This was a game of two halves, with a difference, as both teams did their best hurling when playing against the strong diagonal wind. When Dunloy went in at half-time leading by 2-6 to 0-5, after having played into the howling gale, most people in Pairc MacUilin must have felt that the game was over as a contest.

However with the wind in their favour in the second period Dunloy couldn’t find the target and it became clear just how difficult it had been for Loughgiel in that first half.

The Shamrocks battled back bravely and closed the gap to just two points, but they too were guilty of some wayward shooting, and the goal they needed to seal the win never really looked like coming.

In the end it was the goals Dunloy scored in the first half that were to prove decisive. The first came on nineteen minutes when corner-forward Paddy Doherty went for a goal from a twenty-metre free, and though his shot was saved Ryan Richmond volleyed in the rebound. The second, two minutes from half-time came after the best move of the game as centre-half forward Damian Kelly cut through to find Paddy Doherty, whose clever pass found Chrissy Brogan, and the right-half forward sent a low angled drive to the Loughgiel net.

The third quarter of the game may have been high on endeavour, but in truth it was low in quality as both teams struggled to come to terms with the conditions, and a well taken Liam McKillop point in the thirty-seventh minute was the only score registered.

It was a further twelve minutes before Eddie McCloskey troubled the scoreboard operator again as his well struck point reduced the arrears to five, and with Dunloy now struggling (and down to fourteen men after having Fergal McClements sent off in the first half) Loughgiel were starting to think that this game was saveable.

Shay Casey cut the gap to four with a good point on the run in the fifty-third minute and four minutes later he sent over a free to leave just a goal between the sides.

There were a few very nervous minutes for the Dunloy fans as Loughgiel pushed for the goal that would bring the game to extra-time, but Dunloy’s Kevin Molloy, Niall Quinn, Eoin Scott and team captain Paul Shiels performed heroics at the back and Casey’s injury time point would prove too-little, too-late to save the day.

DUNLOY – Gabriel McTaggart, Peter McKeague, Kevin Molloy, Niall Quinn, Chris Cairns, Eoin Scott, Fergal McClements, Johnny Doey, Paul Shiels (capt), Sean Dowds, Damian Kelly, Chrissy Brogan, Paddy Doherty, Kevin McQuillan, Ryan Richmond.

Subs – Kevin McQuillan for J Doey (injured)

LOUGHGIEL – Chris O’Connell, Conal Dobbin, Tony McCloskey, Micky McFadden, James Campbell, Odhran McFadden, Seamus Dobbin, Eddie McCloskey (capt), Ciaran McKinley, Turlough McCarry, Carlin Coyle, Shay Casey, Benny McCarry, Liam McKillop, Sean Burns.

Subs used – Paudie McFadden and Chrissy Quinn.

REFEREE – Ray Matthews (Glenavy)