10 May 2013
Ruairi Og completed an amazing five in a row of Darragh Cup wins with a hard fought victory over Ballycastle. Mc Quillans got off to the perfect start, Saul Mc Caughan pointed a free and he grabbed another point from play after an excellent catch and finish. With seven minutes of the game gone Ballycastle really took control when that man Saul Mc Caughan caught another great ball, burst past Donal O’ Hara and blasted a rocket into the Dall net. Cushendall, who were playing the first half with the breeze at their backs, looked shell shocked but Christy Mc Naughton steadied the ship with a pointed free from forty yards. Don Whelan doubled Ruairi Og’s tally when he beat his man and blasted a shot over the bar with the goal at his mercy.
Cushendall then got their third point of the game when Cormac Mc Alister fed Alex Delargy who split the uprights from the twenty one yard line. Ruairi Og looked to have weathered the early Ballycastle storm and when Alex Delargy won a ball, beat his man and finished to the net it was game on. Saul Mc Caughan and Christy Mc Naughton were both on song from frees and they converted three a piece as Ballycastle showed that they would be no push over and they reinforced this with a goal from Ryan Mc Caughan. Cushendall however were not to be outdone, they went straight up the field and Christy Mc Naughton was on hand to flick the ball to the net after being well set up by Alex Delargy. Saul Mc Caughan answered back from a placed ball but then Conrad Mc Donnell sprung into life, a sublime ball from Stephen Walsh in between the Castle full back and corner back found Mc Donnell who had ghosted in behind the defence, and after an excellent pick up on the run Conrad hammered a shot to the right top corner of the net for the score of the game and he added a super point a minute later to leave the score after a rip roaring first half Ruairi Og 3-8 Mc Quillans 2-7.
The breeze had dropped noticeably for the second half much to the annoyance of Ballycastle. Ryan Mc Caughan opened the scoring with a quick fire point for The Town and in the tenth minute Saul Mc Caughan converted a free to reduce the gap to just two points. Scores were proving hard to come by in the second half but again Saul Mc Caughan pointed a free to reduce the gap to the minimum. Christy Mc Naughton showed nerves of steel when he converted two frees in a row with the pressure on. Captain Cormac Mc Alister then put four between the teams when he coolly sidestepped two Ballycastle defenders to point from play. With time running out Ballycastle pushed hard looking for a goal but they had to be content with two consolation points and at the final whistle it was Cushendall who emerged victorious 3-11 to 2.12.
How they played: This wasn’t a vintage performance from Ruairi Og but it is the mark of a good team when they can grind out results when they are not playing their best hurling. Paddy Burke marshalled the defence well from centre back and he was well supported by Seamus Mc Auley, Ruairi Kinney and Donal O’ Hara. Cormac Mc Alister played a captian’s part in midfield and up front Alex Delargy and Christy Mc Naughton were always dangerous. Pierce Bannon also put in a mountain of work when introduced but my man of the match goes to Stephen Walsh who gave a brilliant display, he put in a number of great tackles and made many super clearances from the half back line.
Team 1. C Hayden 2. E Mc Manus 3. D O’ Hara 4. S Mc Auley 5. S Walsh 6. P Burke 7. Ruairi Kinney 8. D Mc Laughlin 9. C Mc Alister(capt, 0-1) 10. R Mc Cambridge 11. J Duffin 12. C Mc Donnell (1-1) 13. D Whelan (0-1) 14. A Delargy(1-1) 15. C Mc Naughton(1-7)
Subs used: P Bannon, R Delargy
Thanks to Colum Thompson for the match report