Cúchulainns Dunloy clinch three-in-a-row in Antrim

Chrissy McMahon, left, and Eoin O'Neill of Dunloy celebrate at Corrigan Park. Photo by Ramsey Cardy/Sportsfile

Antrim SHC final: Cúchulainns, Dunloy 3-23 O’Donovan Rossa, Belfast 1-14

Cúchulainns Dunloy claimed a third Antrim senior hurling championship in a row at Corrigan Park, Belfast, with a clinical display against O’Donovan Rossa.

Rossa opened the scoring in the second minute through Deaglan Murphy but 1-2 without reply in the next four minutes had Dunloy on the front foot, Sean Elliott with the goal.

The Belfast men weathered the early storm however and clawed it back to a one-point game on 19 minutes when Stephen Beatty, Christopher McGuinness and Stephen Shannon added three scores without reply.

The fightback was cut short when Conal Cunning raised his side’s second green flag and the game was all but over on 27 minutes when Chrissy McMahon netted to give Dunloy a 3-7 to 0-6 half-time lead.

The champions accounted for five of the first six points of the second half, the pick of which came from Keelan Molloy on 37 minutes (3-12 to 0-7). Rossa managed a consolation goal from Stephen Beatty on 51 minutes but it was merely cosmetic.

DUNLOY: R Elliott; A Crawford, C McKinley, C Kinsella; R Molloy, K McKeague, R McGarry; P Shiels (0- 2), Keelan Molloy (0-1); E O’Neill (0-1), Kevin Molloy (0-5), E McFerran; C McMahon (1-1), C Cunning (1-11, 8f), S Elliott (1-2)

Subs: N McKeague for E McFerran (48), D Smith for C McMahon (52), E Smyth for K McKeague (56), G McTaggart for E O’Neill (59), O Quinn for A Crawford (63)

O’DONOVAN ROSSA: D Armstrong; C Orchin, A Kenneally, A Orchin; Stephen Shannon (0-1), M Armstrong, C McGuinness (0-3); G Walsh (0-1f), Deaglan Murphy (0-2f); Daire Murphy, Seaghan Shannon, A O’Brien; T Murphy, S Beatty (1-3), T Morgan (0-3)

Subs: C Shannon for A Orchin (6), D Rocks for Daire Murphy (ht), E Trainor for Seaghan Shannon (ht), N Crossan for C Orchin (50), C McGettigan for T Murphy (52)

Referee: M O’Neill (Armoy)