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McCaughan Cup final at the Brustin Braes, Larne
Loughgiel 0-23 Armoy 0-22
An injury time point from top scorer Cahir McGrath gave Loughgiel victory over Armoy in Tuesday evening’s McCaughan Cup final at the Brustin Braes in Larne. It looked like the Glen Rovers men had had earned themselves extra time when Thomas Burns and Conor Christie landed two late points to tie the scores as the clock ticked into injury time, bu McGrath, who had shown great accuracy all through the game, landed a late point to secure the victory.
The sides were level at the end of close fought opening quarter, Cahir McGrath hitting all of the Shamrocks five points while the Armoy scores were shared by Charlie Douthart, Emmet O’Hara and Arthur Devlin who hit one apiece with the other two coming from Conor Christie.
Loughgiel forged back ahead Aodhan McFadden, Cahir McGrath, Mark McFadden and Odhran McMullan, in reply to jst one from Armoy centre forward Emmet O’Hara, but Armoy put in a strong finish to the opening half to close within a point by the short whistle.
The second half continued in a similar vein with PJ McBride and Conor Christie getting scores to edge Armoy ahead but one by Patrick Bradley and two more from McGrath got the Shamrocks back ahead. Conor Christie was keeping Armoy in touch with a series of excellent scores, but McGrath always had an answer.
With the Shamrock leading by three two quick points by Emmet O’Hara and Thomas Burns cut the deficit back to a single point but Eddie McCloskey came back with one for the men in red to put them two ahead, but Burns and Christie squared things up entering injury time, before Cahir McGrath sealed the win.
A great game of hurling, played in a great spirit and Armoy will count themselves unlucky to get nothing out of the game.
Five of the Loughgiel team who won All Ireland Senior Club medals in Croke Park thirteen years ago when the Shamrocks beat Offaly champions Coolderry in the final added McCaughan Cup medals to their roll of honour at the Brustin Braes in Larne on Tuesday evening. Two venues and two occassions which are worlds apart, but the joy getting out there and playing the game is still there.
The beauty of sport
