Allianz National Hurling League – Division 1B

Antrim 0-14 Dublin 1-25

Saturday 25 January 

Brendan McTaggart reports from Croke Park, Dublin

If Davy Fitzgerald was under any illusions as to the task he has on his hands, he would have had his eyes opened in Croke Park on Saturday evening.  A 14 point defeat that, if we’re honest, probably flattered the Saffrons as Dublin cruised to an opening weekend win in the Division 1b of the Allianz National hurling league.

Since taking up the reins, Fitzy has told us on more than one occasion that it was going to take time to implement the plans he has.  At times, scarce as they might have been, you could see what the plans might be.  It’s not dramatic or drastic changes but it’s taking a bit of getting used to.  Davy has called for patience and time.  There’ll be no major or harsh judgements made on the opening day of the league as the size of the job has been outlined further after this 70 minutes of hurling. 

Deploying Niall O’Connor as the extra man in defence, Antrim looked to nullify the threat from the home team and in the opening quarter they looked to have that home sides attacking talents under control.  In attack, James McNaughton was the pick of the bunch and the Loughgiel man excelled in that opening 35 minutes.  He had plenty of support from Nigel Elliott and Niall McKenna as Antrim made a bright start to the game.

Two points separated the sides in the 10^th minute when the only goal of the contest came.  It was a quite brilliant piece of hurling that had the Dublin support purring.  Daire Gray with the cross field ball into the corner for Iain Ó hEithir to gather.  The Dublin defender surveyed his options and picked the run of Conal Ó Riain who didn’t have to break stride as he bore towards Ryan Elliott’s goal.  The pass was sublime and the finish was emphatic, Ó Riain put daylight between the sides but Antrim responded well to hit four of the next five scored before the 21^st minute.  All from the hurl of McNaughton (three frees) while Dublin sharpshooter Cian O’Sullivan provided the response the home side.

With just two between the sides going into the final quarter of the half, Dublin clicked through the gears.  In the time that remained before half time, the Saffrons managed two white flags – both from McNaughton (one free) while Dublin split the uprights a further eight times.  Five from O’Sullivan and placed balls while a brace from Dara Purcell and Ó Riain had eight between the sides at the short whistle.

Any hopes of a dramatic Antrim comeback were soon extinguished in the opening exchanges of the second half with O’Sullivan, Conor Burke and Ó Riain splitting the posts to extend Dublin’s lead.

McKenna added points either side of a brace from O’Sullivan but the Dubs were purring through the gears with some precise passages of play that Antrim simply had no answer to.

Antrim’s inability to win possession from either attacking or defensive puck-outs where killing their chances of building any sort of attacking or score board momentum and while the Dubs were far from efficient in that second half, totalling 10 wides after the interval, they never looked like wavering.

The Saffrons continued to look for ways through the Dublin defence, Keelan Molloy playing in a much deeper role at times as they looked to alternate their point of attack but a number of wides, albeit from distance and shots dropping short ensured the Dubs could play without any semblance of a major threat coming their way.

Both sides emptied their benches, Antrim in an attempt to breathe impetus into their attack while the home side had thoughts on saving legs and getting game time into their panel.

Antrim looked to drop deeper and starve the Dublin attack of any meaningful space but the home side were more than happy try and take scores from distance.  Conor Burke’s score that saw him run fully 50 yards unopposed before splitting the uprights from half way one that left some scratching their head.

O’Sullivan would finish with 13 points beside his name in a man of the match display while Ó Riain’s 1-3 was eye catching and his overall performance was certainly top drawer.  Paddy Burke, Declan McCloskey and Nigel Elliott all performed well for the Saffrons but there’s work to be done ahead of their next outing when they welcome Westmeath to Corrigan Park next Sunday.

TEAMS

Dublin: Eddie Gibbons; John Bellew, David Lucey, Iain Ó hEithir; Paddy Dunleavy, Chris Crummey, Daire Gray; Brian Hayes, Conor Burke; Conal Ó Riain, Cian O’Sullivan, Darragh Power; Fergal Whitely, John Hetherton, Dara Purcell

Subs: Diarmuid Ó Dúlaing for F Whitely (43); Sean Gallagher for D Gray (46); Cillian Hayes for B Hayes (57); David Purcell for J Hetherton (59); Jack Lambert for P Dunleavy (63)

Scorers: C O’Sullivan 0-13 (10fs 1’65); C Ó Riain 1-3; D Purcell 0-3; C Crummey 0-2; C Burke 0-2; J Hetherton 0-1; C Hayes 0-1

Antrim: Ryan Elliott; Conor Boyd, Ryan McGarry, Paddy Burke; Declan McCloskey, Eoghan Campbell, Conall Bohill; Scott Walsh, Paul Boyle; Niall McKenna, Nigel Elliott, James McNaughton; Keelan Molloy, Eoin O’Neill, Niall O’Connor

Subs: Eoin McFerran for C Boyd (HT); Gerard Walsh for R McGarry (HT); Seaan Elliott for N O’Connor (47); Joe Maskey for C Bohill (54); Joseph McLaughlin for E O’Neill (66)

Scorers: J McNaughton 0-10 (8fs); N McKenna 0-2; N O’Connor 0-1; N Elliott 0-1

Referee: James Owens (Wexford)

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Allianz National Hurling League – Divison 1b

Antrim v Dublin

Saturday 25 January

Throw in: 5:15pm

Venue: Croke Park, Dublin

Brendan McTaggart looks ahead to Antrim’s opening Allianz National Hurling league match of the 2025 season as they travel to the Capital to take on Dublin.

A new year, new hurling league campaign and a new management team.  There’s plenty to be optimistic about with a hurl and sliotar within the Saffron County as Davy Fitzgerald’s rein as Antrim hurling manager goes under the spotlight.

With no pre-season competitions this year, denying Fitzgerald the chance of having a look at his panel as a collective in action, they’ve been busy with challenge games.  Matches against Limerick, Down and Derry have given Fitzgerald and his backroom team the chance to cast a ruling eye over the side he has inherited.  A side that is now without the talents of Neil McManus, Conor McCann and the injured Conal Cunning.

From being at the Derry match, I did notice a couple of returnees.  Namely Ryan McCambridge and Conor Johnston.  Both had eye catching club championship campaigns with St John’s Oisin Donnelly also drafted into the squad, another who caught the eye during the championship.  There are a number of injury concerns though and when we spoke with Davy Fitz, he gave us an update: “Seaan Elliott is going to need game time.  He’s only back and hasn’t really trained for four or five weeks.  Paul Boyle, that was only his second bit of field action (against Derry), still out.  Gerard (Walsh) is just back (vacation), Keelan Molloy is still out.

“That’s four lads I’d certainly like to have had available.”

The Sixmilebridge native has made full use of the games arranged.  Travelling to Limerick before hosting Down and Derry on Tuesday and Friday last week.  Regarding where he sees the panel in what he’s trying to implement, Fitzgerald said: “We played a different 15 on Tuesday night and a different 15 tonight.  Two or three of that team out there tonight might play against Dublin.

“I’m happy enough.  The only thing I wouldn’t be happy about there is we went eight points up and we went back to doing stuff we’ve been doing for the last two or three years.  It’s frustrating but we’re only four or five weeks into trying to do what we’re doing.  We’re changing a lot of things and I can see patches of where we’re doing a lot of right things and then we’re overplaying at times when I don’t want it overplayed but listen, they have decisions they have to make.  We’re not in a position where we can make the right decision all the time but in order for us to be competitive, we have to play a certain way and do certain things” Fitzgerald continued: “We’re only at the beginning of that process.  It’s going to be frustrating but are they giving everything?  Yeah.  Are there patches of play that are really good and they’re making the other teams hit the ball long?  Yeah, but we’re not doing that consistently.  We’ve a lot of work to do.”

With the leagues restructured, Antrim have games against Westmeath (home), Offaly (away), Waterford (home), Carlow (away) and Laois (home) after this weekend.  A week break between the Westmeath and Offaly games before a bye in the last round of fixtures on 22 March.  It’s a hectic schedule and one that the Saffrons will have to hit the ground running.  The Clare native was under no illusions as to the goals for the 2025 league: “We have to maintain and stay in our Division.  That’s our number one goal.  But we have to learn as much as we can this year and then hopefully into championship and next year, you’ll see improvements.”

Croke Park under the lights, delightful stuff.  It’s hard to beat any match on the Jones Road down Drumcondra way but when you throw the floodlights into the mix, it’s something special. 

As Storm Éowyn subsides and thoughts turn to the Dublin match, memories cast to recent matches against the Dubs.  A chastening defeat in Parnell Park during the Leinster championship last year came after a brilliant display against Wexford while there was just one point between the sides at Corrigan Park last year in the league.  Fitzy said that he’s fully aware of the challenge ahead but is keen to look for improvements: “I saw Dublin play Limerick.  They were on fire.  They won by six, it’s a big ask.  I’m very happy with what we’ve done but look, Dublin were in a Leinster final last year.  Are they in a different position to where we are?  Maybe. 

“If this team keeps working as hard as they have been working and keep working on the things that we’ve identified, I’d expect you will see a difference in Antrim in the next number of months.”

When they last met….

Saffrons Sunk by Brilliant Dubs

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship

Group Stage

Antrim 1-18 Dublin 3-32

Saturday 11 May

Brendan McTaggart reports from Parnell Park, Dublin

It’s the hope that kills you.  As Dublin tore Antrim apart in the second half, playing like a prime Limerick, the realisation of the Saffrons hopes if not expectations being trampled over began to sink in.

It was a hard watch in that second 35 minutes.  When the P.A. announced four additional minutes at the end of the game it felt like our emotions were being toyed with. 

Antrim travelled to Parnell Park buoyant and confident.  They left with a plethora of questions remaining unanswered and their championship hopes hanging by a thread.

It was supposed to be different.  The euphoria of that infamous Wexford victory feels like a long, long time ago right now.

For what it’s worth, that hope that I speak of was still prevalent going into the final quarter.  Maybe just slightly outside of touching distance, Antrim trailed by six points in the 58^th minute after Seaan Elliott fired over his third point of the game.  It was a brilliant score and roused the sizeable Antrim support in attendance.  The Dublin response was emphatic to the point where it was a savage knockout blow.  By the time Conal Cunning fired over his fourth free of the match in the 65^th minute, the home side had recorded 2-3 to take the game away from Antrim.  They cruised through the time that remained as Antrim looked for goals to try and get some sort of way back into the game, it was just never for coming.

TEAMS

Antrim: Ryan Elliott; Niall O’Connor, Ryan McGarry, Paddy Burke; Gerard Walsh, Conor Boyd, Conall Bohill; Seaan Elliott, Eoghan Campbell; Nigel Elliott, Keelan Molloy, James McNaughton; Conal Cunning, Niall McKenna, Aodhan O’Brien

Subs: Joseph McLaughlin for A O’Brien (47); Paul Boyle for K Molloy (50); Fred McCurry for C Boyd (55); Christy McGarry for N McKenna (61); Sean McKay for C Cunning (65)

Scorers: J McNaughton 1-2; C Cunning 0-4 (4 f’s); S Elliott 0-3; E Campbell 0-3; K Molloy 0-2; G Walsh 0-2 (1 f); N Elliott 0-1; Fred McCurry 0-1

Dublin: Sean Brennan; John Bellew, Paddy Smyth, Paddy Doyle; Chris Crummey, Conor Donohue, Eoghan O’Donnell; Brian Hayes, Conor Burke; Danny Sutcliffe, Donal Burke, Sean Currie; Fergal Whitely, Cian O’Sullivan, Paul Crummey

Subs: Ronan Hayes for P Crummey (47); Darragh Power for D Sutcliffe (60); James Madden for C Crummey (65); Jake Malone for C O’Sullivan (65); Sean Gallagher for B Hayes (68)

Scorers: D Burke 1-11 (1-9 f’s); S Currie 0-5; C Burke 0-4; P Crummey 1-00; B Hayes 1-00; C O’Sullivan 0-2; J Bellew 0-2; R Hayes 0-2; D Power 0-2; C Donohue 0-1; D Sutcliffe 0-1; F Whitely 0-1; S Gallagher 0-1