Leinster Minor Hurling Championship, Group Two
Galway 2-18 Antrim 1-10
Saturday 25 March
Brendan McTaggart reports from Louth Centre of Excellence, Darver
Leaving Darver on Saturday afternoon, there was plenty of optimism for those from Antrim. Galway took the championship points on offer but Antrim played with passion, intensity, desire and plenty of skill on a day where they remained in the contest for much of the game.
Indeed with Orrin O’Connor’s major with just over ten minutes of the hour remaining, Antrim had cut the Galway lead to six and were troubling the Tribesmen’s defence. Instead of more Antrim pressure however, Galway hit back to run out 11 point winners at the end.
Much of that was thanks to the rising star within the Galway ranks, Aaron Niland. From the first whistle, the Clarinbridge native showed his undoubted talent and finished the game with 1-10 but there were plenty of stars on show wearing Saffron also. Liam Glackin at centre half was outstanding throughout. Breaking clear from rucks and open play, Glackin was exceptional as he led by example but he had plenty of help with Charlie McAuley and Cian Baudant excelling.
Up top, Roan McGarry gave Galway plenty of problems. His stick work exceptional while finishing the hour with eight points, McGarry shone. While the performance was notable, ultimately it was a defeat but considering this performance came against a side who are All-Ireland contenders on a yearly basis, Saffron manager Alan Rainey had every right to be happy when he spoke after the game: “From our perspective, we’ve conceded two soft goals that (had they been prevented) make it a five-point game,” Antrim manager, Rainey said after.
“We asked them for work-rate, intensity, honesty and they did the saffron jersey very proud today.
“That team (Galway) will go very close to the All-Ireland. We can see the work they (Antrim players) are doing in the gym and on the pitch so I’m unbelievably proud to manage that team today.
“Galway beat Offaly 5-35 to 1-10 and we beat Offaly by six, but 11 points against a team like that having conceded two soft goals, we’ve got to be happy.”
Despite playing into a stiff breeze, Galway were quickly on the front foot with Niland giving warning immediately as he went directly for goal, a feature of his play with everything going through the number 14 would drop deeper to rove around the forward line.
he clipped over a pair of early frees with Dean Cunningham landing Galway’s first from play before Antrim gradually settled.
The Saffrons dropped Callagh Mooney deep and this ultimately saw Galway centre-back Donnacha Campbell enjoy a free road to sweep, giving Antrim early issues from getting on the front foot but a superb score by Enda McGurk who forced the turnover settled them before McGarry opened his account when showing great skill to pop the ball into his hand from the ground in traffic and point.
Niland hit back from a free and then after Colm Burke drove over for Galway on 12 minutes, he had the ball in the net 60 seconds later as Brian Callanan burst forward and although losing control of the ball, managed to regatta and pass inside to Callanan who found the roof of the net.
Antrim responded well with a brace from McGarry, but Galway would hit four of the next five points as they threatened to pull away with Conor Gilligan and Eoghan Mulleady assisting Niland.
However, Antrim continued to stick to the task and a McGarry free just before the break trimmed the gap to six with Galway 1-9 to 0-6 ahead.
The lads from the west would open the second period brightly with Dean Cunningham and Niland hitting early points, but Antrim were hoping their own and went score-for-score with Roan Fitzgerald getting his name on the board.
Antrim goalkeeper Anthony Mullan then recovered well to deny Callanan what seemed a certain goal after he had batted a dropping ball into the corner-forward’s path, but the gap extended to nine when Niland played a one-two from a line ball and drove over superbly from out on the right.
But there was no quit in Antrim and they were rewarded with a superb goal on 49 minutes as McGary’s free dropped and in a crowd of players, O’Connor gathered, spun and sent a rasping low shot to the corner of the net.
There was a glimmer of hope for the Saffrons, but Galway hit back with quick fore points through Michael Burke and Mulleady before the game was sealed on 52 minutes as Niland stood over a free close to goal and with Antrim napping, he went low and found the net.
A fine score on the run capped a great day for the star attacker and while McGarry had the final say with a pointed free for Antrim, Galway claimed the opening win, but Antrim will take plenty of positives ahead of next week’s meeting with Kilkenny in Abbotstown.
“He (Niland) scored a goal at the end from a 21-year free and he is a special talent, one of the best hurlers at this level in Ireland, but I thought we did well on him today,” the Antrim manager opined.
“You don’t understand how proud I am of the boys today and the backroom team, I’m lucky to be able to fall back on all of them, so I’m proud to be Antrim manager today.”
The Saffrons Leinster odyssey moves to Kilkenny on Saturday with the match refixed for Abbotstown instead of Nolan Park where it was originally fixed. Another chance for the young Saffrons to show what they are made of against some of the best the hurling world has to offer.
GALWAY: Shane Murphy; Ed O’Reilly, Sean Murphy, Gearoid King; Dylan Quirke, Donnacha Campbell, Jonah Donnellan; Michael Burke (0-1), Gavin Maher (0-1); Conor Gilligan (0-1), Colm Burke (1-1-), Eoghan Mulleady (0-2); Brian Callanan, Aaron Niland (1-10, 1-7 frees), Dean Cunningham (0-2).
Subs: Bobby Feeny for C Gilligan (41), Ciaran Leen for D Cunningham (46), Evan Kennedy for S Murphy (54), S Keane for A Niland (56)
ANTRIM: Anthony Mullan; Reece Cunning, Cian Baudant, John Scullion; Niall Magee, Liam Glackin, Charlie McAuley; Enda McGurk (0-1), Fionn Jemfrey; Ronan Fitzgerald (0-1), Callum Kane, Sean og Blaney; Roan McGarry (0-8, 5 frees), Orrin O’Connor (1-0), Callagh Mooney.
Subs: Peadar McDonnell for S Ob Blaney (23), Paddy Martin for F Jemfrey (30), Liam McEnhill for C Kane (45), Ryan Scott for C Mooney (55)
REFEREE: Mark Ryan (Dublin)
