Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship semi-final: Cushendall 1-27 St John’s 0-26 (AET)
AT the end of Saturday’s extra-time epic Antrim SHC semi-final in Dunloy, there were contrasts and similarities in the emotions of victors Cushendall and the vanquished St John’s.
The defending champions wore smiles with the Johnnies players crestfallen, yet both sets of players looked absolutely spent as they served up a gruelling battle that was only decided down the home stretch.
Just what is it with semi-finals and thrilling battles between these teams?
In 2018 and 2019, it took replays for the Ruaris to get past the city side and yet again, Cushendall just found a way. It’s the muscle memory of these tight situations that probably stood to them.
It is hard to pinpoint a key moment as they slugged it out, but just those final five or so minutes in extra-time with the wind at their backs, they found a groove to put the game away.
Big games need big players and all stood up to be counted with the Johnstons, the Bohills, Ryan McNulty, Oisin Donnelly and Peter McCallin phenomenal for St John’s, while Paddy Burke, Eoghan Campbell and Ryan McCambridge were just some who worked the oracle for the Ruairis.
Yet it was the performance of Neil McManus that perhaps made all the diffidence.
Yes, he landed 14 points including five from play, but he delivered so much more as with the game on the line, he seemed to be everywhere, winning ball, forcing turnovers and driving his team on.
“Neil, that’s his first match back and we didn’t know how much he would have in the legs but when it comes to these days, it’s maybe not what you have in the legs but what you have in your heart,” said Cushendall manager Brian Delargy.
“I’m so proud of the boys who came in: Stephen Walsh with his first start this year and a young minor, Charlie McAuley stepped in to mark Conor Johnston and he’s in bits there as he has been through the wars, so it’s a rude awakening for him. But we are a club that if you are good enough you’re going to be thrown in.”
Cushendall had the wind at their backs for the first half, but the 0-9 to 0-7 half-time lead didn’t seem enough as they put eight shots past the post.
McManus and Campbell did the bulk of the scoring but they were level approaching the break as the Johnnies fought for everything and turned this into a real battle, yet late scores from McCambridge and Fred McCurry gave them the edge.
St John’s also had issues with their shooting with the wind at their backs in the second period as they hit seven outside the posts, but they had worked themselves into a 0-13 to 0-11 lead with 49 played as Conor and Ciaran Johnston as well as Oisin MacManus drove them on.
Just as it seemed they were on their way, Cushendall hit back with McManus steadying with a score and then a powerful run from Paddy Burke up the left flank saw him pop inside with Ronan McAteer sweeping home.
They led by a goal late on but St John’s weren’t for fading as MacManus, Conall Bohill and a superb Shea Shannon sideline got them close and with the last act, substitute Darragh McGuinness fired over to leave it 1-16 to 0-19 at the end of normal time.
To extra-time we went and the Johnnies had the wind, knowing they needed to build a lead and set about it well as Shannon landed another sideline, McGuinness cracked another and MacManus continued to build his own tally, but two late pointed frees from McManus brought Cushendall to within two.
The Johnnies did manage to edge three up early in the second period, but the batteries were draining into the wind and Cushendall rattled off eight of the final nine scores to see themselves back into the final.
“Any time Michael Johnston is involved with St John’s they are going to die with their boots on,” Delargy added.
“We knew it was going to be that way and thank God our boys have the same mentality.”
CUSHENDALL: C McAlister; L Gillan, P Burke, C McAuley (0-1); Stephen Walsh, E Campbell (0-3), R McCollam; F McCurry (0-1), Alex Delargy; R McAteer (1-0), N McManus (0-14, 0-9 frees), F McCambridge; C Neeson, R McCambridge (0-3), J McLaughlin (0-2, 0-1 free).
Subs: P McGill (0-3) for C Neeson (51), Andrew Delargy for F McCurry (59)
ET subs: D Delargy for Alex Delargy (HT), J McNaughton for R McAteer (19)
ST JOHN’S: S Doherty; J Bohill, Ciaran Johnston (0-2, 1f), R McNulty (0-2); C Morgan, P McCallin, E McGurk; M Dudley (0-1), S Wilson; O Donnelly, Conor Johnston (0-3), C Bohill (0-1); S Shannon (0-3, 0-2 sidelines, 0-1 free), O MacManus (0-12, 0-8 frees, 0-2 65s), A Bradley.
Subs: M Bradley for A Bradley (41), C Hand for S Wilson (59), D McGuinness (0-2) for C Morgan (60+3).
ET subs: C McEvoy for J Bohill (9), D Carson for O Donnelly (10+1), R Galbraith for O MacManus (14)
REFEREE: Colm McDonald (St Gall’s)