01 September 2010
Cushendall 0-11 Ballycastle 0-8
Last season’s beaten finalists Cushendall made it through to a Casement Park clash with Loughgiel when they beat Ballycastle in a scrappy semi-final which was played in cold and damp conditions in Loughgiel on Saturday evening.
The two sides could not be separated during the opening half as underdogs Ballycastle gave a good account of themselves, and they went in front in the fifth minute when Kevin Barry McShane found the target. Paddy McGill, who was to finish his team’s top scorer levelled for the ‘Dall but Ballycastle edged ahead again when ‘Cozy’ Dallat, who like McGill ended up with seven points to his credit.
Free flowing hurling was at a premium as two committed sides slogged it out and it was McGill and Dallas who provided the bulk of the scores for the remainder of a half which ended with the teams level on 5 points apiece.
During the third quarter Ballycastle kept well in touch as two Dallas points cancelled out points by Brian Delargy and Paddy McGill for the Ruairis, but as the game entered the final quarter Cushendall began to get on top. The move for Neill McManus to the forward line and the introduction of substitute Shane McNaughton boosted the ‘Dall’s scoring power and two point from McGill and one apiece from McManus and McNaughton sealed a final place and set up a repeat of the 2008 final.
Cushendall scorers – Paddy McGill 0-7; Brian Delargy 0-2; Neill McManus 0-1; Shane McNaughton 0-1.
Ballycastle scorers – Malachy Dallas 0-7; KB McShane 0-1
