Bord Gais Energy Leinster U20 Hurling Championship
Carlow 0-25 Antrim 2-16
Antrim lost out in injury time to Carlow in Saturday’s Leinster U20 Hurling Championship at Abbotstown. For periods in the game it looked like the young Saffrons were in a good position to go on and win the game, but they could never really get a firm grip on the match and frustratingly let it slip. Overall it turned out to be a bit of a shoot-out between Antrim corner forward Seaan Elliott who scored 2-11 overall and Carlow midfielder Ciaran Wheelan who struck 14 points in all in a man of the match display.
Whelan appeared to have the game won for Carlow he put them three clear at the end of normal time, but in the time referee Chris Mooney added on Elliott brought the game to extra time when he fired a shot to Carlow net with practically the last puck of the game. Antrim went a point up at the end of the first half of extra time and were still one clear midway through the second period, but a great score from Carlow centre-forward Jason Flood and three pointed frees by Whelan saw them home.
On the perfect Abbotstown surface Carlow took an early lead with two points from corner forward Dan Shehan, but one Antrim settled they were soon back in the game and two Elliott points and one from his Dunloy club-mate Deaglan Smith had them 0-4 to 0-3 by the tenth minute. It was score for score for the remainder of the first half and though Carlow went 0-8 to 0-6 in from by the 25th minute a pointed free by Elliott and on from play by Dominic McEnhill tied up the scores at eight apiece by half time.
Carlow, who had lost left half forward Dean Tobin to a second yellow card just before half-time, went ahead early in the second half when Whelan pointed but Antrim’s Conal Bohill hit a great point to equalise and when Seaan Elliott took advantage of a mistake in the Carlow defence to rifle in a goal from the narrowest of angles thing suddenly looked promising for the Saffrons. The Antrim optimism was dispelled when Carlow came back with three points in quick succession to level matters once again. Two top class points from Seaan Elliott had Antrim two in front yet again but Carlow’s dominance of the midfield area was providing Whelan with a host of chances and three more from him edged Carlow one point clear again. Elliott levelled matters again with a pointed free but four from Whelan in reply to once from Antrim substitute Oisin Donnelly looked like it had wrapped it up for fourteen man Carlow.
Seaan Elliott had a 20 metre free turned around the post deep in injury time and when the resultant 65 went all the way wide it seemed the chance was gone, but there was one more chance and when a high ball into the Carlow square broke to Elliott he powered his shot to the back of the net to take the game to extra time.
The opening period of extra times saw Antrim squander three great chances to go ahead and Carlow took advantage to hit the front with a fine point by centre forward Jon Nolan. Two by Elliott ahead for the last time early in the second period of extra time but thy could not maintain their challenge and four without reply by Carlow saw them over the line.
CARLOW: James Kavanagh, Dylan Connors, Jack Ryan, Donal Jordan, Eoin Kavanagh, Tony Lawlor, Eanna Holland, Ciaran Whelan, Barry Hickey, Darragh O’Toole, Jon Nolan, Dean Dobin, Dan Sheehan, Ciaran Kavanagh, Jason O’Neill
ANTRIM: Paul McMulln, Aaron Crawford, Liam Gillan, Fred McCurry, Ryan McGarry, Conor Boyd, Conor McHugh, Scott Walsh, Ronan Molloy, Deaglan Smith, Conal Bohill, Cormac McFadden, Seaan Elliott, Dominic McEnhill, David Kilgore.
Subs – Ed McQuillan, Oisin Donnelly, Eamon Elliott, Oran Kearney, Michael Close.
Referee – Chris Mooney (Dublin)
