Antrim Hurling Club Division One

Ballycastle 1-21 Rossa 0-16

Páirc Mac Uílín

ROSSA have been crowned champions of Antrim’s Hurling Division One after Loughiel’s victory over Dunloy on Friday evening saw the blue and saffron ribbons officially tied on the trophy for the first time since 1996.

The Shaws Road side battled hard this season with key results coming against Dunloy and recently when they pipped fellow Belfast rivals St John’s in a single-point victory at Corrigan Park, all turning the tide in their favour as their quest for league glory was in full-swing.

Last weekend’s victory against Loughiel Shamrocks, courtesy of a last-gasp score from Conor O’Neill handed them a tough victory and kept them at the top of the table with only Dunloy having the capacity to level their points tally should they have played their re-fix with Portaferry from the opening round.

Friday saw a depleted Dunloy face rivals Loughiel in what was a must-win game to keep any hopes of a league title remaining in the north of the county. The away side ran out six-point victors over their neighbours to prevent Cuchulainn’s from a late title charge, and handing Rossa the title.

Rossa headed to Ballycastle on Sunday to face Mac Uilin’s knowing the result mattered not as the title was always returning home to West Belfast for the first time in three decades.

The champions headed into the game depleted with very much their starting 15 almost unrecognisable from the week prior at Corrigan Park.

Ballycastle rounded off their campaign with a victory over the newly crowned champions but some key performances and fight from the away side showed they had not popped the champagne cork just yet.

The first half played out as a tight contest with Ballycastle leading at the interval, but just by the single score.

Both sides went back and forth in the opening 20 minutes of play with the home side edging the affair by 0-8 to 0-7 before Conor Donnelly would strike the only goal of the game.

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The forward received a great pass courtesy of Neal McAuley after he assessed his options opting for the pass to his teammate. Donnelly took the sliotar into his stride before composing an effort and firing it into the Rossa goal to put daylight between the sides.

The champions looked set to reply instantly when star-man Deaglan Murphy managed to break through on goal for his side. Murphy’s effort was well-saved as Anthony Mullan denied the travelling side from restoring parity.

Rossa did find themselves on song as the half drew to a close when Aodhan O’Brien, Stephen Shannon, Dara Rocks and Deaglan Murphy struck consecutive points for their side, but Seamus McAuley’s free kept his side in front by the minimum.

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Rocks almost turned the tie on its head with the last puck of the half. The forward managed to wriggle past the Ballycastle back line but flashed an effort just wide of the posts as the whistle blew for the break.

The home side came straight out of the blocks to bloody the nose of the newly crowned league winners, as McAuley, Aradan Kelly and a pair from Cathair and Conor Donnelly struck four scores between them without reply.

Deaglan Murphy did strike five from the dead ball for Rossa in the second period and the forward did have another effort on goal stopped after Seamus McAuley’s terrific defending prevented the Rossa talisman from notching a goal on the scoreboard.

Rossa saw another goal chance squandered as Dara Rocks' effort was well saved by Mullan in the Ballycastle net.

Ballycastle did eventually pull clear of their opponents as Seamus McAuley showed no mercy on the champions, meanwhile Tiarnan Smyth and Niall McKenna joined their side's scoring efforts.

The home side were deserved winners in the end with Rossa’s toothless nature in front of goal proving to be the difference maker on the day. A battle lost on the final day, but a war won throughout a tough campaign, and one that will live long in the memory for all involved with the Shaws Road club.

TEAMS

BALLYCASTLE: A Mullan; R McCook, R Laverty, C Colgan; M McClean, C Boyd, D Donnelly 0-1; S McAuley 0-11 (8F), C Donnelly 1-2; J Bakewell, N McKenna 0-3, A Kelly 0-1; C Donnelly 0-1, N McAuley 0-1, T Smyth 0-1

ROSSA: D Armstrong; O McVicker, J Mulholland, D Morriarity; S Shannon 0-1, A O’Brien 0-1, S Beatty; C Walsh 0-1, D Murphy 0-9 (5F, 1 65’); L McEnhill 0-1, D McCartney 0-1, C O’Neill; E McMenamin 0-1, J Connolly, D Rocks 0-1

REFEREE: Colum Cunning (Dunloy)