Antrim SHC Final/Cushendall 2-14 Loughgiel 2-7: Cushendall turned what looked like certain defeat into glorious victory at Casement Park yesterday when they came storming back from eight points behind at half-time to retain the Antrim crown.

With a whirlwind second half show, the 'Dall swung the game dramtically in their favour to claim a seven-point victory.

The losers completely dominated the first half and goals by Eddie McCloskey and Liam Watson just before the break gave them a 2-6 to 0-4 lead.

Dramatically, they crumbled after the restart as Cushendall turned in a glorious display of target shooting.

They buckled down to the job immediately with three points in five minutes and, after Shane McNaughton netted in the 41st minute, schoolboy Neil McManus fired over the equalising point. And, a minute later, the teenager knocked the ball into the Loughgiel net from a centre by another teenager, Paddy McGill, to secure a lead the winners never lost.

Indeed, Loughgiel were confined to just one second-half point as Cushendall tore holes in the opposition defence.

Full forward Conor McCambridge was in deadly form while the defence, with Odhran Scullion majestic at full back, shut out the losers' firing squad.

It was Loughgiel's fourth successive county final defeat.

CUSHENDALL: R Kearney; S Delargy, O Scullion, A Graffin; D McNaughton, K Elliott, K McKeegan; D McKillop, A Delargy (0-2); E McKillop (0-1), N McManus (1-2), P McGill; B McNaughton, C McCambridge (0-8, 0-4 frees, 0-1 penalty), S McNaughton (1-1). Subs: B Delargy for R McNaughton (22), M Cambridge for S McNaughton (50), E McNaughton for Elliott (62).

LOUGHGIEL: D Quinn; B McAuley, E McCloskey, L McMullan; P Gillen, J Campbell (0-1), J Quinn; D Laverty, M Scullion; J Scullion (0-2, 0-1 sideline cut, 0-1 free), L Watson (1-4, 0-1 a '65', 0-3 frees), S McMullan; E McCloskey (1-0), D Laverty, S Casey. Subs: O McFadden for Quinn (40), S McFadden for Laverty (51).

Referee: G Robinson (St John's).