Antrim Junior B Hurling Championship final
Ardoyne Kichkam's 0-18 Loch Mór Dál gCais 1-11

AS the old cliché goes: it takes you to lose a final to win one, and Ardoyne's hurlers did just that as they claimed the Antrim Junior B Hurling Championship at the expense of Loch Mór Dál gCais at a sodden Musgrave Park on Saturday.

Last year, the North Belfast side fell to St Brigid's in the decider and they were in no mood for a repeat, finding a way over the line in a game that was extremely hard going for both sets of players as the rain poured throughout and turned the second half into something of a mud bath.

It would be unfair to say that Kickham's won this by simply wanting it more as both teams poured everything they had into this game, but when it came down to it, Ardoyne were just that bit better as they had ball winners and a defence that refused to cough up anything cheaply going down the stretch.

Conditions were not favourable to the forwards and while the majority of the scores came from placed balls, that is a credit to both free-takers who missed very little with Ardoyne's Aran Stewart finishing with 14 points to his name - 13 from frees - while Loch Mór's Darragh Turley converted nine of his chances.

As it was, free-flowing hurling was virtually impossible on a horrible afternoon, but the teams, who drew earlier in the competition, still delivered an engrossing final that was hard-fought, but it would be Ardoyne's day.

"Going into that last quarter, there was no way we were going to lose," said manager Conor Barnes, who also managed his club to the 2012 Junior Football title.

"They went down into the trenches there, quite literally because of the state of the pitch, and they were super right to the end. We'll enjoy our day today - it's amazing."

Loch Mór opened well and Bailey Graham put them on the board when pulling on a loose ball that just about cleared the bar.

Stewart replied with his first free and then Oisin McVicker split the posts from a tight angle to put Ardoyne into the lead.

Turley replied with his first of the day before three from Stewart, one a fine effort from play, moved Ardoyne as many clear.

Loch Mór responded well in a decent spell with Turley landing three frees and Graham again seeing a shot flash just inches over the bar.

The Stewart and Turley free-taking contest continued before the Ardoyne rattled off another there and then they too went so close to goal when McVicker's shot cleared the bar with little to spare.

That moved them three ahead and that was the gap at the break, 0-11 to 0-8, after another exchange of frees.

The second half could not have started better for Loch Mór as Turley lined up a free from inside his own half just a minute in but this time it dipped and Ferdia Carson rose to get a deft flick and divert it into the net to level.

Ardoyne would not panic and McVicker pointed in reply with another three Stewart frees not only wiping out the goal, but increasing the lead to four entering the final quarter.

Turley pegged it back to a goal thrice from the placed ball with the minutes ticking by and Loch Mór remained in touch as they began to test the Ardoyne defence with deliveries into the danger area, but the North Belfast defence would not budge with Paul Baker at full-back mopping up a lot of the danger.

Challenges flew in with both teams putting everything the had into it, Loch Mór desperate for the goal and Ardoyne holding out and their victory was sealed in stoppage time when substitute Cormac Barnes did well in the left corner to get hold of the ball and it was his fellow replacement Enda Slattery to sling over the insurance score.

2Gallery

It sealed the title for Ardoyne and capped a magnificent 2023 where the Division Four league title was also secured, the team going unbeaten in both competitions.

Hurling at the club was only revived a few short years ago, so this double success is one that will be celebrated first of all, but the ambition will be to use it as a starting point to push on and aim for more in the year ahead.

"This isn't only about today and this year," Barnes added.

"People got together to get hurling up and running in Ardoyne again: Peter Lynch, Sean Magill and others. Ollie Bellew came in a couple of years ago and brought the lads to another level, so it was just me and John (Martin) steering the ship this year.

"They learnt from last year. They're the best bunch of hurlers Ardoyne have ever had and there is so much more to come out of this team - they've been super."

ARDOYNE: JP Agnew; P Clarke, P Baker, C Clarke; S Searle, C Wallace, M McGreevy; D Goodall, P McGuigan; O McVicker (0-3), A Stewart (0-14, 13 frees), P Hull; M McKillen, C Keown, J Og McAuley.
Subs: P McGreevy for C Keown (42), C Barnes for M McKillen (55), E Slattery (0-1) for P Hull (57).

LOCH MÓR: C O hEireamhóin; Brogan Graham, S Burke, A Monaghan; D Philips, C Jones, D McAreavey; M Braniff, C Dwyer; C Burke, M Jones, D Turley (0-9 frees); Bailey Graham (0-2), F Carson (1-0), M McCullagh.
Subs: M Robb for C Burke (38), R Bannon for A Monaghan (38), P Molloy for D McAreavey (55).

REFEREE: Chris Brown