NFL Division 4
Leitrim 1-15 Antrim 2-20
A resurgent Antrim, showing a number of changes from the team named on Saturday night, found their shooting boots in Carrick on Shannon on Sunday as they swept aside the challenge of a fancied Leitrim.
A Paul Honeyford goal, three minutes into first half injury time handed Leitrim a lifeline as Antrim dominated in a wind assisted opening half to lead 1-11 to 1-3 at the interval at Pairc MacDiarmada.
It failed to materialise however as a hungry Antrim fired over the first five points of the second half as a team who have found scores hard to come by in recent weeks, scored at will.
Despite kicking seven wides early in the game the visitors recovered from a Mark Diffley 2 pointer with one of their own from Dominic McEnhill to finally get themselves on the scoreboard after 11 minutes.
Eoghan McCabe added a point to give Antrim the lead before McEnhill kicked his second of the game to move the Saffrons 0-5 to 0-2 ahead as they began to grow in confidence.
As the Antrim confidence grew Conor Hand struck the game’s opening goal for the visitors as he got on the end of a flowing move orchestrated by Marc Jordan but it appeared at this stage that it would take a substantial lead at half time, given the strength of the breeze favouring of the visitors.
Antrim continued to dominate possession as they won dirty ball around mid-field and Pat Shivers added a point before his Erin’s Own colleague, John McNabb came forward from goals to fire over and raise the Orange flag to move his side 8 ahead by the 25th minute.
Leitrim, who had started the season well with 2 wins from three starts finally got their third point of the half when Paul Honeyford split the posts in the 26th minute but it provided only temporary relief for his side.
Antrim hit back over the next seven minutes with points each from Eunan Walsh, Joseph Finnegan and Paddy McAleer as a rejuvenated Antrim continued to turn the screw.
Exchanges were becoming increasingly fractious as frustration began to creep into the Leitrim play but the hosts finally breeched the visitors defence and Paul Honeford got in for a goal on the stroke of half time to give them some hope for the second half.
There was further hostility between the sides on the way to the dressing room at half time with Antrim’s Sean Og O’Neill and Leitrim’s Ryan O’Rourke shown Yellow prior to the second half throw-in.
The hosts needed a good start to the new half if they were to claw back the Antrim lead but for the first time this season fortune appeared to have favoured Mark Doran’s side when a heavy shower during the half time interval abated and the breeze died as a consequence.
Indeed it was Antrim who set down another marker on the restart as they kicked the first five points of the new half with Dominic McEnhill, John McNabb (2pt free) and two more from the on song McEnhill moving them 1-16 to 1-3 ahead by the 10th minute.
Ben Guckian and Paul Honeyford replied with 2 pointers to close the gap to 9 as the home support dared to believe and another Orange flag raised by the highly rated Barry McNulty had it back to seven with still 16 minutes of normal time remaining.
The visitors were in no mood to relinquish what they had earned however and another creative build up saw Ryan McQuillan’s shot on goal charged down with Paddy McAleer on hand to finish to the net.
Both keepers then pulled off saves as the intensity increased with Killian Gaffney denying Pat Shivers at one end and John McNabb performing similar heroics as Barry McNulty threatened.
A Ryan McQuillan point in the 24th minute got Antrim going again with Barry McNulty raising Orange again to keep Leitrim’s fading hopes alive with 7 minutes remaining.
Back came the visitors and Dominic McEnhill raced clear to fist over before his side received a setback when Joe Finnegan was shown straight Red following an overzealous challenge on Barry McNulty.
McNulty punished the foul with a 2 pointer from the resulting free and he would exchange the game’s final points with Antrim’s Ryan McQuillan as Mark Doran’s side collected their first win of the season.
A great win for Antrim and while the promotion ship appears to have sailed it will hopefully set the Saffrons up for a strong finish to the season in preparation for the their Ulster championship opener against Derry.
Leitrim: Killian Gaffey; Eoin McLoughlin, Kieran Clancy, Conor Reynolds; Oisin McLoughlin, Mark Diffley (0-02p) , Éanna McNamara; Conor Quinn, Keith Keegan; Fergal McLoughlin, Riordan O’Rourke, Michael McKiernan; Ben Guckian (0-2 2p), Ryan O’Rourke, Paul Honeyman (1-03 2p).
Subs: Barry McNulty 0 – 7 2pf (0 2p for O McLoughlin (HT); Tom Prior for F McLoughlin (43); Gavin Reynolds for McKiernan (51); Seán Harkin for Reynolds (58); Jack Kelly 0 – 1 for Honeyman (64).
Antrim: John McNabb (0-05 2p, 2pf f); Sean O’Neill, Joseph Finnegan, Kavan Keenan; Eoghan McCabe 0 – 1, Ronan Boyle, Mark Jordan; Paddy McAleer (1-01), Tomas McFerran; Conor Hand (1-00), Pat Shivers (0-1), Eunan Walsh (0 -01) Ryan McQuillan (0-02); Adam Loughran, Dominic McEnhill (0 –08)
Subs: Ryan Murray for Loughran (61); Cathal Hynds for Boyle (67); Tiernan McCormack for Walsh (69); James McAuley for Keenan (72).
Referee: Pat Clarke (Cavan).