Wolfe Tones hit right note just in time

BACK to Cushendall then for Ruari Og with a hatful of regrets. This, the fifth of Allireland club semi final defeat in Cushendall's history, was surely the most galling. They got everything right at Parnell Park in Dublin yesterday except the finale.

Wolfe Tones meanwhile, experiencing this level of competition for the first time, go skipping back to Shannon mindful of the fact that they need to take another look at the drawing board. They escaped yesterday mainly by virtue of a late goal which was gilded by good fortune.

Still, semi finals are made for getting through, and the magnitude of their achievement in reaching an All Ireland final at the first time of asking is underlined by Cushendall's own frustrations in that regard.

The ferocity and determination of the Ulster challenge certainly unhinged Wolfe Tones' best laid plans. The Shannon club had taken the long bus journey up to Parnell Park a fortnight ago to sample the spread of the field. They learned one lesson, at least, and opted to fly to Dublin yesterday.

Upon landing they experienced some turbulence. Cushendall's young side did what so few Ulster teams have managed in recent years, they played the ball early and with confidence. More than that, they won the midfield battle quite decisively. They smothered the Wolfe Tones half forwards, and in John Carson at wing forward they enjoyed the option from puck outs and clearances of having a reliable player with a huge height advantage on his marker.

First blood fell to Cushendall after just four minutes.

Terence Sambo McNaughton, still peerless, won a free in his own territory. John Carson launched it, Aidan Delargy flicked it on and Conor McCambridge came steaming through to finish to the net. The mischievous breeze seemed not to have interfered one whit.

Establishing the pattern of the game, Wolfe Tones struck back immediately. Some good luck here too, as Paul Keary's 50 yard lob dropped straight into the Cushendall net.

Keary's goal was one of those body blows which sometimes crease club sides with insufficient self belief. It made little impact on Cushendall. They scored the next two points and set about establishing a pattern of slender advantage", throughout the field.

Delargy was giving Martin Hartigan a hard time in the corner. Beside him, Rory McNaughton had wisdom enough to know that if he had the talent to outhurl Brian Lohan he would be the nation's most sensational full forward. Instead, he concentrated on the simple things, like getting to the ball first and flicking it out of Lohan's way. For a while that sufficed.

Wolfe Tones were expecting much from their top scorer, Paul O'Rourke (who had 3-10 from his last three outings), but with Ciaran McCambridge inside his shirt for much of the opening quarter he managed just two harried wides. It was hard to see from where else the scores were going to come.

Cushendall got to the half time break leading 1-6 to 1-3 and the suspicion that they were equipped to win was strengthened when they had the first two scores of the second half.

About now Wolfe Tones increased the tempo of the game. Nothing was more indicative of the changed rhythms than the sudden involvement of Brian Lohan in virtually every disputed ball in his own half of the pitch.

Through Finbarr Carrig and Paul Keary, the Clare side pulled back two points and then the sideline moved decisively to remedy a series of weak points in one fell swoop. The ponytailed Ciaran O Neill replaced right wing forward John O'Riordan, the latter having been grist to Sambo's mill for most of the afternoon.

O'Neill went to centre forward, liberating the more substantial Carrig for a turn of duty at wing forward. Meanwhile, in defence, Frank Lohan shifted out on to big John Carson to close off that avenue, of supply. Sean Power moved inside to centre back where his snappishness on the loose ball was seen to better effect.

The changes worked. Frank Lohan had the next score, bursting into opposition territory with a solo run before emphatically taking his score from 45 yards.

With 10 minutes left and matters getting fraught, Wolfe Tines were granted a goal from the gods. Paul O'Rourke got free from Ciaran McCambridge. In the view of most onlookers he didn't jeopardise his liberty by bothering to release the ball from his hand for his first six or seven paces.

His soft lob into the Cushendall square caused some panic. Goalkeeper Kieran McNaughton appeared to be impeded by enthusiastic substitute O'Neill. The ball came to rest on the mud just inches from the goal line and Paul Keary made the vital contact to put Wolfe Tones ahead for the first time all day.

Again the Antrim men fought back. Within 60 seconds Conor McCambridge had a superb point while being pressurised by three defenders.

The air was thick with panic now. Cushendall wasted the next two chances with wides. Wolfe Tones replied with two wides of their own. Cushendall upped the ante, registering another two wides and dropping a couple of balls into the hands of the Wolfe Tones' goalkeeper.

The deadlock was broken by a Pat O'Rourke point, a model of planning and composure under the circumstances. As justice demanded, Cushendall equalised with a close in free.

Again, as the clock ticked inexorably onwards, Cushendall did most of the pressing. Again they suffered the sucker punch, a fine point from Paul Lee closing the scoring for the day. A crowd of 3,500 went away slightly bewildered, but content that £5 had purchased more excitement than they had bargained for.