Cushendall 2-12 Loughgiel Shamrocks 0-15
Goals in each half proved to be decisive as Cushendall won their 14th Antrim Senior Hurling Championship title with a three-point win over Loughgiel at a sunny Ballycastle.
Paddy Burke found the net in the first half and Conor Carson added another at the break to settle this tie as Cushendall secured the Volunteer Cup for the first time since 2015.
As expected, this was a game that came down to the finest of margins and the early stages were nip-and-tuck with the sides going score-for-score.
Loughgiel were first off the mark with a score from James McNaughton, but Donal McNaughton hit back immediately.
Tiernan Coyle and Donal McNaughton traded scores before Joey Scullion and James McNaughton points edged Loughgiel ahead.
Back came Cushendall with Neil McManus and Conor Carson raising white before Tiernan Coyle and McManus swapped points to leave the sides locked at 0-05 on 19 minutes.
Loughgiel again seemed to be taking a grip with two James McNaughton scores, but on 23 minutes Cushendall were ahead for the first time when Conor Carson won a high ball, found Burke who had made a support run from full-back and the Cushendall captain rolled the sliotar into the net.
The teams continued to keep pace after with Dan McCloskey hitting points in reply to efforts from Ryan McCambridge and Paddy McGill, but Cushendall had the final say of the half through Donal McNaughton to help his side into a 1-08 to 0-09 lead at the half.
The second half took some time to settle down with a free each from McManus and James McNaughton the only scores in the third quarter as the wides began to mount for both.
The game did settle down again in the final 15 minutes with Eoghan Campbell clipping over a fine score for Cushendall before Loughgiel hit back with points from McNaughton and McCloskey.
The decisive score was to arrive on 51 minutes to give Cushendall some breathing space as substitute, Eunan McKillop picked out Carson who was all alone in front of goal and while DD Quinn got to his piledriver, he didn't fully get control as the ball continued into the net.
McNaughton responded with a free for Loughgiel, but points from McManus and McGill seemed to settle this final.
To their credit, Loughgiel kept battling and got the deficit back to three with two points from McNaughton, but they were unable to get any closer as Cushendall held firm to secure the title.
CUSHENDALL: E Gillan; A Graffin, P Burke (1-0), M Burke; S Delargy, D Kearney, F McCurry; E Campbell (0-1), A Delargy; N McManus (0-4, 3 frees), P McGill (0-2, 1 free), R McCambridge (0-1); F McCambridge, C Carson (1-1), D McNaughton (0-3). Subs: E McKillop for F McCambridge (48), S Walsh for F McCurry (52), N McCormick for R McCambridge (58), S McAfee for C Carson (60)
LOUGHGIEL: DD Quinn; P Gillan, N McGarry, R McCloskey; T McCloskey, D McMullan, O McFadden; M McFadden, T Coyle (0-2); J Scullion (0-1), J McNaughton (0-9, 6 frees), D McKinley; D McCloskey (0-3), E McCloskey, S Casey. Subs: M Connolly for O McFadden (49), S McGrath for P Gillan (52)
REFEREE: Colum Cunning (Dunloy)
