02 January 2011
A 3-1 blast between the 8th and 14th minutes effectively handed Cushendall their first Ulster Minor hurling title in a high-scoring final Ballinascreen on Sunday as the Ruairí Óg became the first North Antrim team to claim this provincial crown.
Portaferry’s Peter Mason had opened the scoring just a minute earlier, but Cushendall captain Paddy McNaughton picked up the sliotar 35 metres out and rushed in to smash it to the bottom right of the keeper to kick-start the Antrim champions.
Shortly afterwards, a long ball broke kindly for Eoghan Campbell to slot home from close range and worse was to come a minute later when a speculative Dominic Delargy effort from about 40 metres ended in the net. Paddy McNaughton rounded off the first quarter with a well taken point for a 9 points advantage and his team had the experience to hold that until the end.
They underpinned their superiority with top notch displays from the full back line, Paddy McNaughton, Dominic Delargy and Eoin Laverty.
Portaferry were chasing the game from early on but Peter Mason and centre-half back Matthew Conlan more than stood up to the challenge, Mason firing over 3 well taken frees in response to the 3-1 blast.
However Cahir McNaughton, Damian Delargy and Eoin Laverty finished the half with points to leave the north Antrim side in control 3-4 to 0-5 up at the break.
The Ards’ men however looked back in business when Christopher McCarthy fired to the net inside 30 seconds of the re-start and a Eunan McMullan point closed the gap to 4.
However that was as close as they got, with Cahir McNaughton (2) and Eoghan Laverty (3) stretching the ‘Dall’s lead again.
Entering the last 10 minutes Peter Mason blasted a 20 metre free to the net but Cushendall broke for two excellent goals on the counter attack from Laverty and substitute Eoghan Kearney to become only the second Antrim club in the 16 year history of the competition to lift the Toner Cup.
Ruairi Og Cushendall: Conor McAllister, Conor Grant, Sean McKillop, Eamon Hegarty, Dan Kinney, Patrick Blaney, Martin McAfee, Ronan McGrady, Paddy McNaughton 1-1, Eoin Laverty 1-5, 0-4 Frees, Kevin McKillop, Dominic Delargy 1-1, Andy Delargy, Cahir McNaughton 0-1, Eoghan Campbell 1-2.
Subs: Ryan McCambridge 0-1 for K McKillop (35), Eoghan Kearney 1-0 for A Delargy (52), Shay Graffin for Martin McAfee 60.
St. Patrick’s Portaferry: Tony McQuade, Owen Taggart, Conor O’Neill, Anthony Doherty, Eoin Domigan, Matthew Conlan, Conal Boyle, Jason Gilmore 0-1, Neil White, Peter Mason 1-5, 1-4 Frees, Jamie McAuley, Ryan Miskelly, Sean Mageean, Eunan McMullan 0-1, Christopher McCarthy 1-0. Subs: Gareth O’Neill for C Boyle (22), Eoghan Sands for J McAuley (48).
Referee : Eamon Hasson (Swatragh)
