Cushendall overturn Sarsfields for historic win

Ruairi Og, Cushendall 3-12 Sarsfields 1-6

Antrim’s Neil McManus fired a brilliant 1-7 as Ruairi Og, Cushendall scored a major AIB All-Ireland club hurling championship semi-final shock in Navan, securing a final place against all odds.

Antrim and Ulster champions Cushendall had never won a semi-final before but put all that history to one side to overcome the hot favourites with a powerful display.

County man McManus was superb, giving them a great start with a fourth minute goal and, fittingly, scoring two late points to set the seal on victory before 38-year old Karl McKeegan added an injury-time goal for the northerners.

Ryan McCambridge was Man of the Match, while Cushendall’s other goal scorer, Sean McAfee, gave Sarsfields trouble all afternoon with his hard running around the forward line.

Cushendall’s reward is a St Patrick’s Day final against Oulart-The Ballagh or Na Piarsaigh and their challenge will be to replicate the 2012 final win of Loughgiel Shamrocks, another Antrim side.

Cushendall came to the contest seeking to arrest a dismal semi-final record which read; played eight, lost eight.

They were considerable outsiders as a result but showed no signs of an inferiority complex and edged the first-half, taking a two-point lead into the interval, 1-4 to 0-5.

In a low scoring game, played in windy and rain sodden conditions, it was a significant advantage though, in truth, Cushendall should have been further ahead.

Their will to win overwhelmed Sarsfields at times and full-forward McAfee got through a tonne of good work early on for the northerners.

The powerful attacker won the fourth minute penalty that county ace McManus dispatched to open up an early three-point lead.

Paddy McGill helped himself to a brace of points also while McManus took his tally for the half to 1-1 with a converted free.

At the other end, Cushendall corner-back McCambridge cleared lots of ball and Sarsfields were held to just one point from open play in the entire first-half.

The rest of Sars’ tally came from placed balls with Niall Morrissey splitting the posts four times.

Cushendall kicked themselves that they didn’t make more of their early advantage though, drilling five wides in the first 15 minutes.

Ultimately, they weren’t made to pay and McAfee’s goal early in the second-half set them at their ease. It was a fine solo run and finish from McAfee and Cushendall deserved soared into a double scores advantage with 10 minutes to go, 2-10 to 1-5.

Sars desperately sought goals and Joseph Cooney pulled one back but they needed more and, fittingly, it was Cushendall who rattled the net again, sub McKeegan poking home from close range.

Ruairi Og, Cushendall: E Gillan; R McCambridge, M Burke, A Graffin; D Kearney, E Campbell, S Delargy; S McNaughton, A Delargy (0-1); C Carson (0-1), N McManus (1-7, 1-0pen, 0-4f, 0-1 65), S McAfee (1-0); P McGill (0-3) D McNaughton, C McNaughton.

Subs: K McKeegan (1-0) for C McNaughton (44), C McAllister for D McNaughton (59).

Sarsfields: C Dolan; E Cleary, D Skehill, C Murray; N Quinn, K Hynes, R Quinn; J Cooney (1-0), I Fox; A Ward (0-1), K Wade, N Morrissey (0-5 0-5f); I Skehill, N Kelly, K Cooney.

Subs: Ivan Kenny for I Skehill (45), Joseph Burke for Wade (50), Sean Kelly for Morrissey (52), Eoghan Spellman for K Cooney (60).

Referee: P O'Dwyer (Carlow).