O'Neills Sportswear Antrim Hurling League Division One
St John's 3-14 Cushendall 2-23
A STONG finish saw Cushendall round off their Division One campaign with victory at Corrigan Park on Sunday morning to leave them top and end St John's hopes of claiming the title.
Heading into the game, the Johnnies needed to win and hoed things went their way next week, but it was the Ruairis - who have the bye next week - who are now two points clear with a substantial scoring difference of Loughgiel who are now the only team capable of catching them.
It was an entertain affair with some great scores in a game that saw the hosts enjoyed the upper hand at times, but on balance, the Ruairis were enjoying the longer spells and made the better finish to pull away down the stretch.
The hosts flew out of the traps and had the game's first goal after just 15 seconds as Conall Bohill broke from the throw-in, sent a ball into Peter McCallin who played Darragh McGuinness ion on the left to finish to the far corner.
Oisin MacManus opened his account from a free and then Connor Hand got onto a good cross field ball to land.
Cushendall soon settled with Ciaran Neeson opening their account as Paddy McGill and Scott Walsh got eerie first of the day.
Both teams were to rely on their free-takers for a spell with MacManus automatic for the hosts, whole McGill and Campbell did likewise for the Ruairis as that early goal separated them.
The lead would be wiped out in the 18th minute as Andrew Delargy got onto a long play, popped to Paddy Burke whose bouncing finish found the net.
Cushendall would push on with McGill (two), Alex Delargy and Dom Delargy finding their range in a spell in which Aaron Bradley clipped over a fine score from out on the left for the Johnnies who would have a couple of goal chances late in the half. Peter McCallin did well to get in on goal but last-ditch defending would deny him, while a piece of quick thinking late in the half saw Cormac McAllister alert to his whipped effort to divert out for a 65 that MacManus would land as Cushendall's lead was down to two at the break, 1-11 to 1-9.
Cushendall made the stronger start to the sec and period with Neeson getting into a groove with a point from the left, followed by a McGill free. But the Johnnies began to rally with the next three as Bradley fired from deep either side of placed balls from MacManus.
The gap was back to three as Neeson clipped his third from an angle and McGill punishing another indiscretion, but in the space of two minutes, the Johnnies had overturned the deficit.
Firstly, Bohill was onto a long ball and played MacManus in to crack home and then, Miceál Dudley's long delivery broke to Bohill who whipped home.
After an exchange of points, Cushendall began to eat into the gap as they mounted a charge in the final quarter as Ryan McCambridge thought he had a goal, only for his whipped effort to clear the bar, while substitute Fred Curry wasted no time in getting involved with a brace to level it up.
Momentum was with the Ruairis as Paddy Burke edged them ahead and McGill thumped over from deep and two minutes from time, it was game over as Simon Doherty opted to prevent a shot from going over, but didn't get enough purchase on his batted effort with Andrew Delargy there to poke home.
A Conor Hand point kept the Johnnies in the hunt entering storage time but the game was sealed as Joe McNaughton and McCambridge cracked over late points to ensure they sit on top with their league campaign over.
They must now await the outcome of next week's final round game between Loughgiel and Rossa to see if they claim the title, but it will require a 39-point win for the Shamrocks to overhaul them.
ST JOHN'S: S Doherty; O Carleton, Ciaran Johnston, C McEvoy; J Bohill, C Morgan, M McCartin; S Wilson, C Bohill (1-0); D McGuinness (1-0), C Hand (0-3), A Bradley (0-2); P McCallin, L Heenan, O MacManus (1-9, 0-6f, 0-2 65s).
Subs: M Dudley for P McCallin (HT), D McKeogh for L Heenan (HT), J Wilson for A Bradley (51), M Darragh for J Wilson (59)
CUSHENDALL: C McAllister; Stephen Walsh, M Burke, L Scalley; Scott Walsh (0-2), E Campbell (0-1f), P Burke (1-1); Alex Delargy (0-1), F McCambridge; R McAteer, R McCambridge (0-2), D Delargy (0-1); C Neeson (0-4), P McGill (0-8, 6f), Andrew Delargy (1-0).
Subs: J McNaughton (0-1) for D Delargy (36), F McCurry (0-2) for R McAteer (46)
REFEREE: Column Cunning (Dunloy)
