Danny McNaughton Cup final (Ulster Minor Hurling)

Antrim 4-27 Down 2-6

Antrim scored a runaway win over Down in Sunday’s Ulster Minor Hurling final at Pairc MacUilin, Ballycastle. The home side played with a strong wind at their backs in the opening half and basically had the game won at half time when they went in leading by 1-15 to to 0-01. Down made a great start to the second half when Dara Puci got a goal within a couple of minutes of the restart and you wondered if they could make a game of it, but the wind advantage that would have been part of their thinking at half time was all but gone by this stage and Antrim were soon back in control and dominated the remainder of the game to claim the Danny McNaughton Cup

The Saffrons were on the mark from the start of the game and though Down tried to make it difficult for them with their strong pressing in the early stages the Saffrons started to find the target. With left half forward James McDonnell in great form the scores started to come, the St Paul’s man at the heart of everything they did.

The first goal came on ten minutes when full forward Nicholas McLaughlin regained possession after his initial effort had been blocked, and made no mistake this time as he fired home from close range. With McDonnell send over from both frees and from play the gap widened as they pushed on to lead by 1-15 to 0-1 at the break, the Down point coming from a Dara Puci free.

Antrim made a few changes at the start of the second half with Cadhan Crawford and Eunan Johnston, who had been part of the Cross & Passion team who won the Paddy Buggy Cup semi-final in Dublin the previous day, coming on to join Darragh Kinney who had played from the star. When Puci fired home his goal within seconds of the restart you wondered if the Ards side could after all make a game of it, but Antrim’s cushion was so big they never really felt any pressure and they soon regained the upper hand. The scores were not coming quite as regular as they had done in the first half, but they were always holding the upper hand

Down hit a good patch between the 41^st and 45^th minutes with a goal and three points. Sub Tommy Joe Cosgrove started the run. Then Oran McAnarney and Tom Hickson added points before the goal that came from a speculative shot from defender Ryan Tolan.

However Antrim simply moved up a gear with Crawford pointing two frees and then going around the left side of the Down defence and racing in to give Shea Dorrian no chance for what was his 7^th goal of the Ulster campaign.

Antrim added three more points with just a Dara Pucci free from a difficult angle in reply. Jay McAlonan hammered the final nails into Down’s coffin taking a hand in the late two goals and a point. The Dunloy forward hit 1-1 and set up substitute Caolán Wilson for his goal in between his own scores.

Both teams now try their luck in different tiers of the Leinster championship with the Saffrons standing a decent chance of making an impression in the top grade.

Down: D Pucci 1-3, 0-3 frees, R Tolan 1-0, T Hickson, O McAnarney and TJ Cosgrove 0-1 each.

Antrim: JC Crawford (0-4 frees) and J McAlonan 1-5 each, N McLaughlin and C Wilson 1-0 each, J McDonnell 0-7, 2 frees, D McNaughton and A Cochrane 0-3 each, R Taylor, C McIntosh, C Leech and S Smyth 0-1 each

Down: Shea Dorrian, Ryan Tolan, Marc Mageean, Ryan Clarke, Ben Neal, Patrick Sharvin, Brendan Barry, Fionn Dougan, Cónall Vaugh, Dara Pucci, Artie óg Birt, Tom Hickson, Eoin Murray, Oran McAnarney, Conor Comiskey

Subs used: Rónán Breen, Tommy Joe Cosgrove, Eoghan Rooney, Joel Rogers, Ruairí óg Ó Scanaill.

Antrim: Liam Magee, Aaron Quinn, Liam Smyth, Oisín Heaney, Darragh Kinney, Conor McCann, Dáire Jemfrey, Anthony Cochrane, Canice McIntosh, Dylan McNaughton, Christy Leech, James McDonnell, Jay McAlonan, Nicholas McLaughlin, Rónan Taylor.

Subs: C Crawford and C Wilson for C Leech and R Taylor (both h-t), Sean Smyth and Liam McGarry for N McLaughlin and D Kinney (both 44), Eunan Johnston for A Quinn (56)

To see more photos from the game click on the link below

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Allianz Hurling League

Roinn 1B – Round 5

Antrim v Carlow

Date: Sunday 2 March

Venue: Netwatch Cullen Park, Carlow

Throw in: 2:30pm

Referee: Chris Mooney (Dublin)

Brendan McTaggart looks ahead to Antrim’s away match with Carlow on Sunday afternoon.

Antrim’s search for a second league win of the season continues on Sunday afternoon as they travel to Carlow.

The Barrowsiders sit on three points after drawing with Offaly on the opening weekend and impressively, defeating Waterford in their two matches played so far.  While the Saffrons have played four, Carlow have seen their other game fall foul of the elements with their match against Laois cancelled due to a waterlogged pitch last weekend.

From an Antrim perspective, they are entering squeaky bum time.  Two matches remain and if they want their fate to remain in their hands, they must leave Carlow with two points.  A defeat will serve up all sorts of permutations ahead of the Laois game and given there are still a round of fixtures the following week while Antrim have a bye.

Going to Carlow while in top form is never easy but going in search for league points to the Barrowsiders backyard on the back of suffering chastening defeats to Offaly and Waterford is far from ideal.  It’s probably the polar opposite of the preparations you would want to face a side who have been the talk of the country in recent times given their exploits against the Déise and against Kilkenny in the Leinster championship last year.

Casting my mind back to Antrim’s last visit to Netwatch Cullen Park and coming away with a draw after a contest where we looked dead and buried for long periods.  It was the late, late show from Domhnall Nugent that came to the rescue and a share of the points that day. Leaving Carlow that day we felt sure we would meet them again in the Joe McDonagh final, but it didn’t work out that way and it was Kerry we beat in the final.

Off course, the sides have met much more recently with Antrim’s status in the Leinster Championship confirmed after a 4-22 to 2-22 win at Corrigan Park.  Antrim went into that game shorn of form also and were helped with the dismissal of Chris Nolan just before half time.

In that famous win over Waterford, Nolan scored 2-3 while Marty Kavanagh was at his best from placed ball with seven of his 10 white flags coming from frees but with eight different scorers and 2-14 coming from open play, they are a team who are far from reliant on one or two individuals.

With Conor Johnston, Ryan McGarry and Paddy Burke rumoured to be back in contention after injury, it’s not all doom and gloom for Davy Fitzgerald’s men as the Sixmilebridge native looks for that winning combination.

With ‘plus one’ being used against Offaly, Dublin and Waterford and to a lesser extent, Westmeath, you would imagine he will go down that road again for what promises to be a stern test against Carlow.  The jury is still out if it is the way Antrim need to go about their business.  Fitzgerald has a plan and in recent interviews has put the ‘collapses’ against Offaly and Waterford down to a psychological block of sorts with a sports psychologist now part of his backroom team.  Off course, getting ‘it right’ between the ears is important, but playing a style and/or system that suits the players you have available is equally as important.

Food for thought?

A trip to the Barrow County hasn’t been one for the faint of heart for the Saffrons in recent times and Sunday will be no different.  This side have shown impressive powers of recovery in the not-too-distant past.  Memories of those occasions will be required along with a serious uplift in form.

Is it possible?  Absolutely.  Is it likely?  I’m leaning towards my head saying one thing and my heart saying another. We’ll travel to Carlow in hope of a performance and two points.  Anything less will leave us looking over our shoulders tentatively and a return to Division 2 with one match remaining

Ulster U17 Hurling Cup

Pics by Mickey Morgan

Antrim Under 17s scored a runaway win over Derry in Sunday’s opening game in the Ulster Minor Cup at Dunsilly. An understrength Oak Lea side were no match for a razor sharp Saffron side for whom full forward Cadhan Crawford was superb, the Ballycastle man scoring 3-4 in the opening half.

Crawford struck for his first goal in the third minute and added a second five minutes later. The gap stretched by the minute and by the time he completed his hat-trick in the 28^th minute the gap was out to twenty points. Oisin Gillen, Christy Leach, Daire Jemfrey, James McDonnell, Sean Smyth and Canice McIntosh all adding their names to the scoring list and by half time the point were sealed.

Oisin Gillen, Sean Smyth and Caolan McCollum all added points at the start of the second half before Ultan McCloskey and Michael McCusker pulled a couple back for Derry. The scores kept coming from the Antrim side, despite making a series of substitutions and though McCloskey and McCusker kept the scoreboard ticking for the visitors Antrim finished strong with their fourth goal from Christy Leech.

ANTRIM

Liam Magee, Eunan Johnston, Oisin Heaney, Paddy Morgan, Darragh Kinney, Conor McCann, Niall McKeown, Daire Jemfrey, Canice McIntosh, Dylan McNaughton, Christy Leech, James McDonnell, Sean Smyth, Cadhan Crawford, Oisin Gillan

Subs used – Caolan McCollum for Cadhan Crawford, Nicholas McLaughlin for James McDonnell, Liam McGarry for Canice McIntosh, Liam Smyth for Darragh Kinney and Matthew Rice for Liam Magee

Subs – Matthew Rice, Aaron Quinn, Liam McGarry, Dylan Donnelly, Nicholas McLaughlin, Caolan McCollum, Anthony Cochrane, Ciaran McCann, Liam Smyth

DERRY

Padraig Campbell, Aaron McGuigan, Cailean Gallagher, Pearse Murphy, Cathal McCloskey, Declan Kelly, Brendan O’Kane, Lorcan Murphy, PJ Glover, Cathal McNicholl, Michael McCusker, Martin Og Bradley, Peadar Pio Peoples, Ultan McCloskey, Ryan Tohill

Subs – James Russell, Ben Douglas, Anton Farrell, Dylan Irwin, Daniel Kane, Aidan Kelly, Peadar Kelly, Péadraic Leadon, Rhys McCorriston, Fiachra McGill, Owen O’Neill.

Referee – Derek Argue

TO SEE MORE OF MICKEY MORGAN’S PHOTOS FROM THIS GAME CLICK ON HTE LHE LINK BELOW

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Allianz National Hurling League – Division 1B

Antrim 0-17 Offaly 2-26

Sunday 9 February

Brendan McTaggart reports from Glenisk O’Connor Park, Tullamore

And the mystery of Antrim’s ‘away day’ blues continue.  On an afternoon that promised plenty, it transpired to be a largely forgettable journey to the Faithful County as the Saffrons succumbed to their second defeat of their league campaign.

It was a difficult watch for the vast majority of the 70 plus minutes with Antrim contributing a worrying amount to their own downfall.  I didn’t take note of the number of turnovers either forced or unforced but it can’t have made for pretty reading for the Saffrons as Offaly romped to a comfortable and thoroughly deserving win.

Yet, with seven minutes of the first half remaining, the home side led by just two points.  Offaly did have the lion’s share of possession and did the majority of the hurling in that opening 20 odd minutes but Antrim were plugging away and Ryan Elliott performing his own heroics between the sticks with two brave, brilliant and bewildering saves.  Roy Keane might say that: ‘He’s a keeper, it’s his job’ but Antrim’s netminder produced the unimaginable.

In the seven minutes and a few more of injury time that followed, Offaly hit 1-5 without reply to leave 10 between the sides and another giving Antrim another indication if it were needed, that if you take your eye off the ball at this level, you get punished.

Brian Duignan put in another top performance for Offaly with a near faultless display from frees and open play while Charlie Mitchell was a real handful for the Antrim defence at full forward.  The impish abilities of Daniel Bourke were evident throughout while Killian Sampson and Dan Ravenhill’s goals added gloss to the score board.

Defensively, it was a tough for Antrim.  They were rocked by the absence of Conall Bohill who was replaced by Joe Maskey in the starting 15 while Gerard Walsh’s game lasted 13 minutes.  Offaly’s ability to create space and pull the Antrim defence into places they just didn’t want to go was bewildering.  Speed, agility, movement, they had it in spades.  Antrim on the other hand looked like a team who were drained of confidence and lost among a swathe of a slick Offaly side who were in no mood to let a stuttering Saffron side off the hook.

James McNaughton continued his good form with nine white flags while Keelan Molloy top scored from open play with three points.  Molloy showed glimpses of his mesmeric brilliance but it was all too fleeting as Antrim struggled.  Nigel Elliott worked his socks off again along with Joe Maskey but there were too many in Saffron not leaving Tullamore with plus marks as Offaly cruised.

Molloy opened the scoring in the second minute, moments before Mitchell was denied by Ryan Elliott from point blank range.  The sides were tied on two points apiece when the Antrim ‘keeper denied Duignan and had the presence of mind to clear the sliotar in the face of the rushing Offaly attack coming his way from close range as the home side looked to go for the Antrim jugular early.

A brace of points from Seaan Elliott, the first from a rasping drive that was deflected over the bar from Offaly ‘keeper Mark Troy had the deficit at two points in the 28^th minute.  Antrim wouldn’t register another score and Offaly finished the half on top.  Punishing errors and indecision from Antrim.  Offaly’s first goal came from an unforced turnover in the middle of the pitch and as the sliotar was passed into Dan Ravenhill, he used the momentum of the pass and his own body to evade the tackle and leave himself one on one with Ryan Elliott.  It was third time unlucky for the Antrim ‘keeper however as Ravenhill fired home.  Points followed from Duignan, Mitchell and Killian Sampson as Offaly put daylight between the sides and left the half time score 1-14 to 0-7 in the home sides favour.

Antrim made changes at half time with Ryan McCambridge and Conor Boyd introduced and almost made the perfect start to the second half.  Paul Boyle and Seaan Elliott combining but Elliott’s effort was saved superbly by Troy and sent out for a ’65 that McNaughton duly obliged in raising his seventh white flag of the match.

Any thoughts on an Antrim comeback or turnaround were soon compounded however with Duignan (two), Oisín Kelly and Ross Ravenhill firing over.

A 44^th minute free from McNaughton gave Antrim some form of respite but it was all one way traffic as Antrim struggled in the middle third to provide any sort of meaningful ball into the forward line.

Ryan Elliott was called into action again when he denied Kelly after good work from Duignan but the home side stretched their lead to 16 points by the half way mark in the second half.

Scott Walsh, Molloy and McNaughton split the uprights in the space of five minutes with Mitchell the solitary response from Offaly in the same period of time before the home side scored their second major.  Killian Sampson with the finish and what turned out to be his last action of the game as Offaly looked to the bench in the closing 10 minutes.

The lead had stretched to 19 going into the final minute of the 70 before a late flurry of four unanswered scores from McNaughton (two), Maskey and Molloy tried to put some respectability on the score line.

In a match that plenty around the country were predicting to be close, Antrim never delivered.  This was another awakening for Davy Fitzgerald and his backroom team against a side who Antrim have had a good record against in the recent past. 

There is a welcome break now before our next league game with Waterford coming to Corrigan Park in two weeks time.  On the back of this showing and evidence, player confidence is waning.  A timely break with the Saffrons management team having their work cut out for them before the Deise come calling.

TEAMS

Antrim: Ryan Elliott; Gerard Walsh, Paddy Burke, Declan McCloskey; Scott Walsh, Eoghan Campbell, Joe Maskey; Niall O’Connor, Nigel Elliott; Paul Boyle, Niall McKenna, Keelan Molloy; Seaan Elliott, James McNaughton, Conor Johnston

Subs: Eoin McFerran for G Walsh (13); Ryan McCambridge for N McKenna (HT); Conor Boyd for D McCloskey (HT); Eoin O’Neill for P Boyle (47); Cormac McKeown for C Johnston (62)

Scorers: J McNaughton 0-9 (6fs 1’65); K Molloy 0-3; S Elliott 0-2; S Wlash 0-1; N O’Connor 0-1; J Maskey 0-1

Offaly: Mark Troy; Padraig Cantwell, Ciarán Burke, James Mahon; Ross Ravenhill, Donal Shirley, Jason Sampson; Colin Spain, Cathal King; Oisín Kelly, Daniel Bourke, Killian Sampson; Dan Ravenhill, Charlie Mitchell, Brian Duignan

Subs: Sam Bourke for P Cantwell (17); David Nally for K Sampson (60); David King for J Sampson (62); Luke Watkins for C Spain (64); DJ McLoughlin for D Shirley (68)

Scorers: B Duignan 0-12 (9fs 1’65); K Sampson 1-4; D Ravenhill 1-2 (1f); C Mitchell 0-4; D Bourke 0-1; O Kelly 0-1; R Ravenhill 0-1; S Bourke 0-1

Referee: Seamus Hynes

TO SEE MORE OF BRENDAN’S PICS FROM TODAY’S GAME CLICK ON THE LINK BELOW

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