Doherty Woodshavings Antrim Hurling League Division 1
Cushendall 0-17 Ballygalget 0-15
Two points in the last seven minutes, one from Sean McAfee and two from Christy McNaughton, gave Cushendall victory over Ballygalget in Sunday’s Division 1 League game at Pairc Mhuir. In a well contested game in which the visitors lead at half time, and on three more occasions during the second half, a Finbarr Kelly point with eight minutes left for play put them ahead once again. However Cushendall held the men from the Ards scoreless during that last spell and after McAfee levelled on 53 minutes Christy McNaughton put them ahead from a pointed free and sealed the win from play two minutes from time.
It was McNaughton who has the first point of the game in the opening minute, but Ballygalget hit back with points from Tim Prenter and Marc Fisher to edge ahead in the sixth minute. Three in a row from Sean McAfee, Paddy McGill and Alex Delargy had Cushendall back in front by the tenth minute, but the see-saw pattern of the game continued when the Down men came back with two from Marc Fisher and one from Owen McDermot to retake the lead. The teams were level on three occasions during the second quarter but an injury time point from corner forward Caolan Coulter gave Ballygalget a one point lead at the break. (0-9 to 0-8)
The second half saw a similar pattern with Aidan McNaughton bringing the home side level soon after the restart, with Fisher and Kelly giving the visitors back the advantage in the 33rd and 34th minutes. An exchange of points from Scott Walsh (Cushendall) and Ciaran Watson (Ballygalget) kept two between the sides, but two inside a minute by Christy McNaughton and Scott Walsh tied the scores again by the 40th minute.
It was score for score for the next eighteen minutes as the Down men edged ahead on three different occasions, only to see the Ruairis claw it back, and when Finbarr Kelly restored their lead in 52nd minute they must have felt they would get at least a share of the points. However that was to prove their last score of the game and Cushendall added three more without replay down the home stretch to seal the win.
CUSHENDALL
Eoin Gillan, Joe McCurry, Martin Burke, Liam Gillan, Scott Walsh, Terry McAlister, Mark Emerson, Alex Delargy, Francis McCurry, Dominic Delargy, Christy McNaughton, Aidan McNaughton, Paddy McGill, Sean McAfee, Andrew Delargy.
Subs – Conor Carson,
BALLYGALGET
Eoin Clarke, Eoin Pucci, Peter McManus, Joe Smyth, Michael Toner Eoin Coulter, John McManus, Tim Prenter, Paul McManus, Ciaran Watson, Finbarr Kelly, Marc Fisher, Cormac Coulter, Owen McDermott, Caolan Coulter.
Referee – Terry Reilly (Gort na Móna)