Joe MacDonagh Cup
London 4-09 London 1-22
Davy Fitzgerald’s Antrim finally ignited their Joe McDonagh Cup campaign with a battling, if ultimately nerve-wracking, victory over London in windy conditions at Ruislip. The Saffrons laid the foundation for the win with a masterful first-half display, but were made to sweat in the dying embers of the game after a bizarre second half saw them concede four goals.
Despite the late wobble, Antrim held their nerve to bring the points safely back across the Irish Sea, reviving their championship ambitions in the process.
The Glensmen looked to be in absolute cruise control when the half-time whistle blew. Playing into the teeth of a strong wind in the opening period, Antrim dominated the possession and the tactical battle. The opening exchanges lacked real intensity and briefly descended into a shootout of placed balls, but it was Antrim’s Seaan Elliott who stole the show.
Outstanding from start to finish, Elliott kept the scoreboard ticking over during a scrappy first half, punishing London’s indiscipline. His accuracy ensured the visitors dictated the tempo, allowing Antrim to carve out a thoroughly deserved 0-10 to 0-07 lead at the break—a phenomenal return given the adverse weather conditions they faced.
With the wind at their backs for the restart, Antrim threatened to blow the Exiles away completely. Paul Boyle split the posts early on, but London briefly rallied with a Paul Kennedy solo goal and a point from a free by former Ruairi Og hurler Ronan McGrady to level proceedings.
However, rather than panic, Antrim showcased their pedigree. They intelligently slowed the game down, seized total control of the middle third, and hit a devastating purple patch. The scores began to flow effortlessly, culminating in a superbly taken goal from Conal Cunning that seemed to effectively kill the tie. At one stage, Fitzgerald’s men were sitting pretty with a commanding nine-point cushion, seemingly with one foot already on the plane home.
Yet, to their credit, the hosts refused to throw in the towel. London captain Sean Glynn scrambled a goal to spark a revival, though Antrim immediately answered with three quickfire points to momentarily silence the home crowd. The drama wasn’t over, however. Jack Morrissey blasted a desperate free through a crowded Antrim square, and substitute Conor Byrne managed to rattle the net deep in stoppage time.
Suddenly, what should have been a routine finish had turned into a tense finale, with Antrim’s once-massive lead whittled down to a precarious three points.
Any lingering hopes of a miraculous London heist were firmly slammed shut by Antrim’s composure. When London’s Padraig Muldoon lost his discipline—earning a red card for throwing his hurley to cynically stop a surging Antrim breakaway—James McNaughton cooly stepped up and calmly slotted the resulting free to put a four-point gap between the sides and seal a thoroughly deserved victory.
Antrim will now return to home soil with their tails up, taking massive confidence from their dominant spells into upcoming clashes with Westmeath and Carlow as they look to storm their way back into the title reckoning. The win staves off any fear of relegation, but they need to win their two remaining games against table toppers Carlow and Westmeath, and hope things go their way in other games to have any chance of qualifying.
Scorers:
- Antrim: S Elliott 0-08 (4f), C Cunning 1-03, J McNaughton 0-03 (3f), K Molloy 0-03, C Johnston, C Bohill, P Boyle, J McCloskey, R Donaghy 0-01 each.
- London: R McGrady 0-05 (5f), P Kennedy, S Glynn 1-01 each, J Morrissey 1-00, N Fitzgerald, A Cunney 0-01 each.
Teams:
- Antrim: C McFadden; R McNulty, P Burke, S Rooney; O Donnelly, N O’Connor, G Walsh; K Molloy, P Boyle; C Bohill, C Cunning, R McCambridge; J McNaughton, C Johnston, S Elliott.
- Subs: J McCloskey for McCambridge (49), J McLaughlin for Bohill (51), R Donaghy for Elliott (59), R McCormick for Burke (65).
- London: M Kilgannon; A Cunney, P Muldoon, B Morrissey; N Fitzgerald, J Morrissey, J Loughnane; T Hanifin, R Lodge; N Quinlan, R McGrady, F Whelan; S Glynn, P Kennedy, E McGrath.
- Subs: C Byrne for Whelan (46), N Eames for Lodge (36), S Whelan for Quinlan (60), D Leary for McGrath (67), E Kelly for Fitzgerald (68).
Referee: N Malone (Clare)
PICS BY SHEILA FERNANDES