Antrim Reserve Hurling Cup final
Cushendall, Ruairi Og 2-20 O'Donovan Rossa 0-12
AN Eoin Laverty-inspired Cushendall claimed the Antrim Reserve Hurling Cup at the expense of Rossa at a drizzly Randalstown on Monday evening.
The corner-forward finished the game with 1-13 and 1-3 of that tally from play as Ruairi Og gradually pulled clear to score a comprehensive win.
The North Antrim side were just that bit crisper and sharper throughout as they dominated the breaks and looked solid defensively, with their use of the ball and touch that bit better as they were able to work the ball into space for their forwards to profit.
Rossa were just about still in the game midway through the second half, but substitute Patrick Sharpe's goal just before the water-break put paid to their ambitions as they just couldn't find the goals their challenge needed.
The Belfast side battled well, but were just unable to give Cushendall enough to think about despite a decent opening to the game.
After a scrappy opening five minutes with both sides swallowing each other up on the greasy surface, it was Dara Murphy who opened the scoring with a good score under pressure for Rossa, but Laverty was soon to open his account in response when darting through the middle to score.
This would set the tone for the opening quarter with the sides going score for score with the teams locked at 0-4 with Fred McCurry hitting the first of his four points for Cushendall and wing-back Scott Walsh also on target, while Eoin Trainor would compliment Murphy's efforts in attack with a fine point.
A Laverty free gave Cushendall the lead for the first time just before the water-break, with Murphy responding in kind upon the resumption to tie things up.
Eoin Trainor bursts forward
However, Cushendall looked that bit more menacing going forward with Christy McNaughton picking some fine passes and one led to the opening goal on 22 minutes as he put McCurry in and while a good hook prevented him from getting the shot away, Laverty pounced on the loose ball to lash to the net past Phil Creen.
Trainor floated over a point at the other end in reply, but Cuhendall would enjoy a strong finish to the half as they pulled six clear to lead 1-10 to 0-7 with five of the remaining six scores of the opening period through Laverty (four) and McCurry, with a Murphy free Rossa's sole notch on the scoreboard.
When Murphy landed a point just seconds after the restart, the city side would have hoped this was the spark their challenge needed, but Cushendall always had an answer and then some more as Scott Walsh and Fred McCurry split the posts with Laverty adding a pair of 65s - the first coming after Creen made a good save from Andrew Delargy.
Rossa did rally with three of the next four points through Murphy (two) and Conall Shannon to get to within seven points and give themselves a glimmer of hope, but that was quickly extinguished as the second goal Cushendall had been threatening duly arrived on 45 minutes as Ronan McAteer initially hit the post, but Sharpe picked up the rebound and drilled to the net.
The final quarter saw Rossa go in search of goals to no avail as Cushendall rattled off five more points through Laverty (four) and McCurry, with a late Conall Shannon point from a free mere consolation for Rossa as Cushendall claimed the silverware.
CUSHENDALL: E Gillan; S McKenna, L Gillan, J McCurry; C McCollam, R McCollam, S Walsh (0-2); Emmett Laverty, A Delargy; C McNaughton, S Black, R McAteer; F McCurry (0-4), C McKeegan, Eoin Laverty (1-13, 0-7 frees, 0-3 65s).
Subs: P Sharpe (1-1) for C McKeegan (39), C Brown for R McAteer (50), M Emerson for C McNaughton (54), M McCann for C McCollam (54).
ROSSA: P Creen; A Murphy, Daire Murphy, C Boyle; A McLean, E O'Neill, E May; E Trainor (0-2), C Shannon (0-2, 1 free); Dara Murphy (0-8, 5 frees), C Rocks, C McVeigh; C McParland, R O'Neill, D Rocks.
Subs: G McGrath for A Murphy (26), N Devlin for R O'Neill (34), B McAuley for C McParland (43), J Reynolds for C Rocks (49), J Quinn for C McVeigh (51).
REFEREE: Francis Traynor (Loughgiel)
