Hurling & Camogie

Cushendall without Eoghan Campbell for Antrim semi-final replay clash

Cushendall manager Eamon Gillan (left) is expecting another tough encounter when they meet St John's in Ballycastle on Sunday. Picture by Seamus Loughran
Cushendall manager Eamon Gillan (left) is expecting another tough encounter when they meet St John's in Ballycastle on Sunday. Picture by Seamus Loughran Cushendall manager Eamon Gillan (left) is expecting another tough encounter when they meet St John's in Ballycastle on Sunday. Picture by Seamus Loughran

Bathshack Antrim Senior Hurling Championship

CUSHENDALL will be without county star Eoghan Campbell for Sunday’s crunch Antrim semi-final replay clash with St John’s in Ballycastle.

The versatile Campbell suffered a broken arm in the drawn game in Dunloy almost a fortnight ago, and his absence is a big blow as the Ruairi Ogs eye a place in the final against Loughgiel.

“Eoghan’s in a cast, so that’s a big loss,” said Cushendall manager Eamon Gillan.

“He’s a big game player, club and county, a good standard of hurler, so he’s a big miss for us. But we just have to step up.”

A last-gasp free from Ciaran Johnston secured a draw for the Belfast man in Dunloy, though defeat would have been harsh on the Johnnies following a spirited performance, especially in the second half.

Indeed, having led by five with five minutes left, it is Cushendall who will perhaps feel they got themselves off the hook with a late fightback.

“The first game was tight,” added Gillan, whose son Eoin has been between the sticks for the 2016 All-Ireland club finalists.

“It was a pretty even first half, we didn’t start the second half particularly well, and then they got the goal. They got another couple of points and it was only in the last 10 minutes we decided maybe we need to do something about this.

“We could’ve won the match and we could’ve lost the match, so a draw was fair enough in the end. But look, St John’s are a good side. They have a sprinkle of county hurlers like everybody else, so we’ll be expecting another really hard game.”

And should they manage to progress, Gillan would face a potentially awkward afternoon on the line in the county final.

A native of Loughgiel who, as the local chemist, has lived in Cushendall for 35 years, Gillan has strong ties with both clubs and both communities.

Indeed, he was in charge of the Shamrocks when they were defeated in the first two of a six county final losing streak during the Noughties, falling to Dunloy in 2003 before being beat by Rossa the following autumn.

Gillan was an interested observer in Ballycastle as Loughgiel dethroned Dunloy the day after Cushendall’s dramatic draw with the Johnnies, and laughs when the potential final pairing is mooted.

“Everybody was saying to me who would you like in the final if you got there and I was saying ‘Dunloy please!’

“But no, look, in terms of where we’re at, we still have probably more than half of those players still playing [who reached the All-Ireland final two years ago], and then we have a group of younger boys coming through who are just not ready this year.

“It’ll take another year for them to flourish in the senior team, they’ve been in and out this year. Championship is a big step up so it’ll take them a year to adjust, but there is still that nucleus of hurlers here.

“You know, if we can produce the goods on the day, I’ll be happy enough. If our big names stand up, I’ll be confident enough.”