Antrim have named their team for tonight’s Under 20 Hurling final against Down at the Dub Arena, Belfast. Sean Og McLaren starts in goal behind a full-back line of Cathair Donnelly, Liam Glackin and Colla Ward, while the half-back line is made up of Niall Magee, Callum McIlwaine and Conor McCann.
Charlie McAuley and Thomas McLaughlin form the midfield pairing with Liam McEnhill, Orrin O’Connor and Conor Donnelly making up the half forward line. Oisin McCallin is named at full forward with Fiontan Bradley on his left and Ronan ‘Rosie’ Fitzgerald on his right.
The two teams met in the first round of the round-robin series back in January in what was a “game of two halves” dictated by a strong wind. Antrim put in a big shift in the first half against the breeze, and lead by two points at the break.
Oisin McCallin was the star of the show that day, finishing top scorer while Roan McGarry & Jay McAlonan came off the bench to grab late goals that put a gloss on the scoreline for the Saffrons. It has to be said Down had three players in action that day who had lined out for their seniors the previous day in the National Hurling League.
Antrim will no doubt go into tonight’s game as firm favourites after scoring big wins over Tyrone, Donegal and Wicklow in their subsequent games, but their game against Derry at Celtic Park gave a little bit of concern, as they struggled to shake off the Oak Leaf challenge. There was only a point between the two teams that night going into injury time, but four late points gave the Saffrons’ scoreline a better look.
When Down met the Derry men in their round robin game a couple of weeks ago, it was a different story, as the men from the Ards beat Derry comprehensively, and that should act as a warning to the Saffrons just what this Down team is capable of, and they must not take them lightly.
Ulster Under 17 Hurling Championship final at Dunsilly
Antrim 4-14 Wicklow 1-15
Antrim claimed the Ulster Under 17 Hurling title after a thrilling 4-14 to 1-15 victory over Wicklow at Dunsilly. In a game of shifting momentums, Dominic McKinley’s side had to weather a fierce second-half fightback from the Garden County before unleashing a devastating goal blitz to secure the Danny McNaughton Cup.
Playing with a stiff breeze at their backs in the opening period, Antrim struggled to fully capitalize on their elemental advantage despite dictating much of the play. Instead, the Saffrons relied heavily on the dead-ball accuracy of Cody McGarry. The wing-back was in superb form from frees, providing the bulk of their early scores alongside efforts from Connlaodh McNaughton and Cahir McCloskey. This kept the scoreboard ticking over and ensured Antrim carried a 0-09 to 0-05 lead into the dressing rooms, with Wicklow’s Colin Lawrence keeping his side in touch with some accurate shooting of his own.
Upon the restart, the dynamic of the game completely changed. Wicklow stormed out of the blocks, with Lawrence and substitute Joe Keeshan hitting four unanswered points within six minutes to wipe out the deficit and draw level. Just as Wicklow looked like favourites to push on, Antrim showed tremendous character and flipped the script. In the eighth minute of the half, Cillian Cunning struck for Antrim’s first goal to halt Wicklow’s momentum. Three minutes later, Antrim captain Joe Casey added a second goal in somewhat fortunate circumstances, slipping as he struck the ball but managing to deceive Ross Weld in the Wicklow net.
The game opened up into a frantic final quarter as both sides traded points. Antrim struck a massive blow in the twenty-first minute of the half when Connlaodh McNaughton fetched a high catch and buried a superb third goal for the Saffrons. Wicklow refused to go away quietly, and a twenty-seventh-minute goal from Jim O’Brien brought them right back into the contest. However, Antrim had the final say deep into injury time. In the thirty-third minute, Ronan Elliott finished off a slick team move with Antrim’s fourth goal, extinguishing any lingering Wicklow hopes and sealing a memorable victory.
Wicklow’s Colin Lawrence who had a great game for the Garden County, scoring ten points overall
Fir Ionaid (Substitutes): 16. Robert Cowman 17. Joe Keeshan 18. Kalem Buckley 19. Zak Windsor 20. Sean Byrne 21. Peter Mooty Monaghan 22. James Dragusin 23. Dylan Rooney 24. Donnacha Clarke 25. Nathan Gough 26. DJ Williams 27. Rian Kennedy 28. Callum Jordan Dempsey 29. Paul Farrell
TO SEE MORE OF DYLAN’S PICS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
Dublin made a resounding statement in Belfast on Sunday afternoon, delivering a clinical performance to outclass Antrim while handing out a 15-point beating. After last week’s impressive win over Carlow the Saffron fans were hoping for another good showing, but Dublin were a different class of opponent. From the opening exchanges, the visitors exerted a level of control that left the Saffron faithful fearing a long afternoon. That openinng burst which saw them lead by 0-09 to 0-01 after ten minutes gave the boys in blue complete control of the game, and though the Saffrons competed well for the remainder of the half it was mostly about damage limitation. Keelan Molloy grabbed three superb points and Ruairi Donaghy lifted spirits with neatly taken goal, but the Dubs always had an answer.
Aided by a strong breeze, Dublin stormed into an early lead. The excellent Donal Burke was the orchestrator-in-chief, accounting for nearly half of Dublin’s 20-point first-half haul. His highlight, a monstrous 90-yard free that soared over with room to spare, epitomized Dublin’s efficiency with the elements.
Antrim struggled to find their rhythm in a feisty encounter, though Seáan Elliot provided a reliable outlet. Despite the difficult conditions, the Dunloy man was unerring from placed balls, striking six points to keep the hosts within touching distance.
Dublin’s depth was on full display as Fergal Whitely and late inclusion James Madden added to the tally. However, the home side found a lifeline ten minutes before the break. Ruairi Donaghy flicked the sliotar past Seán Brennan for a goal that ignited the Corrigan Park crowd. A follow-up brace from Keelan Molloy and more accuracy from Elliot briefly cut the gap to six, before Cian O’Sullivan ensured Dublin went into the sheds with a 0-20 to 1-08 lead.
Antrim hoped the wind advantage would favor them in the second period, but those hopes were swiftly extinguished. Chris Crummey found the net shortly after the restart, a blow from which the Saffron County never recovered.
As the wind seemed to die down, so did Antrim’s momentum. Dublin’s defense tightened, and their attack remained relentless. O’Sullivan added three more to his personal tally, while Whitely continued to punish defensive lapses. While James McNaughton and Elliott added late scores for the hosts, the result had long been beyond doubt.
The Saffrons are not in action for another three weeks when they meet old rivals Down in Newry in an Ulster derby.
Allianz Hurling League Division 1B Table
Pos
Team
P
W
D
L
Diff
Pts
1
Clare
5
5
0
0
+62
10
2
Wexford
4
3
1
0
+13
7
3
Dublin
4
2
1
1
+27
5
4
Kildare
4
2
0
2
-1
4
5
Carlow
4
1
0
3
-26
2
6
Antrim
5
1
0
4
-27
2
7
Down
4
0
0
4
-48
0
Weekend Results (Round 5)
Dublin 1-31 | Antrim 1-16
Carlow 0-18 | Clare 1-28
Kildare 3-24 | Down 1-23
What this means for Antrim:
With only 2 points from 5 games and a difficult scoring difference, Antrim are now officially in a scrap to avoid the relegation play-off. Their upcoming match against Down (who have a game in hand) will be the deciding factor in who stays up and who faces the drop. However a win over the Ards men may not even be enough as they will need other results to go their way as well if they are to avoid the drop
Scoring & Teams
Team
Scorers
Dublin
D. Burke 0-8 (5f), F. Whitely 0-5, D. Purcell 0-4, C. Crummey 1-1, C. O’Sullivan 0-4, R. Hayes 0-2, J. Madden 0-2, P. Smith 0-1, B. Hayes 0-1, J. Hetherton 0-1, C. Burke 0-1, D. Ó Dúlang 0-1 (1f).
Antrim
S. Elliot 0-8 (7f), R. Donaghy 1-1, K. Molloy 0-3, J. McNaughton 0-2 (1f), C. Johnston 0-2.
Antrim: D. Nugent; S. Rooney, N. O’Connor, P. Burke; E. McFerran, G. Walsh, J. Maskey; R. McCambridge, P. Boyle; K. Molloy, C. Johnston, R. Donaghy; S. Elliot, J. McNaughton, S. Walsh.
Subs used: E. O’Neill, J. McLoskey, S. Duffin, J. McLaughlin.
Dublin: S. Brennan; C. Groarke, P. Smith, E. O’Donnell; A. Dunphy, C. Crummey, C. Burke; B. Hayes, C. Donohoe; F. Whitely, D. Burke, J. Madden; D. Purcell, J. Hetherton, C. O’Sullivan.
Subs used: D. Ó Dúlang, C. McHugh, J. Bellew, C. O Cathsaigh, R. Hayes.
TO SEE MORE PICS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW
The Antrim team to face Dublin at Corrigan Park tomorrow shows two changes from the team that beat Carlow last weekend. Conall Conning, who was star of the show last weekend with six points, unfortunately misses tomorrow’s game due to a broken jaw injury that he received against Carlow and his place in the corner is taken by the Dunloy teammate Owen O’Neill. O’Neill came on in the closing stages last week against Carlow and showed well, scoring a good point. He had been playing at midfield in the earlier games with the campaign, but this time slotted in at the top of the left.
Donald Nugent takes over in goals from Conor McFadden from last week’s side as Davey Fitzgerald continues his policy of alternating the goalkeeper from week to week during the league campaign.
The fullback line remains the same with Stephen Rooney at right-back, Niall O’Connor at full-back and Paddy Burke in the left corner. The personnel in the half back line are the same as last week. The only change being that Gerard Walsh moves into number six, with Joe Maskey moving out onto the left wing while Dunloy maintains his place on the right.
Midfielder Ryan McCambridge maintains his place and wears the number 8 jersey again, but Paul Boyle, who started in the half-forward line last week, moves back to partner McCambridge at the middle of the field, in a straight swap with Keelan Molloy, who this time wears the number 10 jersey,
Conor Johnson stays on the 40 with Rory Donaghy of St Enda’s on the left, while in the full forward line top scorer this season, Seaan Elliott, is in the right corner, with James McNaughton on the edge of the square and Eoin O’Neill at the top of the left.
Brendan McTaggart previews Antrim’s upcoming hurling league game with Carlow
Antrim’s league goes into its fourth match of the campaign on Sunday with Carlow making their way to Corrigan Park and while it’s not quite ‘win or bust’, it’s certainly a case of the Saffrons needing a win to keep their fate in their own hands.
The journey to date has been less than remarkable, other than a rainy Saturday night in Wexford town where Davy Fitzgerald’s charges where sank by some questionable decisions at the end. Defeats have followed to Clare and Kildare in the weeks since, that performance a couple of weeks ago in St Conleth’s Park certainly leaving a serious sense of dread coming into the second half of the league.
Cormac McFadden returns to goals as Davy maintains his policy of alternating the goalkeers from game to game.
Getting nothing from the Clare game can be forgiven. They are an outfit who have serious aspirations for Liam McCarthy honours never mind league and the second half performance that day should have given anyone a sense of optimism for the Kildare game. A second half blitz that saw the Lilywhites go from two points ahead at half time to 12 inside 10 minutes if the restart.
Antrim never looked like they would make serious inroads into that lead as Kildare showed what a bit of momentum can do for a side in this game. For how poor the Saffrons were that 70 minutes, credit should be given to a brilliant Kildare performance. They were thoroughly deserving of that win and that gives them a serious platform to maintain their Division 1B status for the 2027 season.
It’s a platform that Antrim would do anything to find themselves. With Carlow, Dublin and Down in the three remaining fixtures, three wins may not even be enough. Two will certainly require the Saffron’s needing favours elsewhere. Is this contest all or nothing? Win or bust? Die dog or…. As far as the league campaign goes, it’s a massive game. A return to Corrigan Park and the scene of some helter skelter encounters with the Barrowsiders throughout the years.
Antrim make a few changes to the 15 with Cormac McFadden returning to between the sticks while Eoin McFerran is restored to the defence having missed out on a starting place against Kildare. Keelan Molloy makes a long awaited return to the starting 15 and will line out in midfield with Ryan McCambridge – Domhnall Nugent, Ruairi McCormick and Eoin O’Neill the players to miss out with Nugent and ‘Sammy’ taking their place on the bench.
It’s a starting 15 and an attacking six that looks good on paper. Pace in abundance and can give any team on the island plenty to think about. They’ll need to fire if the Saffrons are to get anything from a Carlow side who have performed well so far.
They faded going down the stretch against Wexford with the yella bellies outscoring them 1-10 to 0-2 in the last 15 minutes. It took Lee Chin coming off the bench to get Wexford out of jail on that occasion a fortnight ago.
Pat Bennett, who was part of the Antrim management team last season, will be plotting the Saffron’s downfall tomorrow when his new team Carlow visit Corrigan Park.
Carlow, who are now managed by Pat Bennett, Davy’s assistant with Antrim last season, have names in their side that we have heard plenty of in the recent past with Marty Kavanagh still his accurate best on frees while Chris and Jon Nolan will need some looking after.
When we travelled to Carlow 12 months ago, it was a tale of two halves. A brilliant free from Gerard Walsh deep in injury time gave the Saffrons a share of the spoils but it was a game that they could well have won having played superbly in the second half.
A week of a break since that Kildare game is hopefully a good thing. Sometimes you want to get out and at it as soon as possible to get a poor performance out of your system but and hopefully Carlow coming to Belfast at a bad time for them. Antrim need to put in a massive performance to salvage their league season, we know they’re capable off it, there is no better time to produce the goods than Corrigan Park against Carlow.
