Leinster Senior Hurling Championship – Round 5
Antrim 1-16 Offaly 3-15
Sunday 25 May
Report from Brendan McTaggart
When James McNaughton found the back of the Offaly net in the 65th minute, it looked like the unthinkable was going to become thinkable. Reduced to 14 men, playing into a gale force wind and trailing by four points at half time, the odds were stacked against the Saffrons but McNaughton’s strike left the minimum between the sides.
As it was, however, it was the last score Antrim would record and Offaly got out of jail. Five points the difference at the end of a pulsating 70 minutes that saw Antrim play with incredible intensity, tactically astute after the early dismissal of Niall O’Connor and a game plan that made little of the conditions that had a massive impact on the game.
On a day that required heroes, Antrim had plenty in a Saffron shirt. Conor Boyd and Joe Maskey excellent in the half back line while Stephen Rooney put in his best performance in the county shirt – highlighted by a quite outstanding block to deny Brian Duignan a certain goal late in the game.
Gerard Walsh excelled in the middle of the park while Scott Walsh and the returning Keelan Molloy was a real thorn in the side of the Faithful County. James McNaughton top scored with 1-8 and another superb performance in attack but it was the concession of first half goals playing with the wind that hurt the Saffrons cause.
Brian Duignan top scored for Offaly with 1-7, his goal coming in the second minute of the game while Charlie Mitchell was always a serious threat. Donal Shirley patrolled as the extra man in defence and played the role to perfection while Dan Ravenhill (penalty) and Killian Sampson scored the other majors – Sampson with the score that would effectively seal the win for Offaly.
Playing with the wind in the first half, Antrim got off to the worse possible start when Duignan found the back of the net. Getting on the end of a cross field ball from Mitchell, Duignan swung his hurl one handed and smashed the sliotar beyond Ryan Elliott.
The Antrim response was swift with Nigel Elliott firing over. It could have been better with half a goal chance but Elliott elected to take his point.
A McNaughton free in the 6th minute brought Antrim to within one point when they were reduced to 14 men. Niall O’Connor was penalised for an off the ball infringement with Charlie Mitchell and referee Michael Kennedy flashed the red card.
Despite the set-back, Antrim responded well. Points from Keelan Molloy and Gerard Walsh either side of a Duignan free brought them level again before the home side were awarded a penalty in the 14th minute. Mitchell fouled in a scramble with Dan Ravenhill expertly finding the back of the net.
Antrim continued to make inroads into the Offaly defence and a brace of McNaughton frees was the Saffrons answer to the Offaly goal but when the home side hit three points unanswered from Dan Ravenhill, Duignan (free) and Shirley, it put four between the sides with a little over 12 minutes of the half remaining.
A quick fire brace from Molloy and a gargantuan point from Paddy Burke was followed by McNaughton’s fourth free of the half to bring the sides level but the home side finished the half strongly.
Points from Shirly and Dan Ravenhill were followed by scores from Duignan (free) and a brace from Mitchell with Gerard Walsh the solitary response from Antrim to leave the half time score 2-9 to 0-11.
It was going to take something special for Antrim to save their McCarthy Cup status such was the standing of the game at half time. McNaughton did manage to score the first point of the second half soon after the restart but a trio of scores from Duignan (two frees) and Dan Bourke put six between the sides. Indeed, were it not for the brilliance of Elliott between the sticks, it would have been more but he deflected Bourke’s effort over the bar.
Scott Walsh and Duignan swapped scores as Offaly maintained their six point advantage but Duignan’s free would be their last score for 20 minutes as Antrim controlled the contest with their running game.
Playing into the wind, they played with precision, pace and power to run at the Offaly defence and while scoring chances were at a premium, Offaly struggled and with every passing minute the Saffrons grew in confidence. A trio of frees from McNaughton came in that space of time with Mitchell splitting the uprights with a brilliant score from under the stand and not much angle to work with.
Antrim were throwing everything at Offaly and with the clock ticking into the final five minutes they finally got a break. McNaughton’s major came after a bit of a scramble but his strike was as sweet as anything seen during the game and gave Mark Troy no chance between the sticks.
The momentum was with the Saffons and when Rooney produced a miracle block moments later to deny Duignan with the goal at his mercy, it looked like the stars were aligninig.
It wasn’t to be however. Offaly’s third goal proved to be a hammer blow and while there’s no disputing the finish by Killian Sampson, Antrim could well be aggrieved by the award of a two man ball and not a free in their favour in the build up to the goal.
Duignan took his tally to 1-7 for the match with his seventh free and while Antrim continued to push, they couldn’t breach the Offaly defence one more time.
A disappointing result at the end of a disappointing campaign but this performance was outstanding. Full of guts, determination and a never-say-die desire that makes this defeat even harder to muster. Offaly maintain their status in the Liam McCarthy as the Joe McDonagh Cup beckons for the Saffrons.
TEAMS
Antrim: Ryan Elliott; Stephen Rooney, Paddy Burke, Niall O’Connor; Conall Bohill, Joe Maskey, Conor Boyd; Gerard Walsh, Eoghan Campbell; Ryan McCambridge, Nigel Elliott, Scott Walsh; Keelan Molloy, Eoin O’Neill, James McNaughton
Subs: Cormac McKeown for R McCambridge (55)
Scorers: J McNaughton 1-8 (8fs); K Molloy 0-3; G Walsh 0-2; P Burke 0-1; N Elliott 0-1; S Walsh 0-1
Offaly: Mark Troy; Ben Conneely, Ciaran Bourke, Sam Bourke; Ross Ravenhill, Donal Shirley, Jason Sampson; Cathal King, Colin Spain; Killian Sampson, Dan Bourke, Oisin Kelly; Dan Ravenhill, Charlie Mitchell, Brian Duignan
Subs: Jack Clancy for D Ravenhill (HT); Eoghan Cahill for J Sampson (64)
Scorers: B Duignan 1-7 (7fs); D Ravenhill 1-2 (1-00 pen); C Mitchell 0-3; K Sampson 1-00; D Shirley 0-2; D Bourke 0-1
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