U20 Hurling Championship – Group 2
Dunloy 3-17 Cushendall 2-11
When Ronan McAteer pointed a Cushendall free 14 minutes into the second half of Monday evening’s U20 Group 2 game in Dunloy the Ruairis were just two points behind the home side and it looked like we were in for a tight finish. However Cushendall failed to raise a flag during the next twenty minutes as Dunloy took complete control, scoring 8 points without reply to keep their chances of a semi-final spot alive. The Cuchullains are currently in second spot, but if Cushendall were to beat Ballycastle by more than 2 points in their final game of the round robin series on September 18th then they could still get the second spot.
Cushendall started well and points from Calum Kilgore and Padraig McKillop put them 2 ahead after 6 minutes. Dunloy opened their account with a point from Dara McMullan but two more from the visitors through Colm McKeegan and Ronan McAteer had them 0-4 to 0-1 up after ten minutes. Things got even better for Cushendall, and after Dunloy pulled another point back they came back with 2 more from McAteer and one from McKillop to open up a 0-7 to 0-2 lead by the 18th minute.
Dunloy were showing little signs of what was to come, but that all changes in a three minute spell between the 21st and 24th minutes when they came back with a goal and 3 points to edge in front for the first time, the goal coming from corner forward 1Calum McMullan and the points from Ryan Mort, Dara McMullan and Eoin McFerran
Padraig McKillop levelled for Cushendall with a point from a free and though Oisin Elliott and Eoin McFerran put Dunloy ahead again, a strong finish to the opening half by Cushendall brought a McKillop point and a goal from full forward Colm McKeegan, which gave his side a two point lead at the break. (1-9 to 0-10)
A Ronan McAteer point within a minute of the restart put three between the sides but Dunloy came back with points from Ruairi Mullan and Barry Scott to cut the deficit to just one. When Colum McKeegan grabbed Cushendall’s second goal from a penalty the visitors were back in front, but Dunloy hit back with two goals of their own through Barry McCloskey and Ryan Mort to give the Cuchullains a lead they would not relinquish.
When Ronan McAteer pointe a free on 44 minutes a tight finish looked to be on the cards, but Cushendall would only raise one more flag for the rest of the game as Dunloy took control. Dunloy’s 2 point lead was stretched to 10 as they hit 8 points on the trot, three of them from Barry McCloskey, two from Ruairi Mullan and one each from Daithi Cree, Oisin Elliott and Ryan Mort to wrap up the win.
DUNLOY
Paul Doherty, Seanie Martin, Barry Scott, Cathair McCloskey, Cathin Martin, Ruairi Mullan, Dara McMullan Ryan Mort, Eoin McFerran, Barry McCloskey, Oisin Elliott, Conal Kelly, Callum McMullan, Daithi Cree, Conal Elliott
CUSHENDALL
Joshua Schnell, Michael Quinn, Senan Black, Declan McGill, Conor McCollam, Shane McKenna, Mark Emerson, Calum Kilgore, Aidan Ritson, Ronan McAteer, Pierce McKeegan, Padraig McKillop, Daniel Laverty, Colm McKeegan, Matthew McCann.
Referee – Fiontann McCotter