When they last met….Saturday 16th April 2022
Antrim 3-22 Offaly 2-24
McDonagh Cup
Brendan McTaggart reports from Corrigan Park, Belfast
Antrim left it late in the day on Saturday afternoon to seal an opening day win in the McDonagh Cup. Conor Johnston’s second goal coming in the fifth minute of injury time proving to be the decisive score as the Saffrons edged past the challenge of Offaly.
To say this was a rollercoaster for 70 minutes would be an understatement. You would think as an Antrim supporter we would get used to this by now but Corrigan Park hosted another intense battle with two sides giving everything they had.
Offaly came with a point to prove and were certainly a different animal from two weeks ago. Antrim exploited gaping holes in their defence in Navan and looked like scoring a goal at every opportunity but Michael Fennelly and his team learned from that 70 minutes. Any sights of Stephen Corcoran’s goals were hard earned or coming through pieces of quality play.
In a bruising encounter, Domhnall Nugent gave everything he had for the Saffrons with he and Joe Maskey shouldering a lot of the heavy hits Offaly could give. Some curious refereeing decisions going against both men or no calls at all being given that left plenty in attendance scratching their head. Conal Cunning was once again mesmeric from frees with eight of his 10 points coming from placed ball while the goals came from the two Conor’s – Johnston and McCann…..
TEAMS
Antrim: Ryan Elliott; Ryan McGarry, Gerard Walsh, Stephen Rooney; Paddy Burke, Eoghan Campbell, Scott Walsh; Joe Maskey, Keelan Molloy; Seaan Elliott, Domhnall Nugent, Conor McCann; Conal Cunning, Ciaran Clarke, Conor Johnston
Subs: James McNaughton for K Molloy (HT); Phelim Duffin for S Rooney (56); Matthew Donnelly for S Walsh (61); Daniel McKernan for S Elliott (64); Conal Bohill for D Nugent (68)
Scorers: C Cunning 0-10 (7f’s 1 ’65); C Johnston 2-2; C McCann 1-1; C Clarke 0-3; P Burke 0-2; R McGarry 0-1; K Molloy 0-1; S Elliott 0-1; J McNaughton 0-1
Offaly: Stephen Corcoran; Joey Keenaghan, David King, Padraig Cantwell; Eoghan Parlon, Ben Coneely, Eimhin Kelly; Jack Screeney, Leon Fox; Adrian Cleary, Eoghan Cahill, Brian Duignan; Sean Cleary, Jason Sampson, David Nally
Subs: Luke O’Connor for S Cleary (48); John Murphy for L Fox (52); Killian Sampson for B Duignan (54); Ciaran Burke for E Parlon (63); Paddy Clancy for A Cleary (67)
Scorers: E Cahill 0-15 (11f’s, 1 ’65); D Nally 1-3; J Murphy 1-00; E Kelly 0-1; J Screeney 0-1; A Cleary 0-1; B Duignan 0-1; J Sampson 0-1; L O’Connor 0-1
Referee: Chris Mooney (Dublin)