Bord na Mona Kehoe Cup Final
Antrim 1-23 Westmeath 2-20
Brendan McTaggart reports from the GAA’s Centre of Excellence, Abbotstown
Antrim suffered defeat to the hands of Westmeath in the Kehoe Cup final in Abbotstown this afternoon. With the teams tied at the end of 70 plus pulsating minutes of hurling the game went straight to penalties and in the shoot-out the Leinster men took the honours by three goals to nil. A cruel way to suffer defeat in what was a positive performance from the Saffrons but when the dust settles the Safrons management team will take many more positives than negatives from a heart warming display.
[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”54″ display=”pro_blog_gallery”]In defence Stephen Rooney and John Dillon were immense with Ronan Molloy and Conor McHugh excellent at centre half. Up front, five of the six starting forwards all added their names to the score sheet with James McNaughton top scoring with 0-9 (6 f’s) with Nigel Elliott adding 1-3 from play in another top display. The overall work rate of the forward unit has to be praised however. James O’Connell and Kevin Rice putting in a mountain of work. With Rice finishing with two fine points to his credit
To be super critical, Antrim were five points ahead with two minutes of the 70 remaining. Having weathered a Westmeath storm in the second half where the Lake County hit 1-6 to Antrim’s 0-2 in the space of 10 minutes, but the Saffrons hit back with Elliott’s major the catalyst for the Antrim resurgence.
Four additional minutes and Allan Devine’s second major, a questionable square-ball call, swung the momentum with Killian Doyle’s third white flag of the match forcing penalties where Westmeath sealed the win.
[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”55″ display=”pro_blog_gallery”]After the opening exchanges, the travelling saffron faithful would have been forgiven for fearing the worst. Four down in as many minutes with the Westmeath men swarming all over the Saffrons poc-outs, Antrim were struggling for any momentum but once they found their game, they would go and shade the first half.
After seven minutes. Westmeath led 0-6 to 0-2 but such was the work rate and intensity of Antrim for the remainder of the half, they restricted Westmeath to just a further three points with one of those coming from a Niall Mitchell free. McNaughton, Keelan Molloy, Ciaran Clarke and substitute Eoin O’Neill adding their names to the score sheet before John ‘Rocky’ Dillon showed the way forward with a great point towards the end of the half.
The Saffron’s held a slender two point lead at half time with a score line of 0-11 to 0-9 but there was plenty of goal chances throughout the opening 35 minutes that Antrim could look back upon with rueful effect. First Rice with a sniff of a chance, using his strength to hold off two Westmeath defenders before innovatively getting his shot away but firing wide. The second chance came moments later, Molloy playing a perfect pass to Elliott but his shot was well saved by Westmeath ‘keeper Paddy Carroll. The rebound fell to Clarke but the Westmeath captain Tommy Doyle somehow got his body in the way to deflect the sliotar over the bar.
Westmeath’s Killian Doyle brought the best out of Ryan Elliott in the Antrim goals towards the end of the half but it was a deserving yet slender lead for the Saffrons at the short whistle.
[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”56″ display=”pro_blog_gallery”]The Lake County management team looked to their bench at half time to try and regain the momentum but Antrim started the second on top. Rice and Darragh Clinton exchanged points before a trio of white flags from McNaughton (2 f’s) opened a five point lead for the Saffrons for the first time in the final.
McNaughton’s third point of the trio would be Antrim’s last for 11 minutes though as Westmeath with Clinton, Mitchell (3 f’s), Allan Devine and substitute Jack Galvin giving them their side the lead for the first time since the 28th minute.
Antrim responded with points from McNaughton (free) and Molloy with a superb score from wide on the right before Westmeath scored the first goal of the final. Robbie Greville with the initial run before laying off to Clinton. Elliott somehow saved Clinton’s drive but Allan Devine was on hand to sweep the rebound into the empty net.
The Antrim response was every bit as emphatic as it was dramatic. Eoin O’Neill (on for the injured Clarke) split the posts for his second point of the final before Nigel Elliott scored Antrim’s major in the 57th minute. Elliott with the finish but the work rate and desire shown by captain Conor McCann to force the turnover and provide the assist epitomised the Saffrons performance.
Molloy and Elliott took the Antrim lead to four points once again before Ryan Elliott denied Westmeath with a save right out the top drawer. Darragh Clinton receiving the ball 25 yards from goal in a world of space, unleashed a drive for the top corner but Antrim ‘keeper managed to beat the sliotar away. An outstanding save and one that deserved to be decisive with five minutes remaining.
Antrim stretched their lead to five once again with Nigel Elliott taking his tally to 1-3 and McNaughton adding his third from play, and while Westmeath responded with a point from Shane McGovern, Conor McCann restored the Saffrons five point lead with two minutes of time remaining.
Westmeath finished the game superbly however with the strength of their bench proving to be the difference. Counting the three changes made at the interval, Westmeath made nine changes in all during the second half and while Antrim were reaching for the full time whistle, Westmeath found another swing of momentum.
[ngg src=”galleries” ids=”57″ display=”pro_blog_gallery”]First Darragh Clinton reduced the gap to four with his fifth point of the match before Devine was on hand to score Westmeath’s second goal. Gary Greville sending the sliotar high to the edge of the square where Devine flicked the sliotar to the back of the net with the deftest of touches. The umpires hesitated before waving the green flag and while Antrim had chances at the other end of the pitch to double their lead, Killian Doyle’s third point of the final with the last poc of the game restored parity at the final whistle.
The penalties weren’t exactly the highlight of the day. James McNaughton and Nicky McKeague sending the sliotar over the bar while Keelan Molloy saw his effort saved by Paddy Carroll. Westmeath were more decisive from the spot with Niall Mitchell, Allan Devine and Killian Doyle – scorer of the equalising point, landing the winning penalty to gain their first silverware under name manager Joe Quaid.
Despite the defeat there were plenty of positives to take from the performance as we go into the league in Corrigan Park on Saturday against Kerry. In truth Antrim should have won but the disappointment was not too great among the players, especially with the novel way the game was decided.
TEAMS
Antrim: Ryan Elliott; Phelim Duffin, John Dillon, Stephen Rooney; Ronan Molloy, Matthew Donnelly, Conor McHugh; Conor McCann, Nicky McKeague; Nigel Elliott, James McNaughton, James O’Connell; Ciaran Clarke, Keelan Molloy, Kevin Rice.
Subs: Eoin O’Neill for C Clarke (32); Donal McKinley for J O’Connell (44); Conor Boyd for K Rice (55); Sean Duffin for N McKeague (61); Connor Patterson for R Molloy (inj).
Scorers: J McNaughton 0-9 (6 f’s); N Elliott 1-3; K Molloy 0-4; K Rice 0-2; E O’Neill 0-2; J Dillon 0-1; C Clarke 0-1; C McCann 0-1.
Westmeath: Paddy Caroll, John Gilligan, Tommy Doyle, Naoise McKenna; John Bermingham, Aaron Craig, Gary Greville; Robbie Greville, Shane Power; Shane Clavin, Conor Shaw, Allan Devine; Killian Doyle, Niall Mitchell, Darragh Clinton.
Subs: Shane McGovern for S Power (HT); Aonghus Clarke for N McKenna (HT); Jack Galvin for C Shaw (HT); Paul Greville for J Galligan (47); Darragh O’Reilly for S Clavin (65); Philip Reilly for A Craig (67); Kavin Regan for J Bermingham (70); Emmett Corrigan for N Mitchell (70); Robbie Gillen for G Greville (70).
Scorers: A Devine 2-3; D Clinton 0-5; N Mitchell 0-5 (5 f’s); K Doyle 0-3; S Power 0-1; A Craig 0-1; K Regan 0-1; S McGovern 0-1
Referee: Richie Fitzsimons (Offaly).