ryan McNulty excellent in defence and going forward, while Conor Johnston, Conall Bohill and Oisin Donnelly did so much throughout, but it still just narrowly went against them.

"Two good teams and really honest in how they go about it," Cushendall manager Brian Delargy reflected.

"Sometimes the hurling is not as pretty, but if you're coming up against a man willing to die for his jersey and his club...

"Any time Michael Johnston is involved with St John's they are going to die with their boots on. We knew it was going to be that way and thank God our boys have the same sort of mentality. When the two collide, there is only going to be a poc of the ball between them."

Aided by a strong wind, Cushendall would have been keen to build a healthy lead at the break and they began brightly with Neil McManus landing two early frees - the second from deep in his own half which was a measure of just how strong an an advantage it was.

However, they couldn't fully avail as St John's wouldn't allow them time or space to get into a flow, throwing everything they had at Cushendall with the first half dominated by rucks as possession was contested as though lives depended on it.

Approaching the break the teams were level at 0-7 apiece with McManus and two trademark Eoghan Campbell scores keeping Cushendall moving as they shot eight wides in the opening period.
The Johnnies would have been very happy as this stage as they worked some fine points themselves through Conor Johnston, Ryan McNulty, Conall Bohill and Michial Dudley, while Oisin MacManus was on the mark from frees into the wind.

Cushendall did take a 0-9 to 0-7 lead into the half thanks to late scores from Ryan McCambridge and Fred McCurry, but it didn't seem a great advantage considering the advantage they had.

Charlie McAuley did extend the gap early in the second period, but St John's began to take a grip with Ciaran Johnston landing a monster free and MacManus adding another.

Ciaran Johnston bursts past Jospeh McLaughlin
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Ciaran Johnston bursts past Jospeh McLaughlin

St John's also had issues with their shooting with the wind at their backs in the second period as they hit seven outside the posts, yet were adamant one or two may have counted, but they had worked themselves into a 0-13 to 0-11 lead with 49 players as Conor and Ciaran Johnston as well as Oisin MacManus drove them on.

Just as it seemed they were on their way, Cushendall hit back with McManus steadying with a score and then a powerful run from Paddy Burke up the left flank saw him pop inside with Ronan McAteer sweeping home.

They led by a goal late on but St John's weren't for fading as MacManus, Conall Bohill and a superb Shea Shannon sideline got them close and with the last act, substitute Darragh McGuinness fired over to leave it 1-16 to 0-19 at the end of normal time.

To extra-time we went and the Johnnies had the wind, knowing they needed to build a lead and set about it well as Shannon landed another sideline, McGuinness cracked another and MacManus continued to build his own tally, but two late pointed frees from McManus brought Cushendall to within two.

The Johnnies did manage to edge three up early in the second period, but the batteries were draining into the wind and a missed goal opportunity perhaps galvanised Cushendall who rattled off eight of the final nine scores to see themselves back into the final.

"We'll always have that fighting spirit and we proved it today, putting one of the best teams in Ireland to the pin of their collar - just small margins didn't get us over the line," said St John's manager Michael Johnston.

"It was a tough, dogged game of hurling and fine margins either way, but it wasn't our day and we'll just take it on the chin."

Peter McCallin looks for a pass out of defence
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Peter McCallin looks for a pass out of defence

Cushendall manager Delargy joked his team's traditional post-game sea swim may be extended by days to help bruised bodies recover, but was nonetheless thankful his players stepped up when it mattered.

Led by Neil McManus once again, they found a way and all stepped up when it counted, from the veterans through to the new faces.

"Neil, that's his first match back and we didn't know how much he would have in the legs but when it comes to these days, it's maybe not what you have in the legs but what you have in your heart," he added.

"I'm so proud of the boys who came in: Stephen Walsh with his first start this year and a young minor, Charlie McAuley stepped in to mark Conor Johnston and he's in bits there as he has been through the wars, so it's a rude awakening for him. But we are a club that if you are good enough you're going to be thrown in."

CUSHENDALL: C McAlister; L Gillan, P Burke, C McAuley (0-1); Stephen Walsh, E Campbell (0-3), R McCollam; F McCurry (0-1), Alex Delargy; R McAteer (1-0), N McManus (0-14, 9f), F McCambridge; C Neeson, R McCambridge (0-3), J McLaughlin (0-2, 1f).
Subs: P McGill (0-3) for C Neeson (51), Andrew Delargy for F McCurry (59) 
ET subs: D Delargy for Alex Delargy (HT), J McNaughton for R McAteer (19)

ST JOHN'S: S Doherty; J Bohill, Ciaran Johnston (0-2, 1f), R McNulty (0-2); C Morgan, P McCallin, E McGurk; M Dudley (0-1), S Wilson; O Donnelly, Conor Johnston (0-3), C Bohill (0-1); S Shannon (0-3, 2 sidelines, 1f), O MacManus (0-12, 8f, 2 65s), A Bradley.
Subs: M Bradley for A Bradley (41), C Hand for S Wilson (59), D McGuinness (0-2) for C Morgan (60+3).
ET subs: C McEvoy for J Bohill (9), D Carson for O Donnelly (10+1), R Galbraith for O MacManus (14)

REFEREE: Colm McDonald (St Gall's)