Antrim SHC final: Rossa out to end 17-year wait against hat-trick chasers Dunloy in Corrigan Park decider

Colly Murphy had prepared himself for more Dunsilly disappointment.

On 26 September, the O'Donovan Rossa manager watched on as his players wrestled with Ruairi Og Cushendall in an Antrim Senior Hurling Championship semi-final for the ages.

With the seconds ticking away, it looked as though Rossa's championship charge would be halted in the last four, like it was in 2020 when eventual winners Dunloy snatched a last-gasp victory from the jaws of defeat.

Having presumably worked hard to erase that gut-wrenching memory, Murphy allowed his mind to instead drift back to last year's Tipperary decider between Kiladangan and Loughmore-Castleiney, won by the former thanks to a last-gasp Bryan McLoughney goal at the end of extra time.

"Kiladangan scored the goal with the last puck of the game and I said to myself 'why do we never get that bit of luck?'," recalls Murphy.

As fate would have it, that bit of luck would arrive at Dunsilly and send the west Belfast men back to the promised land.

Trailing Cushendall by two points deep in stoppage time, Michael Armstrong plucked the ball from the air and fed Dara Rocks, whose low shot rippled the net to seal a 4-18 to 3-20 win.

Not one to trot out cliches, Murphy admitted to having been resigned to defeat when Dall established a three-point lead late on.

His players had other ideas, however, and now they have a county final with 2020 tormentors Dunloy on the horizon.

Victory over the three-in-a-row chasing Cuchullains in Sunday's showpiece - to be played at Corrigan Park for the first time since 1952 - would shift the balance of power in Antrim hurling back to Belfast for the first time since Rossa lifted the Volunteer Cup in 2004.

Since then, the silverware has been passed around the hurling heartlands of Dunloy, Cushendall and Loughgiel with only one final having featured Belfast representation (St Gall's, in 2014, who lost to Cushendall).

But Murphy is certainly not getting ahead of himself. He refers to Sunday's clash at Corrigan - the home of Rossa's rivals St John's - as "bonus territory" after achieving this year's goal of topping their championship group ahead of Loughiel, St Enda's and Ballycastle.

"It's great for the club and it's great for the progression of the senior hurlers," admits Murphy, who has three sons on the panel in Deaglan, Daire and Tiernan.

"We're three years into our term. The first year, we beat Ballycastle home and away to get through into the group stages and we retained our Division One status, which was our goal that year.

"The following year, our goal was to get out of the group, which we did. This year, our goal was to win the group, which we did, so everything now is just bonus territory."

Murphy, who was part of the Antrim panel that reached the 1989 All-Ireland final, added: "You have to enjoy it. You have to want to go and play and say 'county finals don't come around all the time unless you're from Dunloy or Cushendall or Loughgiel'.

"Go out and give it your best shot. If it's not good enough, so be it."

The territory may be uncharted but Rossa know all about Sunday's much-fancied opponents, who can match the Belfast club's haul of 15 titles with victory at Corrigan Park.

Dunloy, who also came out on top in this year's league meeting, have struck 7-105 in four championship games this season and boast an intimidating forward line with the likes of Conal Cunning, Seaan Elliott and Keelan Molloy expected to spearhead the holders' challenge in Belfast.

"Yes, definitely," admitted Murphy when asked if his side will need goals to reclaim the title.

"Dunloy are so strong up front, they're going to score over 20. Can we match them for points? I don't know."

On his own team, Murphy added: "You know a team has developed when they're policing their own changing room. When they're looking after each other, they don't need me or the selectors to tell them certain things.

"When we've got to that stage with the team, we know we've got a good squad. They're a pleasure to work with. I hope they get over the line on Sunday. They might not, but they'll give it a lash."