Loughgiel go back to the well yet again

WHOEVER penned the phrase “everything comes to those who wait” may well have a few doubters down Loughgiel way.

Sunday’s Senior Hurling final against Cushendall at Casement Park will be their seventh in eight years, and they are still searching for their first success.

Six times this decade they have travelled to Casement in search of the title and six times they have made the journey back empty handed. It has been a bitter pill to swallow for their faithful fans but come Sunday those same fans will be back to cheer on their heroes in red in the hope that this time the outcome will be different.

To make things worse three of those final defeats have been against Sunday’s opponents Cushendall who lowered the Shamrocks colours in the finals of 05, 06 and 08 and in fact you have to go back to the semi-final of 2003 for the Shamrocks last championship success over the Ruairi Og.

However, lest our readers get the impression that Loughgiel are a small club starved of success, nothing could be further from the truth. Despite not winning a senior title since 1989 the Shamrocks still stand in second place in the role of honour with fifteen wins, just two behind leaders Ballycastle. (Who despite topping the honours board haven’t tasted success at this level since 1986)

Down the years Loughgiel have scored countless successes at under-age level and the conveyer belt of talent keeps rolling on and on as Under 14, Under 16, Minor and Under 21 titles have been accumulated. The team that lines out on Sunday will all be highly decorated players with medals at practically every level, but the one they want most has eluded them so far.

So can all that change this time around? Can the Shamrocks end that twenty-one year wait and bring the Volunteer Cup back to the Pound Bar on Sunday night? That is the sixty-four thousand dollar question!

Standing in their way is a Cushendall team who have reached the final without really impressing this season. In their semi-final win over Ballycastle they stumbled over the line with an 0-11 to 0-8 win, though it has to be said they never really looked in danger of losing the game. Loughgiel on the other-hand were in great form in their semi-final as they disposed of reigning champions Dunloy with a bit to spare.

The good news for Loughgiel fans is that ace marksman Liam Watson, who was forced to retire near the end of the Dunloy game, will start on Sunday. The mercurial Watson was a major doubt for the Shamrocks but he took part in a training session last weekend and unless he receives a setback during in the incoming week he will be in the starting fifteen.

The team is likely to be along the lines of the one that ousted Dunloy in the semi-final with veteran goalkeeper DD Quinn behind a full-back line of Paul Gillan, Neilly McGarry and Barney McAuley. Team captain Johnny Campbell should wear the number 6 shirt flanked by Ciaran McKinley and Martin Scullion with Declan Laverty and Liam McKillop forming the midfield partnership. Eddie McCloskey, James Campbell and Odhran McFadden did enough the last day to retain their places while Watson should line out in the corner of a full-forward line which also included Joey Scullion and Benny McCarry.

Team manager PJ O’Mullan jnr has a full panel to pick from and the former goalkeeper admits that there will be no excuses should they lose on Sunday. “Everyone is fit and raring to go, so may the best team win.’

Cushendall will probably start as favourites with Arran Graffin back from a summer break in the USA their defence will be strengthened. Graffin came on in the semi-final win over Ballycastle, and with three weeks hard training under his belt since then will probably slot into the full-back line somewhere. The team in the semi-final had Ronan Kearney in goals with Terry McAlister, Odhran Scullion and Mickey McCambridge making up the full-back line, though Graffin is likely to fill one of the corner spots on Sunday.

Eamon Laverty, Neill McManus and Sean Delargy form a powerful half-back line with McManus undoubtedly the team leader. If things aren’t going well up front he may also be employed in a more forward role. Declan McKillop and Martin Burke were the midfield pairing against Ballycastle whiel Paddy McGill, Donal McNaughton and Brian Delargy formed a strong looking half-forward line.

The veteran Karl McKeegan was right-corner-forward in the semi-final and despite nursing a bad thumb injury should still make the starting line-up with Conor Carson on the edge of the ‘square’ and star of the minor championship winning side Paddy McNaughton in the other corner.

However Shane McNaughton has recovered from the injury which prevented him starting the semi-final and will almost certainly fill one of the six forward slots so team manager Ciaran ‘Gaza’ McCambridge and his selectors will have a few problems settling on the starting fifteen.

As I stated earlier Cushendall will go in as favourites, but they went into last year’s final against Dunloy in the same position and lost out to a highly motivated Cuchullains side. ‘Gazza’ will go all out to make sure there is no complacency this time around. The law of averages would seem to indicate that Loughgiel’s luck on final day has to change some time and brilliant supporters will be praying that this is the day.

However sentiment won’t come into it when the ball is thrown-in at 3-30 on Sunday, and in truth it is anybody’s game. One not to be missed!