04 July 2010
A superb comeback saw Antrim edge out Carlow in Saturday's All-Ireland SHC Phase 1 at Casement Park.
Eight points down at one stage, Antrim appeared to be heading out of the qualifiers at the first hurdle, but a much improved second-half display, and a storming final ten minutes, saw them home with three points to spare.
In the opening half Carlow’s Craig Doyle created havoc in a porous Antrim defence and the Erin’s Own man made the Saffrons pay with two well taken goals. A Doyle point in the twenty-second minute pulled the visitors eight clear and Antrim appeared to be in deep trouble, but they rallied late in the first half and three points from Neill McManus and one by Liam Watson cut the gap to just five at the break. (2-6 to 0-7).
Another McManus point, and one by Shane McNaughton, just after the restart cut Carlow’s lead to three, but the Leinster men seemed to be back on track a minute later when corner-forward Paudie Kehoe fired in his side’s third goal.
Six points down, and facing a stiff breeze, Antrim badly needed a lift and it came in the form of a goal from a Liam Watson penalty which amazingly was Antrim’s first free inside the Carlow half, all of forty-two minutes into the game.
Carlow opened the gap to four again on a couple of occasions until Antrim struck another significant blow as PJ O’Connell rattled the visitors net after great work by Neill McManus, and suddenly there was just a point between the sides.
Antrim did manage to draw level by the fifty-seventh minute but Carlow had no intention of giving up the fight and two great long range efforts from Paudie Kehoe and Richard Coady put them two ahead again with just eight minutes left for play.
They were still a point to the good in the sixty-sixth minute when Antrim pushed for home and a magnificent finish which brought four unanswered points from play by Karl McKeegan (2), Karl Stewart and late substitute Eddie McCloskey clinched a thrilling win and booked a place in Phase 2 of the qualifiers.
Antrim: C O'Connell; K McGourty, C Donnelly, S Delargy; P Shiels, J Campbell, C Herron; S McNaughton, K Stewart, C McFall, T McCann, L Watson; PJ O'Connell, N McManus, K McKeegan.
Subs – Simon McCrory for Colm McFall, Eddie McCloskey for Thomas McCann.
View Gallery