Loughgiel book Ulster final spot

Loughgiel(Antrim champions) 2-17

Ballygalget (Down champions) 2-6

LOUGHGIEL turned in a sparkling display of hurling to overpower Down champions Ballygalget in Sunday’s semi-final of the Ulster Club Senior Hurling Championship at Casement Park.

When the Shamrocks won their first Antrim title in 21 years two weeks ago they looked nervous and in truth stumbled over the finish line against Cushendall.

On Sunday with the weight of expectation finally lifted they were in superb form, and even though their opponents Ballygalget disappointed, some of the scores taken were right out of the top drawer.

Corner-forward Benny McCarry turned in a man-of-the-match display during what must surely be his best ever performance in the famous red shirt as he consistently found colleagues with pin-point passes, and helped himself to a goal and two points into the bargain.

The Loughgiel management will not thank me for saying it but by winning Sunday’s game the Shamrocks have taken a giant stride towards winning their first Ulster crown since 1989 as their opponents in the October 24 final will be Armagh champions Keady who shocked Derry kingpins Lavey in the other semi-final.

In a carbon copy to the Antrim final Loughgiel fell behind by a point in the opening minute before hitting back with a goal, this time from ace forward Liam Watson, who drilled a ground shot to the Ballygalget net in the second minute.

That score settled any nerves they may have had and it was clear from an early stage that the Antrim men were going to take some stopping as they picked off the scores with ease through Watson (2), Eddie McCloskey and Odhran McFadden to pull six clear by the fourteenth minute.

Ballygalget responded with two points from Stephen Clarke frees but Loughgiel came back with four points from Benny McCarry, Liam Watson, Declan Laverty and ‘Bobby Joe’ McKinley to pull 1-8 to 0-4 clear by the short whistle.

Eddie McCloskey stretched the lead to eight with a point in the opening minute of the second-half before the Down champions were thrown a lifeline with a goal from ‘Magic’ Johnston, though there was more than a hint of ‘square-ball’ about the score.

Undeterred Loughgiel continued to impress and a scoring flurry which brought points from Watson (3), Liam McKillop, Joey Scullion and Benny McCarry pulled them 1-15 to 1-5 clear by the fiftieth minute. Ballygalget team captain Eion Clarke briefly raised hopes for his side when he drilled a low shot to the Loughgiel net but three minute later the door was firmly shut again when McCarry put the icing on a fine display with a goal of his own.

Shane Bailie pulled a point back for the Down men before Eddie McCloskey closed the scoring with a neatly taken point from distance to seal an emphatic win and book a place in the final in two weeks time against Keady who followed the lead of their county minors and Under 21 hurling team in booking an Ulster final spot for the first time ever.

LOUGHGIEL – DD Quinn, Paul Gillan, Neilly McGarry, Barney McAuley, Ciaran McKinley, Johnny Campbell (captain), Martin Scullion, Declan Laverty, Liam McKillop, Eddie McCloskey, Mark McFadden, Odhran McFadden, Benny McCarry, Joey Scullion, Liam Watson.

SUBS – Kevin McGarry Odhran McFadden; Damian Laverty for Watson; Aiden Closkey for Joey Scullion; Ronan McCloskey for Declan Laverty.