Castleblayney hit the right note in the end

IT’S never over until the fat lady sings and she certainly warbled a joyous refrain for Castleblayney when they stunned Cushendun in the second-half to claim the Ulster junior hurling championship title at the Athletic Grounds, Armagh yesterday.

Defiant and stubborn throughout, Castleblayney simply refused to yield even when adrift by five points at one stage in the second-half.

Instead, they simply rolled up their sleeves, applied themselves even more tenaciously to their task and ultimately stole ahead of their opponents in the dying seconds of added time to claim a memorable triumph.

If 11-point hero Fergal Rafter captured the lion’s share of the individual plaudits, then Mark Treanor’s 45th-minute goal proved the turning point in a game that, up until that juncture, appeared to have swung in Cushendun’s favour.

Rafter was quick to hail not only Treanor’s all-important score but the contribution of all his colleagues in a memorable triumph.

“I thought it was a great effort. “There was never any hint of panic, we just kept plugging and when we got close to Cushendall on the scoreboard

“I thought we might do it and thankfully we got over the line in the end,” said Rafter.

His sublime finishing kept Castleblayney in touch even when they looked to be under the cosh as Cushendun drove forward relentlessly.

Angles and distances were no problem to the prolific Monaghan champions’ marksman who has been in superlative form this year.

When he piloted his side onto level terms at 1-9 to 0-12 it still looked as if Cushendun would seize the initiative again.

This is precisely what they did but they got an unexpected helping hand from a Cushendun attack that spurned several fine scoring chances in the last quarter.

Indeed, Cushendun’s inability to hit the target when they desperately needed scores was to prove their undoing as they played into Castleblayney’s hands at the end of the day.

And it was fitting that man of the match Rafter should have had the final say when he flighted over the winning point deep in injury-time.

By then Cushendun, despite generous scoring inputs from full-forward Conleth McNeill and midfield ace Conor McHugh, were forced to pay a heavy penalty for numerous missed chances in the closing stages of the match, as Castleblayney powered to glory and now the scent of All-Ireland glory is very much in their nostrils.

“We will enjoy this victory more than any other we have had lately and then we will focus on the All-Ireland series,” stated Rafter.

“We know that we will now be facing much bigger challenges and we must be prepared well for this.

“We always expected to face a tough battle against Cushendun and it certainly won’t get any easier from here on in, that’s for sure.”

CASTLEBLAYNEY: P Collins; C Merrick, E Leonard, C McNally; B Connor, P Treanor, J McHugh; B Flanagan, P Finnegan; H Byrne, F Rafter 0-11 (11f), F Finnegan 0-1; C Callan, B McGuigan, M Treanor 1-2. Sub: A Kenny for Callan (40).

CUSHENDUN: E Magee; S Hamilton, A Corbett, J McKay; M Scally, D O’Hara, T Scally; M McCartin, C McHugh 0-4 (2’65’s, 2f), P Bannon 0-1, E Duffin 0-1, D McQuillan 0-2; J Morgan 0-2, C McNeill 0-4 (4f), D Kilgore (0-2). Subs: E McQuillan for Duffin (35), N McAuley for Bannon (40), R J McQuillan for Morgan (52).

Referee: Tarlach Conway (Derry). CUSHENDALL: E Gillan; D Kearney, M Burke, P Burke 0-1; S Delargy 0-1, A Graffin, S Walsh; E Campbell 0-1, N McManus 0-9, 6f, 1x’65’; S McAfee 1-0, F McCambridge 0-1, R McCambridge; A Delargy, D McNaughton 0-2, 0-1 SL, P McGill

Subs: E McKillop for F McCambridge (42), F McCurry for Graffin (51), C McClafferty for McGill (57), N McCormick for McAfee (64), E Laverty for D McNaughton (73) Yellow cards: R McCambridge (37), D Kearney (38)

Red cards: 0

BALLYCRAN: S Keith; M Hughes, P Hughes, S Ennis; M Taylor, P Flynn, B Nicholson; S Nicholson 0-2, P Savage; C McAlister, C Woods 0-3, 1f, L Savage; N Breen 0-1, C McManus 0-3f, J Coyle 0-1

Subs: A Bell for S Ennis (27 - 30, Blood sub), C Egan for Breen, G Hughes for McAlister (h-time), P McSkimmons for Coyle (68), A Bell for Taylor (69)

Yellow cards: C Woods, (23 & 70), Egan (38), M Hughes (67)

Red cards: C Woods (70)

Referee: James Connors (Donegal) Attendance: 3,742

RUAIRI Ógs Cushendall secured their 11th Ulster senior hurling title in front of a healthy 3,742 attendance at the Athletic Grounds, but may be counting the cost of that win after what looks like a serious injury to their inspirational defender Arron Graffin.

They will go on to the All-Ireland semi-final in February to meet the winners of St Thomas’ and Liam Mellows who play in the Galway county final, but they showed enough here to indicate that if they get their main men all healthy and available, they will be equipped for the challenge.

One of those men includes Conor Carson, who was unable to secure leave from his Cadetship with Aer Lingus for the day.

“It wasn’t that he didn’t want to be here, of course he did, but he’s just started a new job, literally last Monday,” reasoned their manager Eamon Gillan.

“He’s doing things this weekend, he’s registering his citizenship and all that, he’s going to be there for a year or two.”

In the Antrim county final, the Ruairi Óg tactics at times were beautiful in their simplicity. Neil McManus would catch a puck out and rain ball on top of the strong Carson.

However, Sean McAfee was drafted in and while those McManus deliveries came as expected, the strong wind blowing towards the Dalton Road End meant they carried over the Ballycran bar.

While McManus had an offday from the dead ball in the county final, by half time he had already amassed seven points, four of those from frees from distance.

He also adorned the game with a point from play when he caught Cormac McAlister’s sideline cut into his left hand and drilled over from 70 metres. His second from play was fed to him by the excellent Arron Graffin and was planted over in bad temper after taking a late swipe across his hand a minute previous.

Ballycran struggled against the wind to break the tackle and in the loose, Ruairi Óg were much more ravenous.

For all that, they were just three points adrift when disaster struck in the 24th minute.

Cushendall full-forward Donal McNaughton escaped his marker Paudie Flynn and made straight for goal. His shot was at a comfortable height for ’Cran goalkeeper Stephen Keith, but was hit with such venom that he could only parry and Stephen McAfee — Carson’s replacement — whipped the loose ball to the net.

1-11 to 0-6 up at half-time, Cushendall knew they needed to contain.