Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship final
Dunloy v Cushendall (Corrigan Park, Sunday, 2pm)
 
AT the outset of the 2022 Antrim Senior Hurling Championship, many had tipped Cushendall to be Dunloy’s greatest obstacle to four titles in-a-row. On Sunday at Corrigan Park, we will find out how accurate those predictions are.

Ruairi Og are back in the final for the first time since 2019 - an eternity for one of the county’s perennial challengers as Rossa were to prove their undoing at the quarter-final stage in 2020 and semi-final last year.

But they have sailed through this year’s competition, going three for three in the group stage and backing up their earlier win over Loughgiel with another against the Shamrocks in the semi-final although they were hanging on a little at the end as Hugh McCann’s men got to within one with a late charge.

Hang on they did and back into a final where they will face the side they last men on the biggest day in the Antrim GAA calendar.

That previous final went the way of Dunloy, as did the 2017 edition, so Cushendall may feel they have something to prove and they do have the players to do it.

One worry will be the availability of Christy McNaughton who was introduced and then withdrawn in the semi-final due to injury after hitting 1-2 during his brief time on the field.

His attacking prowess has been crucial this year and Brian Delargy will be hoping McNaughton is fit for a lot more than a cameo as his ability to light up the board could be crucial.

That’s not to say Cushendall’s hopes all rest on McNaughton as they have an abundance of quality throughout and plenty of experience to go with it.

Paddy and Martin Burke in the full-back line, Scott Walsh and Eoghan Campbell just ahead form part of a solid defence, while Alex Delargy and Ryan McCambridge will look to wield a big influence from the middle of the field.

Neil McManus was deployed at full-forward in the semi-final and he will always prove a handful with Ryan McGarry perhaps the Dunloy full-back who will aim to curtail the veteran, while there are others in the Cushendall attack capable of delivering in Sean McAfee, Paddy McGill, Aidan McNaughton and Niall McCormick.

In truth it is going to require an almost flawless display for Cushendall to prevail as they go in against a Dunloy side that seems to bring its best performance of the year into the county final and should that be the case, Cushendall will really have their hands full given what the defending champions produced in their semi-final mauling of St John’s.

Shut down one avenue for the Cuchullains and another emerges somewhere else on the field like a hurling version of ‘Whac-A-Mole’.

Keep Seaan Elliott quiet and then Conal Cunning is lighting up the board; keep tabs on Keelan Molloy and Nigel Elliott is in for scores. When they click, as they did in the second quarter of the semi-final, they are almost unplayable as they have a knack of following up a goal with another soon after.

One injury concern for Gregory O’Kane is that of Deaglan Smyth who hobbled out of the semi-final with an ankle injury and his ability to break the lines from midfield would be a big loss if he is indeed out.

But there is plenty of options for Dunloy as the season-ending injury to Conor McKinley saw the aforementioned McGarry to slot in at full-back, flanked by Oran Quinn and Phelim Duffin.

Paul Shiels pulls the strings from the middle, popping up throughout the field to ping balls into a red-hot attacking unit and always good for a score himself.

Throw in Kevin Molloy, Ronan Molloy, Aaron Crawford and Eamon Smyth and Dunloy have quality throughout the field.

Conditions on Sunday could play a part, although the forecast around throw-in time is not for a repeat of the heavy rain that fell during the football final last weekend and that may result in a day more favourable to forwards.

That is advantage Dunloy and while Cushendall will be in the hunt, it’s extremely difficult to see anything other than four-in-a-row for the Cuchullains.

Intermediate and Junior finals on Saturday

On Saturday at Dunsilly, the Intermediate and Junior titles will be decided.

First up at 1pm is the Junior decider between Rasharkin and Glenarm.
At the semi-final stage, Rasharkin edged out Cloughmills who many would have tipped to advance as Conor McKeever led the way.

They face a Glenarm side that was hugely impressive in their last four victory against Armoy, former county star Darren Hamill leading the way for Shane O’Neill’s.

A keenly-contested affair is anticipated with this one coming down to whomever can impose their will on the other.

At 4pm, the Intermediate final between Clooney Gaels and Cushendun is down for decision.

The Ahoghill men delivered a hugely impressive performance to overcome St Gall’s in dreadful conditions having gone through the group phase unbeaten and will be many people’s tip to finish the job against Cushendun who got past Glenariffe in the semi-final thanks to a hat-trick of goals from Conlaoth McNeill.

Clooney won the group game between the pair in early August and seem to have the momentum to finish it, but Cushendun are unbeaten since that game and will be quietly confident they can turn it around.