Carlow 5-09-1-08 Antrim
From Kevin Herron at Carlow IT
Four goals conceded inside the first eight minutes put Antrim on the back foot and cost them dearly as they went down 5-09-1-08 to Carlow at Carlow IT this afternoon.
Lauren Dwyer and Caoimhe O’Neill hit goals within the first sixty-seconds and Dwyer claimed her second moments before Sara Doyle got in on the act.
Just before the half-time break Doyle claimed her second though Antrim improved after the break and hit the net through Caitlin Taggart, on their way to coming out on top in the final half hour.
Carlow made a terrific start to proceedings and hit the net within the first 20-seconds, Niamh Forde turned over possession from the throw-in and immediately charged towards goal, quickly popping the ball to Aibe Kiernan who picked out Lauren Dwyer and a goal was the end result.
Things got even better for the hosts as their quick movement saw them engineer a second goal through midfielder Caoimhe O’Neill.
Back to back points followed from Cliodhna Ni She before Lauren Dwyer shot into the top corner to give her side a 3-02-0-00 with just six-minutes on the clock.
Orla Corr responded from Antrim’s first attack, they were unable to build momentum though as Carlow claimed their fourth goal through a tidy finish from Sara Doyle.
Thereafter the Saffrons settled into the game with Nikki Jones converting a free and Caitlin Taggart doing likewise from the opposite angle- either side of the midway point in the first-half.
Carlow replied with their fifth goal of the game- Sara Doyle joined Dwyer on two-goals for the half as their side moved 5-02-0-03 ahead.
Aoife Taggart and Ni She traded points before the break but despite leading 5-03-0-04; Carlow would begin the second-half with 14-players as Lauren Dwyer was sin-binned five minutes before the interval.
The second-half began as the the first ended with Aoife Taggart and Cliodhna Ni She trading points on 39 minutes the Saffrons hit the net very untidily as Caitlin Taggart’s low shot trickled away from the reach of Nicole Hanley and into the net to make it 5-04-1-05.
Goalscorer Taggart added her second point of the afternoon in the aftermath, but Cliodhna Ni She curled over her fifth point.
Ellen Morgan converted a free – though Carlow regained the upper hand with three successive scores through Lauren Dwyer and a back to back Sara Doyle points.
They may have added a sixth goal, however Anna McCann made a terrific save to deny Cliodhna Ni She an almost certain strike.
Orla Corr claimed a second point late-on with Dwyer finishing the scoring to ensure her side ran out 5-09-1-08 winners at the conclusion.
Antrim will certainly be happy with an improved second-half showing and will hope to take some confidence into their clash with Derry in two weeks time.
Carlow: N Hanley, A Hanley, A Roche, O Fitzpatrick, A Dowling, E Atkinson, N Murphy, N Forde, C O’Neill (1-00), M Kinsella, C N She (0-05, 0-01f), A Kiernan, L Dwyer (2-02), S Doyle (2-02), N Kelly. Subs: E Cawley for M Kinsella (43); N Bambrick for N Murphy (46); S Cotter for C N She (59).
Antrim: A McCann, D Boyd, E Kelly, M Hanna, N Webb, N McIntosh, R Hemsworth, L Dahunsi, A Tubridy, N Jones (0-01f), O Corr (0-02), C Taggart (1-02, 0-01f), E Morgan (0-01f), F Rocks, A Taggart (0-02).
Subs: E Rocks for R Hemsworth (35); D O’Reilly for D Boyd (39); M Megraw for F Rocks (51).
Referee: Ciaran Groome (Offaly)