Ulster U20 Hurling Cup – Round 3
Derry 1-11 Antrim 0-19
Friday 6 February
Brendan McTaggart reports from Find Insurance Celtic Park, Derry
Antrim produced a workman like performance to see off the dogged challenge of Derry in Celtic Park on Friday evening to maintain their unbeaten start to the Ulster U20 Cup. Five points separated the sides at the end of the hour, owing much to the closing stages of the game that saw the Saffrons finish strongly but they were pushed all the way by the home side.
Looking at the stats, they conceded just 1-6 from open play while scoring 15 points themselves outside of Fiontan Bradley and Charlie McAuley’s frees. Five of their six starting forwards got on the scoresheet and there’s no dount they will feel like they left a few scores behind with their wide tally and efforts dropping short.
Defensively the Saffron’s rarely looked troubled. Derry scored the only goal of the game in the ninth minute of the tie in what was the only error in the Antrim full back line. Sean Og McLarnon was peerless under the high ball that came his way while his restarts were on point.
Liam Glackin put in a captains performance on the edge of the Antrim square, his decision making exemplary throughout while the midfield duo of Calum McIlwaine and Charlie McAuley got the upperhand in the middle third.
Up top, the Saffrons were lively and full of running with Jay McAlonan starting brightly while Fiontan Bradley was always a handful. Thomas McLaughlin and Niall Magee excelled, scoring six points between them and led the Antrim challenge at the death.
Antrim made a bright start with the opening three points of the contest coming from McAuley and two from McAlonan. Derry opened their account with a free by Paul McNicholl and scored the only goal of the game three minutes later. It was Ben McCullagh who had the initial shot only to see McLarnon deny him but McNicholl was first to the loose ball and made no mistake from close range.
A point from Ruairi Biggs put the home side two points ahead by the ninth minute but the Saffrons woke from their slumber with a trio of unanswered scores from McLaughlin, McIlwaine and McAuley to restore the Antrim lead.
The sides swapped three scores apiece in the second quarter with Oisin McCamphill, McAuley and Bradley (free) getting the scores for Antrim while a brace of frees from Cormac Og McCloskey and a brilliant point from McNicholl left the scores 0-9 to 1-5 in Antrim’s favour.
Antrim had whatever wind was blowing in the second halfand they opened a four point lead after the opening 10 minutes of the second half. Points coming from McLaughlin, Bradley (2) and Magee while the Derry response came from a sole McCloskey free.
The home side found some momentum with a trio of unanswered scores in the space of five minutes to leave the minimum between the sides. Scores coming from McCloskey (2) and a PJ Glover – getting a score with his first touch to ask questions of the Saffrons going into the final quarter.
Antrim responded well, however. A brace of scores from substitute Roan McGarry and Magee came before McCloskey and Bradley swapped frees.
Just two points separated the sides in the last minute of the hour but Antrim finished with a flourish with Bradley (free), McIlwaine, McLaughlin and Magee all splitting the uprights while a Ruairi Biggs free was the solitary response from the home side.
Antrim now cast their eyes to a meeting with Donegal in Dunsilly on Friday as their U20 season continues.
TEAMS
ANTRIM: Sean Og McLarnon; Cathair Donnelly, Liam Glackin, Colla Ward; Ronan Donnelly, Ben O’Kane, Reece Cunning; Calum McIlwaine, Charlie McAuley; James Donnelly, Thomas McLaughlin, Niall Magee; Jay McAlonan, Oisin McCamphill, Fiontan Bradley
Subs: Orrin O’Connor for J Donnelly (HT); Roan McGarry for B O’Kane (44); Sean Og Blaney for R Cunning (56); Canice McIntosh for O McCamphill (59)
Scorers: F Bradley 0-4 (3f); C McAuley 0-3 (1f); N Magee 0-3; T McLaughlin 0-3; C McIlwaine 0-2; J McAlonan 0-2; O McCamphill 0-1; R McGarry 0-1
DERRY: Oisin Mulholland; Declan Kelly, Tiarnan Melaugh, Deaglan McNamee; Cailean Gallagher, Emmett Og McKeever, Phelim Og Diamond; Ryan McGarvey, Kevin Barry Mullan; Ryan McGilligan, Ruairi Biggs, Paul McNicholl; Cormac Og McCloskey, Ben McCullagh, Cathal Quinn
Subs: Daire O’Lochlainn for C Gallagher (40); PJ Glover for R McGarvey (46); Felix Glover for C Og McCloskey (50); Caolan Convery for B McCullagh (50)
Scorers: C Og McCloskey 0-5 (4f); P McNicholl 1-2 (1f); R Biggs 0-2 (1f); C Quinn 0-1; PJ Glover 0-1
Referee: James Callaghan (Setanta, Donegal)
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