Cushendall hold on to take Antrim hurling title

Antrim SHC final Cushendall Ruairi Óg 1-20 Loughgiel Shamrocks 1-19

Cushendall held on for victory at a sunny Corrigan Park on Sunday as they collected Antrim hurtling title number 15 with Loughgiel's late charge falling just short.

It looked settled with the game in stoppage time and the gap at five, but James McNaughton hit 1-01 before he had a last-gasp chance to level from a free inside his own half and tight to the sideline, but cruelly for one of the game's standouts, it drifted just wide.

In fairness, Cushendall deserved their win and could have been a little more comfortable at the end only for eight second half wides that kept their rivals in it when they had the upper hand.

Defensively, the Ruairis were excellent with Paddy Burke delivering what is now an expected top performance, while Ryan McCambridge at midfield put in a man-of-the-match shift for his team.

Cushendall won a meeting between the sides at the group stage six weeks ago by 15 points and Loughgiel were determined not to suffer a repeat.

They flew out off the traps with James McNaughton landing two early points and then another after Paddy Burke got Cushendall on the board.

Over their four-game run to the final, Cushendall had averaged four goals per game and they would raise green on six minutes arrived as Christy McNaughton's shot from deep dropped and seemed to be lost in the sun with Neil McManus making a nuisance of himself. Joe McLaughlin managed to get onto it but was unable to get a shot away, instead correctly passing into McManus who in turn found Fergus McCambridge at the back post to finish.

Christ McGarry hit back at the other end immediately to level and the sides went neck and neck, level by the 20th minutes before Cushendall began to take