Antrim U20 Hurling Championship, semi-final
O'Donovan Rossa 1-22 Cushendall Ruairi Og 4-12
A LATE rally aided by a Diarmuid Rogan goal saw Rossa pip Cuhendall to a place in the Antrim U20 Hurling Championship final on a blustery Saturday afternoon.
Cushendall's ability to find the net looked to have them in pole position heading into the final stages, but the hosts found a way with Darragh Turley's pointed free in stoppage time settling the argument.
The game went ahead despite Cushendall's involvement in Sunday's senior final, while Dunloy withdrew from the other semi-final against Loughgiel due to players' involvement in both games - the scheduling of these fixtures prompting the Antrim U20 management to step down.
But on it went and Rossa probably deserved their win as they had the better of the majority of the game and showed a bit of bottle when it seemed Cushendall were establishing a winning platform.
The hosts, aided by a strong win in the opening period, were straight out of the blocks with three points in as many minutes through Ruairi O Muirí, Owen May and Pearse Short.
Marcus Toner gets away from Michael Quinn
Playing into the wind was problematic but in Cushendall's first foray on four minutes, they had their first goal as Austin Birt cracked home on the left of the posts.
Joe McLaughlin opened his account for the afternoon with a pointed free to edge the visitors ahead, but Rossa were fluid in attack and replied with Darragh Turley clipping over the first of his 10 points to level, followed by a fine score from Eoin rainier who burst out of the back and then Daire Cunningham found Turley with an excellent ball to point.
McLaughlin and Matthew McCann pointed for Cushendall either side of a Diarmuid Rogan effort, but Rossa rattled off the next four through Turley (two), Marcus Tonet and O Muirí to stretch the lead to five midway through the opening period.
Yet Cuhendall's ability to find the net shone through as first, on 19 minutes, Fintann McQuillan found Colm McKeegan to fire home and after O Muiri hit back with a point, the Ruairis' third major swiftly followed as they opened up the Rossa defence once again and this time is was McQuillan through to bury and level the game.
Again, Rossa reacted well with Turvy and O Muirí pointing with a late exchange of points leaving the hosts 0-15 to 3-4 up at the half.
Despite playing into the elements, Rossa were quicker to start in the second half with Short and Rogan pointing, but for a 10-minute spell beginning in the 38th, Cushendall enjoyed their best spell of the game as they hit 1-5 without reply.
Padraig McKillop began the run with a point and then immediately after, tried for another from deep but this time the ball was dropping but carried all the way into the net. He would add another point on the turn with a trio from Joe McLaughlin seemingly putting Cushendall in pole position, but Rossa managed to stead and back-to-back points from Turley and O Muirí brought them right back into play.
Owen May strikes with Joe McNaughton closing in 
Turley would add two more after McLaughlin scored on the turn at the other end and while substitute Joe McNaughton fired over a free from deep for Cushendall, just two points separated the sides with a couple of minutes remaining.
If the wind wasn't Rossa's friend for McKillop's goal, it absolutely was a minute from time as Marcus Toner's shot for a point hung in the air, but Diarmuid Rogan followed in and got enough on the ball to force it just over the line.
Straight away, Cushendall went on the offensive and Joe McLaughlin was in for goal, but this time Liam Groves made a stunning save out for a 65 that McNaughton pointed to level.
Extra-time was looming, but a free for a touch on the ground allowed Turley to tap over what proved to be the winner as a late effort from Josh Schnell to level tailed to the right as Rossa edged into the final.
ROSSA: L Groves; P Moyes, B McAuley, J Duffy; R Murray, E Trainor (0-1), D Cunningham; A McClean, O May (0-1); D Turley (0-10, 5f), R O Muirí (0-5), D Rogan (1-2); J Close, P Short (0-2), M Toner (0-1).
Sub: F McIlroy for J Close (45).
CUSHENDALL: O McMullan; S McAuley, M Quinn, J Mitchell; K McNaughton, C McCollam, M Emerson; J Schnell, P McKillop (1-2); P McKeegan, J McLaughlin (0-7, 4f); A Birthings (1-0); F McQuillan (1-0), C McKeegan (1-0), M McCann (0-1).
Subs: S McKenna for S McAuley (25), C Magill for P McKeegan (HT), J McNaughton (0-2, 1f, 1 65) for M Emerson (HT), J Birthings for F McQuillan (46).
REFEREE: Fionntan McCotter (Sarsfield's)
