Leinster Senior Hurling Championship – round robin 5
Antrim 4-22 Carlow 2-22
Relief rather than elation was the general feeling, at the end of Sunday’s game at Corrigan Park as the Saffrons retained their place in the Leinster Hurling Championship next season with a 4-22 to 2-22 win over 14 man Carlow in the final round of the Leinster Round Robin series. For most of the first half Carlow looked the more likely winner as they picked off some top class scores, but Antrim’s ability to find the back the Carlow net kept getting them back into contention. Conal Cunning and James McNaughton were the men to raise the green flags, Cunning hitting one from play and one from a penalty in the first half, while McNaughton got two from play, one in each half.
Each goal was vital for on three occasion it brought the home side back into the game Cunnings second goal coming ten minutes before the break lifting the Saffrons and following that they got ahead for the first time to go in with a one point advantage at the interval.
However it was the events just after the half time whistle which were to have a big bearing on the outcome of the game. A bout of ‘handbags’ broke out after referee James Owens sounded the whistle and while it looked pretty innocuous at the start it got a little nastier as the tensions rose. Owens was is deep discussion with his umpires and linesmen at they headed to the dressing room at the interval and when the sides re-emerged Carlow’s Chris Nolan received his marching orders and his side, who had been reduced to 14 minutes for the last ten minutes of the first half after defender Paul Doyle got a black card for denying Seaan Elliott a goal scoring chance.
It was a tense afternoon in Belfast, but one in which Antrim would ultimately prevail and it was a vital win for their progress.
Conal Cunning fires in Antrim’s opening goal and celebrates the vital score
Carlow had the better of things in the early stages as Martin Kavanagh and Seaan Elliott traded points before the visitors reeled off the next three.
Antrim had a goal chance after five minutes but Conal Cunning pulled on a ground ball, but he struck the top of the ball and it flew wide of the target. There was no denying the Dunloy man three minutes later when he was put clear in front of goal after great work by Conor McCann and James McNaughton and the the corner forward drilled a left sides shot to the Carlow net.
However Carlow were always able to find a response and they gradually opened a gap with a goal from Chris Nolan and points from Kavanagh, James Doyle and Conor Kehoe as the gap widened.
Antrim were falling adrift but on twenty minutes man of the match James McNaughton found himself through on goal and the Loughiel man finished with aplomb to bring his side back to within two.
The third came on 24 minutes from a Conal Cunning penalty, when Seaan Elliott was dragged down by Paul Doyle but there was brief respite for the home side as Carlow replied with three of the next four points, but Antrim finished the half well with a pair of Cunning frees and then Keelan Molloy clipped them into the lead for the first half in stoppage time as Antrim led 3-09 to 1-14.
Nolan’s red card didn’t appear to be hampering Carlow in the early stages of the new half and they hit the first two points to retake the lead. However Antrim began to take charge again with Keelan Molloy, Niall O’Connor and Gerard Walsh all finding the target from long range
The gap fluctuated between three to four as Carlow kept very much in touch and things got even closer when Ciaran Whelan blocked down O’Connor’s attempted clearance to set up a goal chance which Kavanagh squeezed over the line.
Antrim hit back through Conor Boyd and then a goal of their own as two minutes later, Elliott teed up McNaughton to crack home.
Carlow kept in touch through Kavanagh, but Antrim were finding the answers as they pulled away and saw it out to retain their McCarthy Cup status for next season.
ANTRIM: Ryan Elliott, Conor Boyd (0-01), Rory McCloskey, Paddy Burke (0-01), Gerard Walsh (0-02, 2f), Niall O’Connor (0-02), Eoghan Campbell, Michael Bradley, Keelan Molloy (0-03), Nigel Elliott (0-01), James McNaughton (2-03), Niall McKenna, Conal Cunning (2-07, 1-00 pen, 0-06f, 0-02 65), Conor McCann (0-01), Seaan Elliott (0-01).
Subs: Paul Boyle for M Bradley (62), Joseph McLaughlin for C McCann (64), Christy McGarry for S Elliott (70+2), Rian McMullan for N Elliott (70+3), Fred McCurry for J McNaughton (70+4)
CARLOW: Brian Tracey, Paul Doyle, Dion Wall, Niall Boland; Jack Kavanagh (0-01), Kevin McDonald (0-01), Tony Lawlor, Jack McCullagh, Paddy Boland, Chris Nolan (1-01), Ciaran Whelan (0-01), Martin Kavanagh (1-11, 0-09f, 0-02 65s), Conor Kehoe (0-03), John Michael Nolan (0-1), James Doyle (0-03).
Subs: Fiachra Fitzpatrick for Kavanagh (47), Donagh Murphy for Nolan (65), Richard Coady for Whelan (70+1)
Referee: James Owens (Wexford)
