Tailteann Cup Quarter-final
Antrim 1-19-1-15 Carlow
Kevin Herron reports from Corrigan Park
Antrim secured their place in the semi-final of the Tailteann Cup and will be off to Croke Park next weekend after coming out on the right side of a 1-19-1-15 score line against Carlow at Corrigan Park on Sunday afternoon.
Dominic McEnhill kicked the Saffrons on after a slow start and a Ruairi McCann goal before the break ensured that Andy McEntee’s side held a 1-08-0-05 lead at the midway point.
The sides largely cancelled each-other out in the second period and Antrim looked relatively comfortable until Micky Bambrick shot to the net with ten minutes plus injury-time to play and reduced the deficit to four-points.
It was a nervy and frenzied finish that saw Eoghan McCabe and Ronan Boyle black-carded along with Carlow’s Jamie Clarke – but Antrim held out to book their place in the last four next weekend.
Carlow opened the scoring inside of two minutes through an impressive Ross Dunphy point and weren’t under any serious pressure until a series of frees helped Antrim find their feet.
Dominic McEnhill restored parity from the placed ball on 10 minutes and would tap over another close-range effort within 60-seconds.
A tug-back on Adam Loughran led to McEnhill making it three from three and by the 15th minute the Rossa corner-forward had kicked his side into a 0-04-0-01 lead after referee John Gilmartin spotted holding inside.
The Saffrons moved further clear with goalkeeper Mick Byrne coming up to kick an angled free over with the help of the breeze.
Carlow hit back with quick-fire points through Darragh Foley however. The first after Peter Healy was penalised for holding and the full-forward dropped his effort over. Foley then took a lay-off on the loop and doubled his account for the half shortly after.
The sides then traded scores, Marc Jordan popped the ball off to Cathal Hynds to drop a fine shot over and Foley converted his second free of the afternoon in response.
Antrim moved three ahead again after Jordan fisted to Paddy McCormick to land a nice point and things got better for the hosts when they found the games opening goal on 32 minutes.
Paddy McBride sent a high ball across the square from an acute angle and Aghagallon’s Ruairi McCann got a touch on his pass and found the net to move his side 1-07-0-04 to the good.
Ross Dunphy sent a dipping effort over in response and Dominic McEnhill then landed his first from play of the afternoon.
A second goal was almost forthcoming in first half injury-time when Marc Jordan slung in a pass that was palmed down by Ruairi McCann, McEnhill took the layoff- but his low shot was smothered by the legs of Johnny Furey as it remained 1-08-0-05 at the interval.
Darragh Foley converted his second free of the afternoon as Carlow reduced the deficit upon the resumption.
Peter Healy would swing over a response at the other end it was the first of three successive scores, Marc Jordan roamed forward and popped over and a foul on Ruairi McCann led to Dominic McEnhill notching his fifth free of the contest.
Niall Hickey would reply after taking a pass from Aaron Amond and firing over, only for Creggan’s Ruairi McCann to point at the other end when a goal should have been the outcome.
Adam Loughran bustled his way through and saw his goal-bound effort steered off the line by Seánie Bambrick, McCann ensured there was a point at least and moved his side 1-12-0-07 ahead.
Conor Crowley, Darragh Foley and Ross Dunphy conjured up three consecutive scores to keep Carlow on the periphery with twenty minutes remaining.
Points from McEnhill and Rossa club-mate Mick Byrne afforded the hosts some breathing space though.
Conor Crowley doubled his account for the afternoon and his side found a lifeline with little over ten minutes remaining.
Having received treatment for a niggle, Mick Byrne’s kick-out failed to elevate and was gobbled up by a Carlow jersey and after going on the attack Micky Bambrick shot low to the net to bring the visitors within four-points at 1-15-1-11.
Byrne was replaced by Luke Mulholland the Ahgagallon club-man had to scramble across his goal to keep out a scuffed effort from Conor Crowley.
Talisman McEnhill cooled the nerves slightly with his seventh converted free of the contest after a foul on Eunan Quinn.
Ross Dunphy replied with an excellent swing inside the far post and the Antrim nerves ramped up when Eoghan McCabe was shown a black-card for a late tackle.
Carlow were unable to take advantage of the numerical advantage before they= too were reduced to 14-men after Jamie Clarke caught Paddy McBride high around the neck and received the same fate as McCabe.
McBride would assist in substitute Patrick Finnegan slotting his side five to the good again and an angled Dominic McEnhill point from play looked to have given the Saffrons some breathing space again.
Five minutes were added at the end of the half and it wasn’t plain sailing as Darragh Foley kicked his fourth free of the afternoon.
He would add another in quick succession after Ronan Boyle stopped a dangerous attack and received a black-card for his troubles meaning the Saffrons were again at a numerical dis-advantage.
Foley converted his third injury-time free to make it a three-point game and only when Dominic McEnhill slot over from Jordan’s pass in the 75th minute did Corrigan finally breath a collective sigh of relief.
The full-time whistle blew shortly after as Antrim sealed their place in the semi-final and will be off to HQ next Sunday.
Antrim: M Byrne (0-02f), P McCormick (0-01), P Healy (0-01), E McCabe, D McAleese, D Lynch, M Jordan (0-01), C Stewart, C Hynds (0-01), R Boyle, A Loughran, R McCann (0-01), P McBride, R McCann (1-00), D McEnhill (0-11, 0-07f). Subs: J Finnegan for D McAleese (8), E Quinn for C Stewart (19), G Walsh for P Healy (49), C Johnston for A Loughran (56), L Mulholland for M Byrne (60), P Finnegan (0-01) for R McCann (65).
Carlow: J Furey, S Buggy, M Bambrick (1-00), M Furey, N Hickey (0-01), S Bambrick, J Clarke, C Doyle, J Morrisey, C Crowley (0-02), J Moore, R Dunphy (0-04), C Hulton, D Foley (0-08, 0-06f), A Amond. Subs: J Dunne for S Buggy (45), E Molloy for C Hulton (52), D Curran for N Hickey (70), F Kavangah for C Doyle (70).
Referee: John Gilmartin (Sligo)
