When they last met….
Saffrons Suffer Offaly Defeat
Allianz National Hurling League
Division 1B
Antrim 0-17 Offaly 2-26
Sunday 9 February
Brendan McTaggart reports from Glenisk O’Connor Park, Tullamore
And the mystery of Antrim’s ‘away day’ blues continue. On an afternoon that promised plenty, it transpired to be a largely forgettable journey to the Faithful County as the Saffrons succumbed to their second defeat of their league campaign.
It was a difficult watch for the vast majority of the 70 plus minutes with Antrim contributing a worrying amount to their own downfall. I didn’t take note of the number of turnovers either forced or unforced but it can’t have made for pretty reading for the Saffrons as Offaly romped to a comfortable and thoroughly deserving win.
Yet, with seven minutes of the first half remaining, the home side led by just two points. Offaly did have the lion’s share of possession and did the majority of the hurling in that opening 20 odd minutes but Antrim were plugging away and Ryan Elliott performing his own heroics between the sticks with two brave, brilliant and bewildering saves. Roy Keane might say that: ‘He’s a keeper, it’s his job’ but Antrim’s netminder produced the unimaginable.
In the seven minutes and a few more of injury time that followed, Offaly hit 1-5 without reply to leave 10 between the sides and another giving Antrim another indication if it were needed, that if you take your eye off the ball at this level, you get punished.
Brian Duignan put in another top performance for Offaly with a near faultless display from frees and open play while Charlie Mitchell was a real handful for the Antrim defence at full forward. The impish abilities of Daniel Bourke were evident throughout while Killian Sampson and Dan Ravenhill’s goals added gloss to the score board.
Defensively, it was a tough for Antrim. They were rocked by the absence of Conall Bohill who was replaced by Joe Maskey in the starting 15 while Gerard Walsh’s game lasted 13 minutes. Offaly’s ability to create space and pull the Antrim defence into places they just didn’t want to go was bewildering. Speed, agility, movement, they had it in spades. Antrim on the other hand looked like a team who were drained of confidence and lost among a swathe of a slick Offaly side who were in no mood to let a stuttering Saffron side off the hook.
James McNaughton continued his good form with nine white flags while Keelan Molloy top scored from open play with three points. Molloy showed glimpses of his mesmeric brilliance but it was all too fleeting as Antrim struggled. Nigel Elliott worked his socks off again along with Joe Maskey but there were too many in Saffron not leaving Tullamore with plus marks as Offaly cruised….
TEAMS
Antrim: Ryan Elliott; Gerard Walsh, Paddy Burke, Declan McCloskey; Scott Walsh, Eoghan Campbell, Joe Maskey; Niall O’Connor, Nigel Elliott; Paul Boyle, Niall McKenna, Keelan Molloy; Seaan Elliott, James McNaughton, Conor Johnston
Subs: Eoin McFerran for G Walsh (13); Ryan McCambridge for N McKenna (HT); Conor Boyd for D McCloskey (HT); Eoin O’Neill for P Boyle (47); Cormac McKeown for C Johnston (62)
Scorers: J McNaughton 0-9 (6fs 1’65); K Molloy 0-3; S Elliott 0-2; S Wlash 0-1; N O’Connor 0-1; J Maskey 0-1
Offaly: Mark Troy; Padraig Cantwell, Ciarán Burke, James Mahon; Ross Ravenhill, Donal Shirley, Jason Sampson; Colin Spain, Cathal King; Oisín Kelly, Daniel Bourke, Killian Sampson; Dan Ravenhill, Charlie Mitchell, Brian Duignan
Subs: Sam Bourke for P Cantwell (17); David Nally for K Sampson (60); David King for J Sampson (62); Luke Watkins for C Spain (64); DJ McLoughlin for D Shirley (68)
Scorers: B Duignan 0-12 (9fs 1’65); K Sampson 1-4; D Ravenhill 1-2 (1f); C Mitchell 0-4; D Bourke 0-1; O Kelly 0-1; R Ravenhill 0-1; S Bourke 0-1
Referee: Seamus Hynes
Johnston major seals Faithful victory for Saffrons
Antrim 3-22 Offaly 2-24
McDonagh Cup
16th April 2022
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.
Defensively Antrim will be disappointed with the two goals conceded but Paddy Burke shone at half back with Ryan McGarry also having a good game.
Antrim started superbly and scored the opening three points of the game inside the opening four minutes but Offaly were getting joy from utilising short poc-outs and developing chances through the lines. The Saffron’s were slow in responding to Offaly’s game plan in a half that was played largely on the visitors terms. Eoghan Cahill their main scoring threat with the Birr star capable of scoring from anywhere inside 70 yards as his overall performance showed……
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)
Job Done. Saffrons Remain in Division One
Allianz Hurling League Division One
Relegation Play Off
Antrim 2-24 Offaly 2-17
Saturday March 26, 2022
Report by Brendan McTaggart
Relief, elation, euphoria, job done. A mix of emotions at the full time whistle in Pairc Tailteann as Antrim secured their Division One status for 2023. It was the performance Darren Gleeson and his backroom needed to get the result the county yearned and the Saffrons delivered in spades. 10 points the difference and a score line that maybe flattered the Faithful County by the end of the 70 minutes. Conal Cunning top scoring with nine of his 10 points coming from frees as he took over that responsibility from the injured Neil McManus while Ciaran Clarke looked back to his best with 0-4 to his name. James McNaughton and Keelan Molloy with the other majors for the Saffrons as they reaped from their attacking play under the sun in Navan.
Antrim looked like they could score goals at will in the opening half with McNaughton’s 4th minute major settling any nerves in the Saffron camp. Offaly relied on scores from distance with Eoghan Cahill and Jason Sampson the main protagonists and going into the final couple of minutes of the first half, the sides were tied on 1-9 to 0-12.
Antrim finished the half with a saffron coloured flourish however with Clarke and Molloy raising the white flag before Domhnall Nugent and Conal Cunning combined to release Molloy for the Saffrons second major of the game with what was the last action of the opening half.
Offaly rallied at the start of the second half with 1-2 in the opening seven minutes. The Saffrons were reduced to 14 men with Niall O’Connor black carded in an incident that saw Cahill score form a penalty but Antrim regrouped to control the second half.
Defensively they had Offaly’s number with the half back line resolute and helping to create pressure up front by forcing turn overs.
Antrim outscored Offaly five points to one in a 10 minute period that effectively saw them build an unassailable lead. Huge frees from McNaughton and Cunning while Joe Maskey could have easily found the back of the net with his drive in that same period of time while Conor McCann’s 53rd minute point under the old stand at Pairc Tailteann was worthy to grace any pitch in the country.
Cahill’s accuracy from placed ball kept the Faithful County’s hopes alive but another four unanswered points and a brilliant save from Corcoran to deny Cunning a major put Antrim eight ahead with as many minutes remaining on the clock.
Offaly were reduced to 14 men for the last five minutes with Joey Keenaghan receiving a second yellow card and the Saffrons extended their lead to 11 points with Eoin O’Neill and Cunning (two). Antrim’s numerical advantage was gone when O’Connor was sent off in injury time and while Antrim looked home and dry, Offaly and Cahill kept them on edge in injury time. The Offaly talisman firing to the back of the net from a 21 yard free with a vicious drive to beat Ryan Elliott in the Antrim goals.
Antrim responded with Seaan Elliott winning a penalty, Eimhin Kelly black carded for his challenge and while Clarke found the back of the net, he was adjudged to have crossed the 21 before striking and his major was disallowed.
It mattered little however in what was the last action of the game. A third year at the top table of hurling beckons for the Saffrons while Darren Gleeson and his backroom team will turn their attention to another assault on the Joe McDonagh Cup.
TEAMS
Antrim: Ryan Elliott; David Kearney, Gerard Walsh, Stephen Rooney; Paddy Burke, Eoghan Campbell, Joe Maskey; Keelan Molloy, Ryan McGarry; James McNaughton, Domhnall Nugent, Conal Cunning; Conor Johnston, Conor McCann, Ciaran Clarke
Scorers: C Cunning 0-10 (9f); C Clarke 1-4 (1-00 pen); J McNaughton 1-2 (1f 1’65); K Molloy 1-2; E Campbell 0-2; G Walsh 0-1; J Maskey 0-1; C McCann 0-1; E O’Neill 0-1
Offaly: Stephen Corcoran; Jack Screeney, Ben Conneely, Joey Keenaghan; Leon Fox, David King, Killian Sampson; Adrian Cleary, David Nally; Brian Duignan, Jason Sampson, John Murphy; Liam Langton, Eoghan Cahill, Luke O’Connor
Scorers: E Cahill 2-7 (1-4f; 1 ’65); J Sampson 0-3; L O’Connor 0-2; S Corcoran 0-1 (1f); D King 0-1; D Nally 0-1; J Murphy 0-1; P Clancy 0-1