Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship final
Cushendall 1-16  Dunloy 2-12

IT was a sweet 16th Antrim Senior Hurling Championship title for Cushendall on Sunday as they edged Dunloy in Ballycastle.

Six points in arrears at the half is usually a time for reassessment, but given the gale blowing down the field the Ruairis had for the second period, it felt like something of a result.

This was a final that was whetting the lips in the build-up but it became a matter of doing what they could with the notion of a rip-roaring affair blown out of the water and landing somewhere around Rathlin. Still, the defending champions overhauled the Cuchullains in the second period and saw it out late as they made the better of the day that was in it.

Neither side really got to show what they could do on Antrim hurling's biggest day, which is always a highlight, but both teams set about making the best of it, and for that, they deserve enormous credit. 

An indication of what they were dealing with was that puc-outs barely made the 45 into the wind, yet causing havoc in the opposite goalmouth with it.

Yet the Ruairis adapted better, edging the early stage of the game into the gale that probably set their platform as the notion of accurate hurling went out the window.

There were wides, some from shots and others from passes that took off like a rocket, as both tried to hurl but they were up against it.

Still, there were some superb displays on a day when defences had their say. Some of the usually unheralded stood up as both put in the most honest of honest efforts, yet a good spell midway through the second period with that gale at their backs proved profitable for the now back-to-back champions.

"We were happy being six points down as it is an atrocious day to try and play hurling in," said a happy Cushendall manager, Brian Delargy.

"You don't know what lead you will need as even with the wind, when Dunloy were throwing the ball up to hit the ball, it was travelling forward. 

"We had to dig hard in the first half, it wasn't pretty, but we carried it and got some scores breaking up the field. Fair play to Dunloy as they seemed able to break the line at midfield better and get in on us, but Liam Gillen makes a last-ditch block on Keelan (Molloy) and as much as it's about boys putting the ball over the bar, that's like a goal."

Cushendall celebrate
2Gallery

Cushendall celebrate

Despite playing into the gale, Cushendall would have been very happy with how things began as they led 0-3 to 0-2 after 10 minutes with frees from Neil McManus and Dunloy's Seaan Elliott accounting for all the scores.

Dunloy did get into a flow with Keelan Molloy and Paul Shiels on target with Joseph McLaughlin landing Cushendall's first from play, but the goal Dunloy needed came on 20 minutes as Eoin O'Neill read a long delivery from Kevin Molloy to get in behind and bury.

He could have had another but hit whipped effort was saved for a 65 that Elliott converted with Keelan Molloy then stretching the gap to seven. 

It wasn't a huge gap considering the wind and they had goalkeeper Ryan Elliott made a stunning save from a Neil McManus penalty. McManus did land the 65 and at the break, this left six between them with Dunloy 1-8 to 0-5 ahead.

It took a while for Cushendall to find their range in the second half, but they began to eat into the lead with McLaughlin, Fred McCurry, Fergus McCambride, Paddy McGill and a monster free from goalkeeper Cononr McAlister bringing them to within one. In between, McAlister made a superb save from Anton McGrath as Dunloy managed to get into range.

The Ruairis would the front as Ed McQuillan cracked home, but Dunloy hit back in kind soon after as Seaan Elliott buried a penalty after older brother Nigel had been impeded.

But the Ruairis powered on with five of the next six to lead by a goal late on and although Paul Shiels clipped over a pair of late frees for Dunloy, it was a goal they needed as Cushendall claimed the Volunteer Cup for a 16th time.

"The wind was so bad it is hard to know if it was an advantage, considering what we created in the second half," admitted Dunloy manager, Gregory O'Kane.

"Once you got by the wind, there were goal chances inside. We had something like 10 wides in the first half including placed balls, but it was a bit of a lottery.

"You probably think should the game have been played, but it is a pity as you didn't get to see both teams express themselves. It becomes a break of the ball here or there and that's the difference."

For Cushendall, there will be celebrations but then attention will turn to Ulster and a semi-final with the Derry champions with their final rescheduled for next week.

There is still satisfaction they retained their crown and their manager, Delargy, insists the hunger is as great as ever,

"We handed the cups back in May so we didn't feel like we had a target on our backs - we were hunting everyone else," he stressed.

"All the top performers want to get better and even though we won the championship last year, we still feel we are on that journey and are on the upward curve."

CUSHENDALL: C McAlister (0-1f;) L Gillan, P Burke, M Burke; Scott Walsh, E Campbell (0-1), R McCollam; F McCurry (0-1), R McCambridge; R McAteer (0-1), N McManus (0-7, 5f, 2 65s), F McCambridge (0-2); E McQuillan (1-0), S McAfee, J McLaughlin (0-2).
Subs: P McGill (0-1) for S McAfee (40), Alex Delargy for F McCurry (53), C Neeson for E McQuillan (58), Andrew Delargy for R McCambridge (60+3)

DUNLOY: R Elliott; P Duffin, R McGarry, O Quinn; E McFerran, Kevin Molloy, N McKeague; P Shiels (0-3, 2f), T McFerran; S Elliott (1-4, 1-0pen, 0-2f, 0-2 65s), A McGarry (0-1), Keelan Molloy (0-3); E O'Neill (1-1), A McGrath, N Elliott.
Subs: C McMahon for A McGrath (44), G McTaggart for A McGarry (53), P Martin for T McFerran (55)

REFEREE: Ciaran McCloskey (Loughgiel)