Leinster Minor Hurling Championship
Group 2 Round 3
Antrim 1-19 Laois 4-14
Friday 7 April
Brendan McTaggart reports from Abbotstown, Dublin
Antrim’s second half heroics wasn’t enough at the GAA Centre of Excellence on Friday as they came up short against a talented Laois side. Trailing by seven points at half time and nine just six minutes into the second half, Antrim produced a barnstorming 12 minute period where they pushed Laois to the pin of their collar. With less than eight minutes of the hour remaining the scores were tied but the Saffrons couldn’t find the scores to push clear. Laois’ fourth major proved to be decisive in the outcome of this contest but with more than a hint of good fortune for the Midlander’s that left a sour taste in the mouth of the Antrim management team. There was no denying Justin Duggan’s strike was out of the top drawer and unstoppable for Antrim substitute ‘keeper, Sean Og McClaren but the Saffrons were adamant the Laois forward collected the sliotar off the ground in the build-up to his goal.
With a final tally of 3-5 for the hour, Duggan was a real thorn in the side of the Saffrons as both Duggan and Ben O’Mara gave the Antrim defence a torrid afternoon. Duggan top scoring but O’Mara’s speed and agility from deep was a terrific asset for their side.
For Antrim, Ben O’Kane’s first half performance was outstanding and while he was still prominent after the half time break, he had more support with substitute Ronan Fitzgerald, Roan McGarry and Liam McEnhill all leading the Saffron charge. Defensively they had leaders in Cian Baudant and Niall Magee while Reece Cunning’s performance was quite simply excellent. His heroics to block Cormac Byrne’s shot in the build-up to the fourth Laois goal was sensational, putting his body on the line and showing a desire to do what it took for his side.
With the game in the melting pot at the death, both sides were reduced to 14 men after a fracas. Referee Caymon Flynn had a busy afternoon and after the game the Saffrons management team cast frustrated figures at how he officiated the game with an overriding feeling of injustice at a number of decisions going against them throughout.
Ultimately the Laois goals were the difference and two if not three of them were certainly avoidable. Laois were clinical in their execution of the chances Antrim coughed up and made the most of their opportunities as the Saffrons faltered at the death.
Laois played with the wind at their backs in the first half and made a much quicker start than the Saffrons. Inside the opening seven minutes, they had opened a four point lead with Eoghan Murphy’s free taking ability to the fore.
Roan McGarry was keeping Antrim touch with his own exploits from placed ball with Niall Magee landing the Saffrons opening score from open play to reduce that deficit to three before the first Laois goal came in the 17th minute. O’Mara with the sideline and Murphy with the pass to Duggan. The lively forward did the rest as the Antrim defence was carved open with the speed of the Laois move.
The Saffrons recovered with a brace of McGarry frees with McEnhill and substitute Fitzgerald also finding the target in response to a brace of Duggan frees and just when it looked like Antrim had recovered well from the Laois goal, they were rocked with another major. A long ball landed in the heart of the Antrim defence that wasn’t dealt with properly. It was O’Mara who made the most of the indecision in the Saffron defence this time and riffled to the back of the net in the 26th minute.
The sides exchanged scores in the time that remained to leave the half time score 2-10 to 0-9 in favour of Laois.
It was going to take something special for Antrim to revive their Leinster championship hopes and they were dealt a hammer blow six minutes after the restart. Goalkeeper Anthony Mullan mishandled a dropping sliotar from a long Ruaidhri Kavanagh delivery and with the sliotar spilling lose, Duggan was on hand to pull first time to the back of the net.
Nine points separated the sides but Antrim rallied. They scored five unanswered points in the six minute period that saw they take a stranglehold of the game and leave Laois in their wake.
A Duggan score briefly halted the Antrim charge but the Saffrons continued to turn the screw. McGarry’s eighth point of the game, a ’65 reduced the deficit to four once more before he would score Antrim’s major in the 51st minute. Fitzgerald’s effort dropping short and this time it was the Laois defence who were indecisive and it was McGarry who found the telling touch to send the sliotar to the back of the net.
There was an inevitability about the Saffrons completing the turnaround with Fitzgerald’s third point of the match bringing parity to the score line with eight minutes remaining.
Laois looked to break the Antrim momentum by slowing the game down with Murphy and Duggan firing over frees to edge them two clear once more. McGarry took his personal tally to 1-10 for the game as Antrim continued to show the belief that they could get the result needed.
They were hit with the ultimate sucker punch as the clock ticked into injury time however. Duggan fed the sliotar to Cormac Byrne and with an eye on the Antrim goal, his effort was sensationally blocked by Cunning. As the sliotar went lose, Duggan pounced and the net rippled. Antrim protested, those protests fell on deaf ears.
Antrim went in search for the goal that would bring them to within touching distance of Laois at the death, Laois were defensively strong and cute in their tackling. But when Ronan Fitzgerald was dragged down illegally and dangerously, tempers boiled over. Some players took the law into their own hands with Fitzgerald and Lorcan Dunne both seeing red as a result. Both looked puzzled at the outcome as they left the field but the referee did consult with his umpires and linesman before issuing the cards.
The final whistle blew soon after as Antrim’s Leinster championship ended in acrimonious circumstances with Laois progressing to the quarter finals.
TEAMS
Antrim: Anthony Mullan; Reece Cunning, Cian Baudant, Callagh Mooney; Niall Magee, Liam Glackin, Charlie McAuley; Enda McGurk, Ben O’Kane; Sean Og Blaney, Callum Kane, Liam McEnhill; Roan McGarry, Orrin O’Connor, Padraig Martin
Subs: Ronan Fitzgerald for C Kane (22); John Scullion for S Og Blaney (HT); Corey Walsh for P Martin (38); Sean Og McLaren for A Mullan (47)
Scorers: R McGarry 1-10 (9fs 1’65); R Fitzgerald 0-3; N Magee 0-2; O O’Connor 0-1; L McEnhill 0-1; E McGurk 0-1; L Glackin 0-1 (1f)
Laois: Ethan Lafferty; Oran Gorman, Ryan Peters, Eli Quinn, Patrick O’Callaghan; Evan Cassin, Liam Whelan; Ruaidhri Kavanagh, Jordan Downey; Caelum O’Brien, Cormac Byrne, Ben O’Mara; Eoin Bracken, Eoghan Murphy, Justin Duggan
Blood Sub: Lorcan Dunne for E Quinn (14 reversed 16)
Subs: Cian Hill for L Whelan (39); Jimmy Norton for E Bracken (43); Shane Connolly for C O’Brien (46); Lorcan Dunne for E Cassin (inj)
Scorers: J Duggan 3-5 (3f); E Murphy 0-5 (4f); B O’Mara 1-1; R Kavanagh 0-2; J Downey 0-1
Referee: Caymon Flynn (Westmeath)
