Antrim secure final place with win over Meath

Joe McDonagh Cup – Round Robin at Pairc Tailteann, Navan

Meath 3-14 Antrim 7-29

“We have a load of work to do, but we are where we planned to be, inside in the final” was how Antrim manager Darren Gleeson summed it all up after Sunday’s game at Pairc Tailteann, Navan after Antrim’s win over Meath in the penultimate round of the Joe McDonagh Cup.

That was as good a summation as the Tipperary man could make, for its hard to assess a game which your team has won by 27 points, and still be aware that there were facets of the their play that was fell short of his expectations. However it iss hard to be critical after such and emphatic win. Antrim are in the final with their 100% record intact, but their concession of three bad goals is a little worrying going forward. Antrim face Kerry in their final game next weekend at Corrigan Park in a match which has no real meaning to the Saffron, but with the final in mind on June 4^th, the management will want to keep their 100% record intact.

There was a fear before the game that there might be a bit of complacency in the camp, but those feelings had not filtered through to the team, who were on the front foot from the off, and Conor McCann got them off to a flyer as he doubled overhead on a breaking ball and sent it to the Meath net in the opening minute.

Six minutes later McCann got his second goal with another clinical finish and goal number three came soon afterward when Paddy Burke soloed up from defence and fed Seaan Elliott. Elliott was closed down by the home defence, but when the ball broke from a melee, Burke was on hand to poke the ball home to open up an eleven point lead in as many minutes. (0-2 to 3-4)

Antrim’s Conal Bohill gets clear of Meath’s Padraig O’Hanrahan.

Meath got their first goal when a long clearance from defence was caught on the edge of the square by full forward Damien Healy who was fouled, and a penalty awarded. Centre forward fired low to the left corner, but Antrim responded well as they registered the next six points, among them some top class scores. However Meath came back again with goal number two, this time from a twenty metre free which Regan fired through the Antrim defensive line.

Antrim were able to respond when there was any threat though, and two points from Coby Cunning, and one each from Mick Bradley, Niall McKenna and James McNaughton were followed by goal number four, as Paddy Burke grabbed a second. The fifth one came on the cusp of half time when James McNaughton fed Seaan Elliott and the Saffrons headed to the dressing room with a twenty point lead and their place in the final all but assured.

**Antrim goalkeeper Ryan Elliott dives to his right to save a penalty during his team’s win over Meath in the Joe McDonagh Cup at Navan.**

With such a lead it was understandable that the game lost its edge, and play at times was scrappy and disjointed. A raft of changes through that second half gave player much needed game time. The scores kept coming at either end and Eoin O’Neill and James McNaughton his goals six and seven, Regan got the home team’s third goal, to cap a fine performance which saw the centre forward end with 2-8 to his name.

One down side for Antrim was the dismissal of Niall McKenna to a straight red card but hopefully he will only get a one match ban which would leave the Sarsfields man available for the final in three weeks’ time. Next Sunday sees the round robin stages completed with a home game against Kerry. The Kingdom, one of the pre-tournament favourites appear to be out of the running after defeat at the weekend to Offaly but they will want to finish on a high and will provide a stern test for the Saffrons.

**Conal Cunning goes high to win the ball during the second half of Sunday’s win over Meath in Navan**.

MEATH: C Ennis; B McKeon, S Geraghty, P Potterton; J Kelly (0-1), D Kelly, S Morris (0-1); M Burke, P O’Hanrahan; M O’Sullivan, J Regan (2-8, 1-5 frees, 1-0 pen, 0-1 65), K Keena (0-2); M Cole, D Healy, C Reilly (0-2).

Subs: J Walsh (1-0) for M O’Sullivan (HT), N Potterton for J Kelly (HT), J Ennis for P Potterton (47), E Ó Donnachadha for D Healy (47), A O’Connor for M Cole (53)

ANTRIM: R Elliott; S Rooney, G Walsh (0-2), N O’Connor (0-1); P Burke (2-0), E Campbell, C Bohill; J Maskey (0-1), M Bradley (0-2); N McKenna (0-4), E O’Neill (1-1), J McNaughton (1-1); C Cunning (0-12, 6 frees, 3 65s), C McCann (2-1), S Elliott (1-2)

Subs: S Walsh for S Elliott (47), R McCambridge (0-2) for C McCann (51), M Donnelly for P Burke (51), A Crawford for C Bohill (58), P Duffin for E Campbell (64)f