O’Loughlin Gaels vs Cushendall Preview
Navan will host the All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship Semi-final. The Leinster Champions O’Laughlin Gaels square up against Antrim Champions Ruairí Óg Cushendall. Mark your calendars for December 17, 1:30 pm, as the tiff will take place at Páirc Tailteann in County Meath, Ireland.
O’Loughlin Gaels vs Cushendall Head-To-Head and Key Stats
O’Laughlin Gaels secured the semi-final berth after winning the AIB Leinster Senior Club Hurling Championship Final on December 3rd. The Gaels held off a robust challenge from GAA rival Na Fianna at Croke Park in Dublin. Brian Hogan’s side secured the Leinster Championship with a 0-22 to 1-18 win in a tightly contested banger against Glasnevin to win the provincial title.
Hogan credited O’Laughlin Gaels’ strong season to mental preparation, concentration, and a focus on internal dynamics, especially when hosting unfamiliar challengers. O’Loughlin’s manager believed his side wasn’t in its best form during the match. However, the Gaels’ refusal to accept defeat saw them through a thrilling, narrow victory against Na Fianna.
The victory solidified O’Laughlins’ status as the regional powerhouse, setting up an All-Ireland Senior Club Hurling Championship Semi-Final clash against Ruairí Óg Cushendall this coming Sunday, December 17.
Meanwhile, Cushendall earned its spot in the semi-final with a victory against 11-time Derry champions Slaughtneil. They played in the Ulster Senior Club Hurling Championship Final earlier this month at Páirc Esler in Newry, County Down. Brian Delargy’s Cushendall side brushed off Slaughtneil with a 0-20 to 2-10 victory on its way to winning its 12th Ulster championship.
The four-point margin belies the dominance that the Ruairís exemplified throughout the game. The Glensmen repelled the Derry champions despite spirited efforts during the opening half and again later on. However, the game slipped away from Michael McShane’s Slaughtneil side.
The Antrim champions thoroughly deserved their victory, with manager Brian Delargy acknowledging the match as Ruairí’s best performance of the year. Cushendall lifted the Four Seasons Cup for the first time since 2018. It set up a head-to-head clash with the Leinster champions O’Loughlin Gaels in the All-Ireland semi-final on the weekend.
O’Loughlin Gaels vs Cushendall Predictions
All eyes are on O’Loughlin Gaels and Cushendall as the Leinster and Ulster champions, gear up for their All-Ireland semi-final showdown at the Páirc Tailteann. The O’Laughlins will be keen to build further on the high times after winning the championship in spectacular circumstances against Dublin’s Na Fianna. They lifted the title by the narrowest of margins in a 0-22 to 1-18 victory in early December.
Cushendall needs to get off to a good start from the get-go against the Gaels if they are to secure a result and go through to the All-Ireland Final. O’Loughlin last featured in the All-Ireland Final back in 2010 when they lost to Clarinbridge. Therefore, the Kilkenny city side is expected to be firing on all cylinders as it attempts to return to the finals after a 13-year absence. Gaels’ gaffer, Brian Hogan, will have to get creative with his formation. Key defenders Huw Lawlor, Mikey Butler, and Paddy Deegan will play important roles at the back.
While Cushendall will be keen to build on recent progress by going all the way to the final, we predict the Gaels side to withstand their offensive onslaught. The club from Leinster will brush off the Antrim side to book a spot at the All-Ireland final, 13 years in the making. Cushendall will put up a good fight, but the robust O’Loughlin Gaels defence will be hard to break down.
Gaels supporters would have been satisfied by winning the Leinster championship this year. Especially after the recent dominance of cross-town rivals, and 6-in-a-row chasers, Ballyhale Shamrocks. O’Loughlins stunned the defending All-Ireland champions Shamrocks in the Kilkenny final. County star Paddy Deegan settled the thrilling contest in injury time. The Gaels fans are on Cloud 9 with their team riding a crest of momentum entering the All-Ireland semi-final.
O’Loughlin Gaels vs Cushendall Betting Tips
The Gaels are in a prime position to continue their winning run, being big favourites for the pre-Christmas matchup. O’Loughlin enters the All-Ireland semi-final as 4/11 favourites, while Cushendall are 5/2 underdogs. The odds of both teams sharing the spoils and going to extra-time are 9/1.
Cushendall has hit a purple patch as far as getting their team involved in the scoring. However, the challenge is for them to utilise the breadth and spaces of the pitch to try to break down the Gaels’ vaunted defensive back-line. Meanwhile, the O’Loughlins will need to keep the talismanic Antrim captain, Neil McManus, in their collective pocket. They must also keep Joe McLaughlin, Ronan McAteer, and Ed McQuillan away from the goal to avoid a disastrous upset for the overwhelming favourites going into the semi-final.
Ultimately, we can expect the wily Gaels to neutralise the potent attack of the ‘Dall’ and win comfortably. Therefore, taking the moneyline on the O’Loughlin Gaels looks like good value for money. Especially as the Kilkenny side attempts to book a spot in the All-Ireland Finals after a 13-year drought. Sports betting fans who wish to get more bang for their buck could consider taking the Asian Handicap (-3) on the Gaels to cover the spread. Or, you can wait for better live odds on the moneyline during the game. Novibet is offering a generous welcome bonus to new users, which prospective bettors might be interested in taking up.
All-Ireland Semi-Final Betting Prediction: O’Loughlin Gaels Moneyline (4/11)
O’Loughlin Gaels Team News & Lineups
Cushendall faces a stiff challenge in the shape of a stout O’Loughlin Gaels defence featuring the Kilkenny city side’s Paddy Deegan, Huw Lawlor, and Mikey Butler. The County Antrim side will need to run the length and breadth of the pitch if they stand a chance at warping the opposition’s robust shape. That resolve at the back, paired with a dynamic attack featuring Mark Bergin and Owen Wall, lends a sophisticated finishing touch to a well-balanced Gaels team. They demonstrated their pedigree after upsetting defending All-Ireland champions, Ballyhale Shamrocks, in the Kilkenny final.
The O’Loughlin Gaels last competed in the All-Ireland semis back in 2012, when the Kilkenny side saw off another County Antrim side in Loughgiel. A defeat that the Cushendall ace will want to avoid.
- O’LOUGHLIN GAELS: Stephen Murphy, Tony Forristal, Huw Lawlor, Mikey Butler, David Fogarty, Paddy Deegan, Jordan Molloy, Jack Nolan, Cian Loy, Conor Heary, Mark Bergin, Eoin O’Shea, Paddy Butler, Owen Wall, Sean Bolger.
Cushendall Team News & Lineups
Winning the Ulster championship wasn’t exactly smooth sailing for Cushendall. The Antrim champions barely salvaged their All-Ireland hopes after a close call with a combative Portaferry side. Thankfully for Ruairí Óg supporters, the supreme scoring abilities of duo Neil McManus and Joseph McLaughlin carried them over the line in extra time. This was followed by a four-point win against Slaughtneil to seal the Ulster championship a fortnight before their crunch All-Ireland semi-final. The Londonderry side put Cushendall to the sword after staging a dramatic second-half comeback that cut the Antrim champions’ final score from 0-20 to 2-10.
The Dall will count on ace Paddy Burke, whose resilience and competitive streak have been key to the side’s run to the Antrim and Ulster titles. The long-serving Cushendall defender will have to be at his best if they are to beat a very keen O’Loughlin Gaels team that has won 11 of the last 13 games in Leinster—a run dating back to 2001. Likewise, Cushendall will need their captain, Neil McManus, to find his scoring form. With the resolute Gaels back-line looking to marshall the Antrim star, Cushendall needs their key players like Joe McLaughlin, Ed McQuillan, and Ronan McAteer to deliver. They will need to perform as they did against 11-in-a-row Derry champions and four-time Ulster champions Slaughtneil last time out.
Antrim star Neil McManus helped Cushendall inspire past a stuck-in Portaferry in the Ulster semi-final and then again against perennial contenders Slaughtneil. Will the third time be the charm as the Cushendall skipper and gaffer Brian Delargy attempt to do it again against the near-impermeable O’Loughlins defence?
- CUSHENDALL: C McAllister, P Burke, L Gillan, M Burke, S Walsh, E Campbell, R McCollam, F McCurry, R McCambridge, R McAteer, N McManus, F McCambridge, E McQuillan, N McCormack, J McLaughlin.
