Saffrons late surge puts a gloss on their win

Leinster U20 Hurling Championship – Tier 2

Antrim 2-21 Down 1-13

Antrim’s U20 hurlers secured a hard-fought victory over old rivals Down at the Dub in Belfast, though the final scoreline masked a significantly more competitive encounter than their previous meeting with Down. While the Saffrons had cruised to an 18-point victory in the Ulster final just weeks ago, this Leinster Tier 2 clash proved to be a much sterner test of their resolve. Down were in contention until the final five minutes, before a late surge of 2-02 from the hosts finally broke their resistance and gave the result a somewhat flattering appearance.

***Down’s John Dougan gets his team away to a dream start and hs fires in his team’s opening goal in the third minute***

The visitors enjoyed a dream start when a failure in the Antrim defense allowed late addition John Dougan to find his range and blast a shot into the top corner of the net in the fifth minute. Antrim were slow to find their rhythm, hampered by early complacency and a greasy surface, but they eventually settled through the efforts of their excellent midfield duo of Charlie McAuley and Callagh Mooney. Despite the clinical free-taking of Cahal Colman, who remained a constant threat for Down throughout the evening, Antrim managed to claw back the early deficit. A late free from Oisin McCallin ensured the home side held a narrow one point lead at the interval.

***Antrim midfielder Charlie McAuley makes a break***

The second half continued in a similar fashion, with stop-start play allowing Down to stay within touching distance. Cahal Coleman continued to punish Antrim’s indiscretions from placed balls, keeping the gap to just five points midway through the half. Mickey McShane was forced to look to his bench for fresh energy, and the introduction of substitutes helped wrestle back control. Liam McEnhill broke a long scoring drought with a crucial strike to keep the scoreboard moving, while Oisin McCallin matched his counterpart’s accuracy to maintain the Saffron lead as Down hunted for a goal to swing the momentum.

***Antrim’s Thomas McLaughlin battles with Down full back Ben Teggart in the final minutes***

The decisive moment arrived with five minutes remaining when Jay McAlonan’s parried strike fell into the path of Cadhan Crawford, who instinctively finished to the net. This goal finally sapped the energy from the Down challenge, and the victory was sealed shortly after when Oisin McCallin capped a fine individual performance with a solo run and a sharp finish into the top corner. Although the margin of victory eventually grew to double digits, it was a far more grueling battle than their previous provincial meeting. Antrim now advance to face Kerry with a spot in the Tier 2 Leinster final at stake.

***Down’s S McCarthy battles with three Antrim opponents***

ANTRIM: S Óg McLaren; C Donnelly, L Glackin, C McCann; N Magee, C McIlwaine 0-1, C McIntosh; C McAuley 0-2, C Mooney 0-5; L McEnhill 0-1, R Fitzgerald 0-1, C Donnelly, C Crawford 1-4, O McCallin 1-5 (0-3f), R McGarry 0-1

Subs: T McLaughlin 0-1, J McAlonan, O McCamphill

DOWN: C Clarke; P McGarry, B Teggart, L Morgan; M Gilmore, S Pucci, C O’Neill; R Breen 0-1, S McCollum; C Coleman 0-11 (0-9f), F Ferguson 0-1, S McCarthy; C Monan, D Rogers, J Dougan 1-0

Subs: D Pucci, D McGrath