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Thank you to Chris Dornan for this report! and Paddy Mc Laughlin for photographs
SHC Semi Final:
Ruairi Og v Dunloy
Cushendall qulaified for the 2013 All County Final after a tough battle with old sparring partners Dunloy. Cushendall started the brighter and Paddy McGill slotted over the 1st score of the game. Karl McKeegan added a free to put the 'Dall up by 2 after 6mins. Paul Shiels fired over a free to get Dunloy on the scoreboard but Shane McNaughton cancelled that score out with a nice point of his own.
Dunloy tied the game with 2 points in a row,1st Nigel Elliott from play and and Paul Shiels from a free. Cushendall hit the perfect reply when Shane McNaughton played in Eoin laverty and 'Frien' made no mistake by burying the ball into the back of the Dunloy net for a fine goal.
Conor Carson added a brace of points to push the 'Dall further in front, but Dunloy came roaring back with a fine goal from talisman Paul Shiels and a monster free from Kevin Mckeague to make it a 1 point game.
Neil McManus added a great point from play, but this was cancelled out by a free from Paul Shiels. Cushendall closed out the half with classy points from Eoin Laverty and Shane McNaughton to leave the half time score:
Ruairi Og 1-08 Dunloy 1-05
Cushendall came exploding out of the traps and knocked over the 1st 4 points of the second half through Eoghan Campbell and Paddy McNaughton and 2 frees from Karl McKeegan. Dunloy needed a break now and when Nigel Elliott was fouled Dunloy were awarded a penalty, though the contact appeared to have been made outside the 'box'. Gareth McGhee came up and gave the men on the line no chance with a powerful strike into the top corner.
Karl McKeegan got Cushendall ticking again with a set piece, but Dunloy came back with 2 points from play through Paddy Doherty and Liam Richmond. Dunloys tails were up but Karl McKeegan put a speed bump in their way when he added another free, but once again Dunloy came back and hit the next 2 points through Colm Cunning from play and Paul Shiels from a free to leave 2 points in the game to the 'Dall'.
Cushendall had to dig deep now and after keeping Dunloy at arms length, decided to cut loose and they done it in devastating fashion in the last 5mins. Karl McKeegan added a free, Shane McNaughton, Karl McKeegan and Conor Carson all scored points from play and all Dunloy could muster was a convoluted point from a short free by Paul Shiels. Match referee Owen Elliott shortly after blew the long whistle and Ruairi Og had qualified for the 2013 County Final on a full time score of:
Ruairi Og 1-18 Dunloy 2-10
Man of the match
This was a tough decision today as Neil McManus and Conor Carson came into the reckoning but I have gone with Karl McKeegan. His scoring was well documented above, but his work rate, covering back and and experience were vital today.
Teams
Ruairi Og
1. R Kearney 2. M Burke 3. A Graffin 4. R McCambridge 5. Paddy Burke 6. N McManus (0-1) 7. D McNaughton 8. E Campbell (0-1) 9. P McNaughton (0-1) 10. P McGill (0-1) 11. C Carson (0-3) 12. K McKeegan (0-7, 6f) 13. S McNaughton (0-3) 14. R McGrady 15. E Laverty (1-1)
Subs: E McKillop, S Delargy, A Delargy
Dunloy
1. G McGhee (1-0Pen) 2. M McClements 3. J McKeague 4. O Quinn 5. K McKeague (0-1f) 6. C McKinley 7. K Martin 8. S Dooey 9. P Shivers 10. P Richmond 11. L Richmond (0-1) 12. P Shiels (1-5, 4f) 13. K McQuillan 14. C Cunning (0-1) 15. N Elliott (0-1)
Subs: S Dowds, C Cunning, P Doherty (0-1)
SHC Semi Final:
Ruairi Og v Dunloy
Cushendall qulaified for the 2013 All County Final after a tough battle with old sparring partners Dunloy. Cushendall started the brighter and Paddy McGill slotted over the 1st score of the game. Karl McKeegan added a free to put the 'Dall up by 2 after 6mins. Paul Shiels fired over a free to get Dunloy on the scoreboard but Shane McNaughton cancelled that score out with a nice point of his own.
Dunloy tied the game with 2 points in a row,1st Nigel Elliott from play and and Paul Shiels from a free. Cushendall hit the perfect reply when Shane McNaughton played in Eoin laverty and 'Frien' made no mistake by burying the ball into the back of the Dunloy net for a fine goal.
Conor Carson added a brace of points to push the 'Dall further in front, but Dunloy came roaring back with a fine goal from talisman Paul Shiels and a monster free from Kevin Mckeague to make it a 1 point game.
Neil McManus added a great point from play, but this was cancelled out by a free from Paul Shiels. Cushendall closed out the half with classy points from Eoin Laverty and Shane McNaughton to leave the half time score:
Ruairi Og 1-08 Dunloy 1-05
Cushendall came exploding out of the traps and knocked over the 1st 4 points of the second half through Eoghan Campbell and Paddy McNaughton and 2 frees from Karl McKeegan. Dunloy needed a break now and when Nigel Elliott was fouled Dunloy were awarded a penalty, though the contact appeared to have been made outside the 'box'. Gareth McGhee came up and gave the men on the line no chance with a powerful strike into the top corner.
Karl McKeegan got Cushendall ticking again with a set piece, but Dunloy came back with 2 points from play through Paddy Doherty and Liam Richmond. Dunloys tails were up but Karl McKeegan put a speed bump in their way when he added another free, but once again Dunloy came back and hit the next 2 points through Colm Cunning from play and Paul Shiels from a free to leave 2 points in the game to the 'Dall'.
Cushendall had to dig deep now and after keeping Dunloy at arms length, decided to cut loose and they done it in devastating fashion in the last 5mins. Karl McKeegan added a free, Shane McNaughton, Karl McKeegan and Conor Carson all scored points from play and all Dunloy could muster was a convoluted point from a short free by Paul Shiels. Match referee Owen Elliott shortly after blew the long whistle and Ruairi Og had qualified for the 2013 County Final on a full time score of:
Ruairi Og 1-18 Dunloy 2-10
Man of the match
This was a tough decision today as Neil McManus and Conor Carson came into the reckoning but I have gone with Karl McKeegan. His scoring was well documented above, but his work rate, covering back and and experience were vital today.
Teams
Ruairi Og
1. R Kearney 2. M Burke 3. A Graffin 4. R McCambridge 5. Paddy Burke 6. N McManus (0-1) 7. D McNaughton 8. E Campbell (0-1) 9. P McNaughton (0-1) 10. P McGill (0-1) 11. C Carson (0-3) 12. K McKeegan (0-7, 6f) 13. S McNaughton (0-3) 14. R McGrady 15. E Laverty (1-1)
Subs: E McKillop, S Delargy, A Delargy
Dunloy
1. G McGhee (1-0Pen) 2. M McClements 3. J McKeague 4. O Quinn 5. K McKeague (0-1f) 6. C McKinley 7. K Martin 8. S Dooey 9. P Shivers 10. P Richmond 11. L Richmond (0-1) 12. P Shiels (1-5, 4f) 13. K McQuillan 14. C Cunning (0-1) 15. N Elliott (0-1)
Subs: S Dowds, C Cunning, P Doherty (0-1)
See photographs of the game by clicking on the link below