Antrim’s Patrick McCormick, Liam Quinn, James Smith and Tiarnan McAteer turn away in celebration after Quinn had scored Antrim’s third goal to put his side right back into contention at Pairc Esler on Saturday.

Eirgrid Ulster GAA Football

U20 Championship

Quarter-Final

Down 4-15 Antrim 3-13

Brendan McTaggart reports from Páirc Esler

Antrim succumbed to a five point defeat in Páirc Esler as Down withstood a second half surge from the Saffrons to run out comfortable winners.  After an incredible first half that saw three goals scored in barely 90 seconds, Down made a dream start after the short whistle to go into a six point lead.  Antrim rallied and brought the sides level mid-way through the second half but Down found another level in the final quarter to pull away.

In a high scoring game, the home side incredibly hit all their scores from play with Conor McCrickard top scoring with 2-2 – Owen McCabe and Pierce Laverty with the other Down majors.  The Antrim goals all came from their full forward line, Kevin Small and Eamon Fyfe (penalty) in the first half before Liam Quinn added the third on the 38^th minute but the direct running and speed of the Mournemen was telling throughout the hour.  Their ability to find the yard of space required to get the shot away along with a clinical efficiency won the day over a spirited Antrim challenge.

Antrim made a promising start to the quarter-final but just couldn’t convert their lions share of possession into points on the board.  With Eoin Nagle dropping deep to sweep and help curtail the threat of Conor McCrickard and Gareth McKibben, any scores in the opening exchanges were hard earned.

Carryduff man Daniel Guinness opened the scoring when he dissected the posts after just 40 seconds.  Dermot ‘Bugsy’ McErlain responded shortly after when he sent over a wonderfully executed left footed effort.

Both teams were well organised with space at a premium.  Neither side could find the precision required to beat the packed defence but it was Antrim and Kevin Small who fired the next point, a 40 yards free after a foul on James Smith.

Down began to show some supremacy around the middle third with Josh Connery and Liam Middleton winning the majority of kickouts in first and second phases.  They fired over three points in as many minutes with McKibben, McCrickard and Connery finding the range to give the Mournemen a two point lead mid-way through the half.

Antrim responded well however and moving James Smith into the forward line began to bring them reward.  A Small free was added to by a beautifully taken long range point by Smith before Eamon Fyfe repeated the fete to restore Antrim’s lead in the 17^th minute.

Owen McCabe tied the sides soon after before the mayhem began.  First Antrim found the back of Darren Ross’ net when Kevin Small finished, Fyffe with the assist.  The Down response was as swift as it was emphatic.  Conor McCrickard scoring Down’s first goal with the next attack before setting up Owen McCabe to fire beyond Cailean Walsh from the next kick out.  From a two point lead, Antrim now faced a five point deficit after Owen McCabe scored his second point of the match.

The Saffrons rallied before half time and scored their second goal in the 25^th minute thanks to a Fyfe penalty.  Referee Maggie Farrelly spotting a foul on Liam Quinn inside the box with the Con Magees man finishing to the bottom corner.

Daniel Guinness and James Smith exchanged frees just before the interval as Down took a half time lead of 2-8 to 2-6.

Antrim would have been contend with their first half efforts.  They recovered well from the two goal sucker punch and finished the half with confidence.  They needed to maintain that confidence after the half time break.  What they got was another Down goal.  Pierce Laverty with the incisive run and despite losing possession, he gathered the lose ball before firing low beyond Walsh in the Antrim goals.

A tidy point from Aaron Devlin opened a six point lead for Down after just three second half minutes before Antrim hit back.  Small and Deaglan Smyth raised white flags before Liam Quinn scored Antrim’s third goal.  A swift move involving three different players before Tiarnán McAteer supplied the pass for his Kickhams clubmate to apply the finish to bring the sides level in the 42^nd minute.

Antrim had done superbly to claw their way back into the tie.  With a quarter of the game remaining they were in the ascendancy but Down’s ability to carve the Antrim defence once again hurt the Saffron challenge.  McCrickard restored the Down lead before scoring the Mournemen’s fourth goal in the 50^th minute.  For all the brilliance Down showed in attack, their fourth and decisive goal turned out to be a scrappy affair.  Goal keeper Darren Ross’ ’45 droppong short before McCrickard collected a poor Saffron clearance before rifling to the bottom of Walsh’s net.

Further scores from Guinness and substitute Liam Kerr underlined Down’s superiority as they found an extra gear in the closing stages.  Antrim resonded with Eoghan McCabe and Quinn (free) but Down were on top all over the pitch as Antrim opened up to try and force their way back into the tie.  Laverty and Guinness fisted over either side of Quinn’s second free of the match before Fyfe and Kerr swapped scores in injury time.

Antrim battled to the final whistle but in the end, Down’s ability to create scores and pierce Antrim’s defence at will proved to be the telling factor as the Mournemen progress to the semi-finals.

TEAMS

Antrim: Cailean Walsh; Matthew Hamill, Sean Kelly, Aidan Mulholland; Eoghan McCabe, Darren McCormick, Patrick McCormick; James Smith, Deaghlan Smyth; Eoin Nagle, Tiarnán McAteer, Dermot McErlain; Kevin Small, Eamon Fyfe, Liam Quinn

Subs: Michael McNamee for M Hamill (25); Patrick Finnegan for S Kelly (47); Ciaran Bradley for T McAteer (52); Michael Hagan for J Smith (52); Ronan Kelly for K Small (57); Declan Smyth for D McErlain (inj)

Scorers for Antrim: Kevin Small 1-3 (3fs); Eamon Fyfe 1-2; Liam Quinn 1-2 (2 fs); James Smith 0-2; Tiarnán McAteer 0-1; Dermot McErlain 0-1; Deaghlan Smyth 0-1; Eoghan McCabe 0-1

Black Card: none

Yellow Card: none

Red Card: none

Down: Darren Ross; Brendan Gallen, Finn McIlroy, Adam Lynch; Conor Cox, Oisin McConvey, Shane Annett; Liam Middleton, Josh Connery; Owen McCabe, Pierce Laverty, Daniel Guinness; Aaron Devlin, Conor McCrickard, Gareth McKibben

Subs: Jack McCartan for J Connerry (HT); Liam Kerr for A Devlin (41); Reece Martin for A Lynch (44); Ronan Fegan for O McCabe (50); Cathal Gorman for G McKibben (inj)

Scorers for Down: Conor McCrickard 2-2; Owen McCabe 1-2; Daniel McGuinness 0-4; Pierce Laverty 1-1; Josh Connery 0-2; Liam Kerr 0-2; Aaron Devlin 0-1; Gareth McKibben 0-1

Black Card: none

Yellow Card: Shane Annett (25); Finn McElroy (33); Daniel Guinness (50); Shane Annett (inj)

Red Card: none

 

Referee: Maggie Farrelly (Cavan)