Loughgiel & Inniskeen claim Titles
AIB Ulster Club Senior Hurling Championship Final:
Loughgiel (Antrim) 2-24 Keady (Armagh) 0-06
Loughgiel Shamrocks cruised to their first Ulster Senior Club Hurling title since 1989 when they proved too strong for Armagh champions Keady in Sunday’s final at Casement Park.
The Shamrocks were always in control though Keady did hold on well during the opening half and only trailed by 0-10 to 0-5 at the half-time whistle.
However after the change of ends the Antrim champions were in cruise control and added the scores at will to secure the most convincing of victories.
Benny McCarry, who was guilty of a few uncharacteristic misses in the opening half, made amends when he fired in the opening goal after 53 minutes while second-half substitute Damien Laverty grabbed his team’s second with a just a minute left on the clock.
Right-half forward Eddie McCloskey was in fine form scoring seven excellent points while after a slow start Liam Watson found his touch to knock over six points.
Keady, who were appearing in their first ever Ulster Senior final, battled bravely but they found the step up in class too much to handle.
Loughgiel now go through to the All Ireland semi-final where they will meet the champions of Leinster in February.
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AIB Ulster Club Junior Hurling Championship Final:
Inniskeen (Monaghan) 0-14 St Brigid’s Cloughmills (Antrim) 1-09
In the junior final St Brigid’s Cloughmills came up short against surprise packets Inniskeen. The Monaghan men proved too strong in every department and their direct forceful hurling brought them a deserved first Ulster crown.
Cloughmills struggled throughout most of the opening half but were thrown a lifeline when full-forward James Doherty showed great endeavour to grab an opportunist goal just before the break.
The ‘Biddies’ levelled early in the second-half and then edged ahead, but the Monaghan champions slowly regained the upper-hand and forged ahead.
Cloughmills did have a couple of late chances to bring the game to extra-time but Inniskeen hit a late point to seal a deserved victory.
Report: antrim.gaa.ie
