Leinster Minor Hurling Championship – Tier 2

Venue: Trim, County Meath

Final Score: Antrim 10-20 | Meath 1-10

Despite an evenly contested opening quarter where the home side showed real promise, the signs grew ominous for Meath as Antrim pulled away to a 2-09 to 0-07 lead at halftime against a strong wind. What followed in the second half was a complete demolition job, with the Saffrons dominating from start to finish, adding an incredible eight more goals to register a facile 10-20 to 1-10 victory.

Antrim laid down an immediate marker, finding the back of the net in the very first minute through their formidable full forward, Connlaodh McNaughton. Jay Gault quickly followed up with a point just three minutes later. Meath, to their credit, did not fold. By the seventh minute, full forward Kian McKeigue had slotted two points over the bar, and corner forward Ben Healy added a third from a free. Midfielder Darragh Wright chimed in with a score in the tenth minute, and Healy leveled the proceedings with another well-struck free on twelve minutes.

However, Antrim shifted gears to regain control. Gault put them back in front on the fourteen-minute mark. Though McKeigue replied with his third point of the day for Meath, Antrim’s superior link-up play began to show. A beautifully worked move initiated by midfielder Logan McConville allowed Matthew Murray to score, and despite another point from Meath’s McKeigue, Antrim closed the half with authority. Oisín McLaren added a free, and while Healy managed one final point for Meath on twenty-three minutes, the closing stages of the half belonged entirely to the visitors. McLaren scored again from open play, Gault added a point and narrowly missed a goal, and both Gault and McLaren tagged on frees. McNaughton capped off the half with a point from play, leaving the halftime score at Antrim 2-09, Meath 0-07. Antrim had built a commanding lead, notably while playing into a stiff breeze.

With the wind at their backs for the second period, Antrim was relentless. Within the first minute of the restart, Lewis Rafferty raised a green flag, followed swiftly by a point from Murray. Meath’s Kian McKeigue offered brief resistance with a point in the third minute, but it did little to stem the tide. McNaughton knocked over a point before the floodgates truly opened: McNaughton and Éanna McGuckian rattled the net with two rapid-fire goals. Even a red card for Antrim wing-back Ollie McClements in the thirty-eighth minute, following a second yellow, couldn’t derail their momentum. Undeterred, McNaughton shortly fired home yet another goal.

The scoreboard kept ticking with points from James McGarry and a superb score from play by Murray. Oisín McLaren added a massive 65-meter free, and substitute Conor McCann made an immediate impact by grabbing a goal in the forty-eighth minute. After McLaren converted another long-range free, Meath substitute Rob Kelly managed a point in reply. Antrim’s bench continued to torture the Meath defense. Substitute Conall Dempsey announced his arrival with two goals in the space of two minutes—one pouncing on a goalkeeper fumble and the other a thunderous finish from open play.

In the closing stages, Conor McCann put on a clinic, scoring a point at the fifty-four-minute mark following a brilliant solo run, and then repeating the feat a minute later with a run that started inside his own half. Nathan McKenna and Logan McConville added to the tally, capping excellent individual performances. At the sixty-minute mark, substitute Cathair McCaughan registered Antrim’s tenth goal of the afternoon, with Dempsey adding a final point. In the fourth minute of injury time, Meath’s Ben Healy managed a late consolation goal, bringing a punishing afternoon for the home side to a close at 10-20 to 1-10.

Antrim’s victory was built on dominance across the pitch, with several players putting in top-class shifts. Connlaodh McNaughton was the focal point of the attack, proving unplayable at full forward as he netted multiple goals and terrorized the Meath full-back line. Jay Gault was superb at right half-forward, acting as a constant creative and scoring threat. Further back, Nathan McKenna, Eunan Curry, and Logan McConville excelled in defense and midfield, establishing the platform for Antrim’s relentless attacks. Finally, the Antrim substitutes made a massive impact, highlighting their squad depth. Conor McCann was phenomenal upon his introduction, scoring a goal and two points, while Conall Dempsey was lethal in front of goal, bagging two quick-fire majors.

Ulster Under 20 Hurling Final

Venue – Dub Arena, Belfast

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.

The action gets underway at the Dub at 7-30

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.

Antrim Scorers (4-14)

• Connlaodh McNaughton: 1-6 (0-3 from frees)
• Cody McGarry: 0-6 (0-6 from frees)
• Cillian Cunning: 1-0
• Joe Casey: 1-0
• Ronan Elliott: 1-0
• Cahir McCloskey: 0-1
• Jude Gamble: 0-1

Wicklow Scorers (1-13)

• Colin Lawrence: 0-10 (0-6 from frees)
• Jim O’Brien: 1-1
• Joe Keeshan: 0-2
• Taylor Ryan: 0-1

Antrim

Bainisteoir: Dominic McKinley

Starting 15:

1. Aidan Johnston
2. Matthew O’Neill
3. Oran Baudant
4. Cormac Bailey
5. Cody McGarry
6. Lorcan Murtagh
7. Lorcan Martin
8. Cahir McErlean
9. Gerard Delaney
10. Jude Gamble
11. Joe Casey (C)
12. Cahir McCloskey
13. Cillian Cunning
14. Connlaodh McNaughton
15. Ronan Elliott

Fir Ionaid (Substitutes): 16. Sean Vasille 17. Ruairi McIlhatton 18. Seán Cunningham 19. Cillain Carabine 20. Damian Laverty 21. Daire Rainey 22. Peadar Doherty 23. Conan Digney 24. Rian Laverty

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Wicklow

Bainisteoir: Liam Kavanagh

Starting 15:

1. Ross Weld
2. Niall Eglington
3. John Lynch
4. Kevin Murphy
5. Taylor Ryan
6. Sean Byrne
7. Oisin Fanning
8. Nicky Ryan
9. Tomas Darcy
10. Aodhán Heaney
11. Conor O’Toole
12. Daniel Duffy
13. Jim O’Brien
14. Bill Connors
15. Colin Lawrence

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

https://myalbum.com/album/eYNiq4grfSj4cw/?invite=d392bf56-d7a6-4bca-8482-70edab4c75a6

Allianz Hurling League Division 1B

Antrim 1-16 | Dublin 1-31

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

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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

https://myalbum.com/album/BKv7MFdoHK2ivx/?invite=e37fc290-b9a7-4f15-8c7e-17ac0bd2082b