Joe McDonagh Cup

Round 5

Antrim 3-26 Carlow 1-15

Sunday 24 May

Brendan McTaggart reports from Corrigan Park, Belfast

It wasn’t the ending to the county season we had hoped for but a winning one, nonetheless.  Antrim recorded a comfortable win against Carlow in a sun kissed Corrigan Park but it wasn’t enough to force their way into the final. 

Down held up their end of the bargain but it was too much to ask for a miracle from the Exiles against Laois.  Antrim’s win proved to be in vain in what has turned out to be Davy Fitzgerald’s last game in charge.  The Antrim manager announcing to the squad after the game that he was resigning with immediate effect.

Given the last month or so and what’s happened off the pitch, it’s not really surprising and when you add in the results from the last two years, perhaps today was inevitable.  The option for a third year was there, it wasn’t taken.  The Davy Experiment has come in for some criticism from media sources up and down the country, some of it warranted, some of it not so.  Was it the right time for such a high-profile appointment?  There’s pro’s and con’s to that.  Hindsight is, off course, 20-20.  But I maintain that it was impossible to not at least have the conversation and take the risk. 

Has it backfired?  Well, when you look at this match, that one is open for debate.  Antrim played with a more traditional ‘formation’ and when you’re hitting 3-26 you’re going to win most games.

But it was the performance levels of the players that impressed me today.  They were on a hiding to nothing against a side who travelled to Belfast basically for a holiday with their place in the McDonagh Cup final already secured.  James McNaughton looked back to something close to his best while Keelan Molloy, Ryan McCambridge, Paul Boyle and Niall O’Connor all shone.  The whole team looked to be more at home with what was being asked of them and how they set up.  Attacking with variation, playing with intensity and seemingly a freedom that feels like it’s been missing for a while.

McNaughton top scored with 15 points beside his name.  A magician with a hurl in his hand and dancing feet Michael Flately would be impressed by, it was great to see James back to his unassuming brilliant best.

Antrim’s control of this contest was helped with early goals from Joseph McLaughlin and Keelan Molloy.  ‘Pep’ could have had an early goal but was denied by the brilliance of Kyle Foley in the Carlow goals and some last gasp defending.  His goal came in the 17^th minute and come from much of his own doing.  Forcing a turnover in a danger area before finishing with the expert ease we’ve come to expect.

There was time for another Antrim goal chance before Molloy’s major with substitute Ruairi Donaghy’s effort coming back off the upright and when Molloy found the back of the net in the 25^th minute, this game was all but over as a contest.  Conall Bohill rising highest in the middle of the park to claim the sliotar before finding Maskey running through the middle.  He would find Molloy and with space to run into, the Antrim star made no mistake with a brilliant finish.  Keelan would finish the contest with 1-3 and each of his points seemingly better than the one coming before it.  There’s something about watching him play hurling in an Antrim shirt that makes you feel like we’re capable of anything.  A Keelan Molloy with confidence and playing with a smile of his face and that swagger is a sight to behold.

His major gave Antrim a nine point lead before the half hour mark, really it could have been twice that but a 12 point lead at the interval transpired.

The second half felt procession like with Donaghy’s goal coming inside the opening 20 seconds of the half.  Rising highest to claim the sliotar before hammering to the back of the Carlow net was the start Antrim would have wanted.  You got the sense that the players wanted to sign off from the county season with a performance as well as a victory.

The Barrowsiders scored their major in the 42^nd minute through Ruairi Murphy and came as a result of a lovely move in the middle of the pitch involving Conaill Fitzpatrick.  It was a top finish and there wasn’t anything Cormac McFadden could do but a word on the Loughgiel and Antrim shot stopper.  His improvement as a goalkeeper over the last 18 to 24 months has been astronomical and his puck outs have become an excellent attacking weapon.  He and Domhnall Nugent vied for that number one shirt at the start of the season with Ryan Elliott unable to commit for the season and McFadden’s performances by and large, have been excellent.  His save in the 54^th minute to deny Colm Kavanagh epitomised bravery, putting his body on the line while he denied Murphy a second goal with his stop from a 21 yard free late in the game.

The manner of victory and the deficit was added to with late scores from Molloy and substitute Scott Walsh while McNaughton did what he does with effortless ease.  17 points and worth everyone of them on a chapter ending day, not only for Davy but for one Saffron stalwart, Stephen Rooney.  The tenacious defender who has acquitted himself superbly in an Antrim shirt and was given the honour of leading the team out for the match, called time on a career that has saw him with a couple of promotions and a pair of McDonagh Cup’s.  A third would have been nice to sign out on, that fairy tale ending didn’t come for the Naomh Pól man and while he looks ahead to a club career, Antrim’s search for another manager will begin.

Stephen Rooney who played his last game for Antrim on Sunday is seen here with his wife Cliodhna and son Tadhg and again the extended family

TEAMS

Antrim Starting XV: Cormac McFadden; Ruairi McCormick, Niall O’Connor, Stephen Rooney; Oisin Donnelly, Joe Maskey, Gerard Walsh; Paul Boyle, Ryan McCambridge; Conall Bohill, Keelan Molloy, James McNaughton; Jack McCloskey, Conal Cunning, Joseph McLaughlin

• Subs: Ruairi Donaghy for J McCloskey (12); Scott Walsh for C Bohill (50); Rory McCloskey for O Donnelly (56); Cormac McKeown for P Boyle (60); Ben McGarry for K Molloy (66)
• Scorers: J McNaughton 0-15 (9fs, 1’65); K Molloy 1-3; J McLaughlin 1-1; R Donaghy 1-00; R McCambridge 0-2; P Boyle 0-2; G Walsh 0-1; C Cunning 0-1; S Walsh

Carlow Starting XV: Kyle Foley; Lorcan Doyle, Niall Bolger, Conaill Fitzpatrick; Tadgh O’Neill, Richard Coady, Paidi O’Shea; Eric English, Colum Beck; Jake Nolan, Ted Joyce, John Doyle; Paddy Bolan, John Michael Nolan, Ruairi Murphy

• Subs: Colm Kavanagh for JM Nolan (24); Conor Carew for P Bolan (43); Kevin Kavanagh for T Joyce (48); Jamie Wall for P O’Shea (58)
• Scorers: R Murphy 1-8 (4fs, 4’65’s); J Doyle 0-4; E English 0-1; C Beck 0-1; C Kavanagh 0-1

Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Dublin)

TO SEE MORE PHOTOS FROM THE GAME BY PHILIP OF pmc.jpeg CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

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