23 October 2012
Rossa added the North Antrim Under 16 League title to the championship crown they had won the previous week when they beat Cushendall in Sunday’s play-off at Quinn Park, Ballymena. Cushendall were their opponents in the previous final and once again two excellent teams served up a high class game with Rossa just having the edge in a highly entertaining contest.
The Belfast boys, who have been competing in North Antrim competitions for the last five years, had the opening point of the game through Dara Rocks but Cushendall came back with a superb points on the run from Cormac McClafferty and one from a free by Christy McNaughton to edge 2-1 ahead.
Rossa drew level when Rocks struck a nice point from a tight angle and they should have gone ahead but for two uncharacteristic misses from frees from full-forward Seaghan Shannon. Cushendall took advantage and midway through the half Christy McNaughton and Cormac McClafferty combined well to set up Niall McNaughton for a cracking goal.
An exchange of points by Dara Rocks and Christy McNaughton kept the gap at a goal but Rossa drew level in the twenty-first minute when a 65 by James Connolly dropped in around the Cushendall ‘square’ and in the scramble which ensued a Rossa player poked the ball over the line to bring his side level.
This score really lifted the Belfast boys and they dominated the reminder of the opening half as they added three points in as many minutes, two from midfielder Deaglan Murphy and on from Seaghan Shannon to pull three clear. Christy McNaughton closed the gap to just two when he sent over another long range free, but Rossa struck back in first-half injury time and Seaghan Shannon struck a telling blow when his angled drive found the back of the Cushendall net to give his team a five point cushion at the break.
Cushendall faced an uphill struggle but two points in the thirty-sixth and thirty-seventh minutes from Pearse Bannon and Cormac McClafferty left them just a goal in arrears. Jim Connolly finished a free flowing Rossa move with a well taken point from the right of goal but Cushendall were playing their best hurling of the game and a Christy McNaughton point from a free (following a great solo run by Ryan Delargy) and one from play by Nial McNaughton cut the deficit to just two points.
When Rossa had James Connolly sent off for a second yellow card in the forty-forth minute it appeared as if they were letting things slip, and when Nial McNaughton got through for another Cushendall point in the forty-fifth minute it appeared to be anybody’s game.
However when their backs were up against the wall the Belfast boys found an answer and they lifted their game to dominate the final quarter as they added five more points while holding Cushendall scoreless. Centre back Gerard Walsh started the ball rolling when he sent over a ‘65’ and a minute later Seaghan Murphy soloed through from midfield to send over a lovely point on the run.
Cushendall appeared to have a lifeline when they were awarded a twenty metre free eight minutes from time but Cormac McClafferty missed his lift and his shot off the ground was easily cleared by the Rossa defence. That was to be the Ruairi Og’s last real chance of salvaging the game as Rossa finished with three more points from frees from full-forward Seaghan Shannon to run our winners by six points to complete the league and championship double.
Rossa – Ryan Sewel, Niall Crossan, Stephen Gaskin, Chris Gallagher, Conor Walsh, Gerard Walsh, Ryan Rooney, Deaglan Murphy, Padraig McGreevy, Tomas Murphy, James Connolly, Paul McKernan, Michael McGreevy, Seaghan Shannon, Dara Rocks.
Cushendall – Emmet Laverty, Seamus McAuley, Stephen Walsh, Patrick Sharp, Joseph McCurry, Ruairi Kinney, Fergus McCambridge, Michael Delargy, Ryan Delargy, Pearse Bannon, Patrick Doherty, Conor Magee, Niall McNaughton, Christy McNaughton, Cormac McClafferty.
View Pictures from Curly McIlwaine
