With the GAA in total shut-down, and to give our readers something to occupy a few minutes, we are taking a look back at some of the games over the years. We start off with Antrim v Laois in Division 2 of the National Hurling League which was played on this weekend ten years ago, March 14th, 2010. Dinny Cahill had just taken over the reigns for a second time, and with ‘Dick’ O’Kane as his his assistant. However Laois were to prove too strong that day with Willie Hyland pulling the strings they were too good for Cahill’s Saffron side.
NATIONAL HURLING LEAGUE DIVISION 2 – CASEMENT PARK MARCH 14th 2010
Antrim 1-12 Laois 2-19
Winger Willie Hyland rifled over a dozen points for Laois as the O’Moore County were too good for Antrim at Casement Park.
The teams were level at three points apiece after eight minutes but two goals from Neil Foyle in eight minutes from the 10th were major setbacks to Antrim who then trailed by 2-5 to 0-4.
Both goals were set up for Foyle by Tommy Fitzgerald.
A criss-cross passing movement in the 42nd minute ended with the ball dropping to McManus who pulled on the sliothar and it slid under ‘keeper Eoin Reilly’s caman into the net to close the gap to 2-10 to 1-9.
Reilly made up for that slip three minutes later when he brought off a flying save from Ciarán Herron’s angled drive but he wasn’t really bothered again.
With Laois completely on top, Hyland tossed over a series of frees from various angles and distances with only McManus managing to hit the target for the hone side.
ANTRIM: G McGhee; A Graffin, C Donnelly, B McFall; S McCrory, K McKeegan, C Herron; P Shiels (0-2, 0-1 free), S McNaughton (0-3); L Watson (0-2, 0-1 free), N McManus (1-5, 0-3 frees), P McGill; D Hamill, T McCann, PJ O’Connell. Subs: N McAuley for B McFall (24), C McFall for McGill (39), E McCloskey for Hamill 43), C McAllister for McCann (59). Red Card: L Watson (28).
LAOIS: E Reilly; C Dunne, D Maher, B Stapleton; M Whelan, B Campion, JA Delaney; J Walsh (0-1), M McAvoy; O Holohan (0-1), C Healy, W Hyland (0-12, 0-6 frees, 0-1 a ’65’); E Costello (0-2), T Fitzgerald (0-2), N Foyle (2-0). Subs: J Purcell (0-1) for Foyle (46), B Dunne for Walsh (59), S Dollard for Holohan (68), J Prior for Stapleton (69).
Referee: G Devlin (Armagh).
