Allianz Hurling League Division One – Group B
Antrim 2-22 Waterford 3-21
Sunday 27 February
It was déjà vu all over again for Antrim on Sunday afternoon and another case of ‘what might have been’ as they fell to a two point defeat to Waterford after a pulsating game at Corrigan Park.
Having led by four points at half time, Antrim were given a boost with the Deise reduced to 14 men. Colin Dunford seeing red for a strike with his hurl on Conor Johnston, this after the Waterford man had scored two majors in the opening half. But Waterford needed something special and Austin Gleeson delivered that in spades after the interval. A modest tally of just two points by his own lofty standards in the opening 35 minutes became 10 by the time referee Thomas Gleeson called for full time in an awesome display of scoring from all angles.
Antrim too had their heroes on a wind-swept Corrigan Park. Domhnall Nugent looked back to his best in a phenomenal performance while Paddy Burke, Conal Cunning and Keelan Molloy were shinning bright in a saffron shirt.
With three points separating the sides and the clock ticking into the last of four minutes allowed for additional time, Antrim had a massive chance to take a share of the league points. Conor McCann was fouled inside the square as the Saffrons carved out one last chance. A penalty was awarded and the large crowd on the Whiterock Road venue collectively held their breath as Neil McManus stood over the sliotar on the 21. His shot flew over the bar however in what was the last action of the match. The moans and sighs of disappointment were audible for all in attendance and it was such a sour note for McManus to finish the game on considering the effort he put in for the previous 70 plus minutes. Another superhuman display from the Cushendall man and it would have been a fitting end to the contest and just rewards for his display but this is top level hurling and rarely is there fairy-tale endings.
Hurling with the wind to their advantage, Antrim started well and held a three point lead after ten minutes. Waterford had already shown their goal threat with Ryan Elliott making an outstanding save to deny Stephen Bennett in the opening minutes but could do nothing to stop Dunford from finding the back of his net in the ninth minute.
Antrim responded superbly however with a brace of scores from McManus and Cunning before scoring their opening goal in the 14th minute. A long poc out fell just outside the Waterford ’21 with Keelan Molloy breaking the sliotar into the path of Nugent. He gathered the sliotar and unorthoxly batted the sliotar to the back of the net.
The Saffrons were hugely competitive at the breakdown, a stark contrast to two weeks ago against Dublin. They fought with more intensity and desire to unsettle Waterford in the middle third and while the Deise showed plenty of glimpses of their undoubted quality, Antrim were well worthy of their lead.
They extended their lead to five points with McManus’ 26th minute free their first score from placed ball but Waterford showed their clinical side once again just before the half hour mark. Tadhg de Burca’s long free wasn’t dealt with properly in the Saffron’s full back line and Dunford collected the sliotar before sending a rasping drive to the back of the net.
Once again Antrim responded well and within 60 seconds could have had their second major of the game. Nugent, Johnston and Cunning combining to release McManus but his shot was well saved by Shaun O’Brien.
The visitors were reduced to 14 men when the red mist descended upon Dunford and Antrim extended their lead to four by the short whistle with McManus’ accuracy from frees key.
The opening quarter of the second half belonged to the visitors to Corrigan Park with Aussie Gleeson taking centre stage in a masterclass performance. The Deise were back on terms after Stephen Bennett cut out a short pass from Gerard Walsh and found substitute Michael Kiely and he made no mistake with what was his first touch of the sliotar.
It signalled the beginning of a purple patch for Waterford as they went into a five point lead and took a stranglehold of the contest, Gleeson and Bennett the main protagonists for the visitors.
Antrim hit back however with the introduction of Ciaran Clarke and Conor McCann coming off the bench and having the desired effect Antrim manager Darren Gleeson was after. With four between the sides Nugent’s side line dropped in front of McCann and the Waterford defence scrambled. Clarke showed his impish best however with a pick and shot in the blink of an eye for Antrim’s second goal.
The Saffrons were back on terms with the next attack, Conal Cunning’s second point of the match restoring parity and with the momentum all in their favour, Waterford showed their own experience and slowed the game down. Their physio was overworked in the closing stages and allowed them to regain composure with Aussie Gleeson’s free taking ability to the fore.
Three points separated the sides when Antrim rolled the dice one more time. A major chance falling to David Kearney but his shot was well saved with the sliotar breaking free and the goal at his mercy, Conor McCann was fouled. A penalty was awarded and after another extended injury to a Deise defender, which couldn’t have done much good for McManus’s nerves, the Cushendall man was just a few inches to high with his shot and the league points were on the way down the East coast to Deise land.
A heart-breaking end to what was a pulsating contest where Antrim showed once again they have what it takes to hurl at the top level. Walking away disappointed from a game against a team who are probably the second best in the country is a surreal feeling. On another day, it could have been so much more. As it is, the journey continues to O’Moore Park next Sunday and a meeting with Laois in what promises to be another cracker.
TEAMS
Antrim: Ryan Elliott; David Kearney, Gerard Walsh, Stephen Rooney; Paddy Burke, Eoghan Campbell, Ryan McGarry; Keelan Molloy, Daniel McKernan; Michael Bradley, Domhnall Nugent, Conal Cunning; Seaan Elliott, Neil McManus, Conor Johnston
Subs: Niall O’Connor for S Rooney (HT); Ciaran Clarke for C Johnston (52); James McNaughton for M Bradley (52); Conor McCann for S Elliott (60)
Scorers: N McManus 0-13 (8f’s, 1 pen, 1’65); D Nugent 1-00; C Clarke 1-00; S Elliott 0-2; C Cunning 0-2; K Molloy 0-2; M Bradley 0-1; D McKernan 0-1; G Walsh 0-1
Waterford: Shaun O’Brien; Conor Gleeson, Conor Prunty, Iarlaith Daly; Conor Dalton, Tadhg De Burca, Tom Barron; Darragh Lyons, Jack Fagan; Neil Montgomery, Austin Gleeson, DJ Foran; Stephen Bennett, Ciaran Kirwan, Colin Dunford
Subs: Michael Kiely for C Kirwan (HT); Carthach Daly for T Barron (58); Kieran Bennett for N Montgomery (inj)
Scorers: A Gleeson 0-10 (4fs); S Bennett 0-6 (5fs); C Dunford 2-00; M Kiely 1-00; T De Burca 0-1; T Barron 0-1; D Lyons 0-1; N Montgomery 0-1; C Kirwan 0-1
Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Dublin)
