O'Neills Sportswear Antrim Hurling League Division One
O'Donovan Rossa 5-15 Loughgiel Shamrocks 2-17
ROSSA'S eye for goal proved the difference as they got back to winning ways on home soil on Sunday at the expense of Loughgiel who lost their first game of the campaign.
Two first-half majors proved the difference at the break and another two from Michael Armstrong early in the second put daylight between the teams as the hosts found a fifth through Eoin Trainor to end the argument with Loughgiel hitting two of their own in stoppage time.
Loughgiel made the better start as after Declan McCloskey and Diarmaid Rogan traded early points, they would hit three in-a-row through McCloskey, Jack McCloskey and Donal McKinley.
However, their radar would falter with a host of scoring chances either sent wide or dropped short with Rossa making the most of their chances.
Points from Thomas Morgan and Eoin Trainor preceded the hosts' first goal as Trainor availed of an advantage to burst in and finish with 10 gone.
Diarmaid Rogan and Eoghan McMenamin would add points as Loughgiel lost Conor O'Mullan to injury.
A Declan McCloskey free from range ended a barren 16 minutes for the North Antrim men, but Rossa replied through Ciaran Orhin and McMenamin to push the gas to five.
It seemed Loughgiel had put themselves in a decent spot as the break with Cahal Hargin landing a brace and Odhran McFadden floating over, but deep in an extended period of added time due to O'Mullan's injury, Rossa grabbed a second goal as Morgan picked up possession in the left corner, again availed of advantage as he left defenders for dead and kicked home.
A Declan McCartney point from distance would leave those two goals the difference at the break with Rossa leading 2-8 to 0-8.
They picked up where they left off immediately after the restart as Eoin Trainor sent a long ball downfield with Michael Armstrong making a trademark fetch to gather, turn and fire past Cormac McFadden.
Michael Armstrong is challenged by Tiago McGarry 
Armstrong was at it again on 37 minutes as McMenamin turned provider as he turned and buried after Eoin McGarry had converted a couple of frees for the Shamrocks.
Rogan was on target with a couple of placed balls of his own to help Rossa put those four goals between the teams as Loughgiel began to rally with four on the spin thanks to Donal McKinley from play and three Declan McCloskey frees.
A goal for the visitors would have made it interesting at this stage but after the sides traded points, it was game over on 53 minutes as substitute Ruairi Murray picked out Trainor who burst through and found the net via the underside of the crossbar.
A pair of Thomas Morgan points on the run brought his tally for the day to 1-3 as the game moved into added time when Loughgiel grabbed a pair of consolation goals through Odhran McFadden and Finn Henry, but they were too little, too late as Rossa claimed the points.
ROSSA: C Rocks; O McVicker, C Orchin (0-1), R Crossan; D McCartney (0-1), C McGuinness, B McCauley; D Rogan (0-4f), C Shannon; P Short (0-1), T Morgan (1-3), O May; M Armstrong (2-0), E Trainor (2-1), E McMenamin (0-4).
Subs: R Murray for M Armstrong (48), C O'Neill for O May (58), R O'Neill for T Morgan (59)
LOUGHGIEL: C McFadden; T Coyle, C Blair, P Patterson; S Dobbin, D McCloskey (0-6, 5f), R McCormick; T McGarry (0-1 '65'), D McKinley (0-2); O McFadden (1-1), C Hargan (0-2), C O'Mullan; E McGarry (0-3f), M Connolly, J McCloskey (0-1).
Subs: F Henry (1-1) for O O'Mullan (21), D Patterson for J McCloskey (HT).
REFEREE: Mark O'Neill (Armoy)
