Ruairi Og overcame Ballycastle in a rip roaring league encounter on Wednesday night, Cushendall started the game in whirlwind fashion. Paddy Mc Gill got the first point of the match after being well set up by Conor Carson. The Town answered back with a pointed free from Ciaran Clarke after Peter Dallat had been fouled. From the poc out Conor Carson broke the ball down to Eoghan Campbell who in turn found Paddy Mc Gill who clipped over a fine point from the right wing. Karl Mc Keegan extended Cushendall’s lead from a placed ball but Ciaran Clarke tagged on his second pointed free of the game to again put the minimum between the teams. Paddy Mc Gill, who was playing some sensational stuff then banged over three cracking points in a row but disaster struck for Cushendall, in scoring his fifth point Paddy looked to suffer a hamstring injury and had to be replaced by Alex Delargy after only fifteen minutes. Conor Carson won the ball in front of Neil Mc Auley and he turned and fired over the bar to push Cushendall further in front. Young Cormac Mc Alister, making his first start for the senior team then got in on the act with a tidy point after a strong solo run and Karl Mc Keegan added a converted free to put Ruairi Og ahead 0-9 to 0-2 and looking good. However the wheels really fell off for Cushendall in the closing stages, Ballycastle moved Stephen Mc Afee to centre half back and let Neil Mc Auley play as a sweeper and he began to dominate the play. He found Matthew Donnelly who broke a couple of tackles and hand passed to Peter Dallat who got a stick to the ball which finished in the net. Then Donnelly went from provider to scorer when he again broke through and kicked to the net. Cushendall looked shell shocked and as the game approached half time Peter Dallat won another loose ball and scored Ballycastle’s third goal in a row to leave the score at half time Ballycastle 3-2 Cushendall 0-9.

 

 

Despite conceding three goals before half time Cushendall again started the half well, Conor Carson broke free and converted from 60 yards. The Alex Delargy gathered possession in front of Paul Mc Lernon and he dissected the uprights for a well taken point to tie the game. Cushendall then hit the front, Eoghan Campbell made a run and he was picked our by Karl Mc Keegan, Campbell then fed Shane Mc Naughton who from a narrow angle fired an unstoppable shot to the roof of the Castle net for the best score of the game. Karl Mc Keegan pointed from play to put Cushendall four points in front but again back came Ballycastle. That man Matthew Donnelly got in behind the Dall defence to flick the ball past Ronan Kearney and into the net to again put the game back in the melting pot. Conor Carson steadied the ship with his third point of the game but Ciaran Clarke converted a free in response. Shane Mc Naughton lost Ciaran Kelly and pointed from the left wing and Karl Mc Keegan converted a free, Ciaran Clarke answered back with a free for a dogged Ballycastle who were proving hard to shake off. With time running out Neil Mc Manus stood over a free on his own half back line and his huge strike landed in the Castle square and bounced into the net for a goal. If Cushendall thought that the game was over they were wrong because Ballycastle went straight back up the pitch and Saul Mc Caughan fired a cracking shot to the Dall net. Thankfully for Cushendall the referee blew his whistle for full time with Ruairi Og coming out on top 2-15 to 5-4.

 

How they played: This game can be looked at in two ways for Cushendall, yes the concession of five goals is worrying but the determination shown to win the game was pleasing and Ruairi Og played their best hurling of the year at times. Ryan Mc Cambridge and Donal Mc Naughton both put in good shifts at the back, Eoghan Campbell was the pick of the midfielders and up front Conor Carson, Karl Mc Keegan and in the second half Shane Mc Naughton all stood up when they were needed by my man of the match goes to Paddy Mc Gill. If a player scores five points from play over an entire game he would be a candidate for man of the match. Paddy scored five first class points in the opening fifteen minutes before having to retire injured. Hopefully his injury isn’t too serious and we see him back on the field of play very soon because in this form Paddy Mc Gill is as good as any player in Ulster.

 

Team: 1. R Kearney 2. M Burke 3. A Graffin 4. P Burke 5. R Mc Cambridge 6. N Mc Manus(1-0) 7. D Mc Naughton 8. E Campbell 9. P Mc Naughton 10. C Mc Alister(0-1) 11. Conor Carson(0-3) 12. P Mc Gill(0-5) 13. S Mc Naughton(1-1) 14. Dominic (Kong) Delargy 15. K Mc Keegan(0-4)

 

Subs used: A Delargy(0-1), J Mc Manus