18 July 2010
Antrim hurlers created a bit of history on Saturday when they staged a superb second-half comeback to beat Dublin in the All Ireland qualifier at Croke Park, their first ever championship win over the men from the capital.
Rated as 7-1 outsiders by the bookmakers Antrim maintained their good form of recent weeks with a great gutsy display which saw them overturn a second-half deficit of six points to clinch a memorable win with a late Karl Stewart point to set up a quarter-final meeting with Cork on Sunday next.
Dublin appeared to be home and dry when they pulled six ahead with just eighteen minutes left on the clock, but Antrim clawed their way back point by point to edge through in a real thriller.
Karl McKeegan and Neil McManus points got Antrim off to a good start with points and it got even better when for the Saffrons when corner-forward PJ O'Connell raced onto a through ball and fired in a brilliant goal.
Liam Watson added a great point from out on the Cussack Stand sideline but Dublin hit back with points from Liam Rushe, Simon Lambert and Peadar Carton
Two more from the impressive Carton and one from All Star Alan McCrabbe, brought Dublin back on terms and even though Neill McManus added two points from play the Dubs leveled matters by half-time with Carton and McCrabbe finding the target yet again.
Antrim fans must have been really upbeat as the teams re-emerged for the second-half, but their hopes were to receive a setback as Dublin raced from the traps and with Carton, McCrabbe and Lambert in fine form they pulled six clear.
Antrim appeared to be in real trouble, but just as they had done two weeks earlier against Carlow they showed real fighting spirit to edge their way back.
Neill McManus showed great accuracy from frees as the gap closed point by point and the game appeared to be heading for extra time when Shane McNaughton leveled the scoring in the first minute of injury time.
Dublin had a chance to edge ahead but were off target and as the ball was delivered long into the Dublin ‘square’ substitute Mickey Herron hand-passed to Karl Stewart the St Gall’s man somehow worked his way clear of a Dublin defender to send over the match wining point.
A fantastic win for Antrim who have really turned their season around after a disappointing league campaign. Cork on Sunday next will be a massive task but the Antrim players can’t wait for it to happen as they get their chance of a Croke Park wuarter-final for the first time since 2004.
Scorers -- Antrim: N McManus (8f) 0-8, PJ O'Connell 1-1, L Watson (1f), K McKeegan, S McNaughton (1f) 0-2 each, S Delargy, K Stewart 0-1 each. Dublin: A McCrabbe (7f, 1 '65) 0-9, P Carton, S Lambert (3f) 0-3 each, J Boland, L Rushe, D O'Callaghan, P Ryan 0-1 each.
Antrim: C O'Connell; K McGourty, C Donnelly, S Delargy; P Shiels, J Campbell, C Herron; S McNaughton, K Stewart; S McCrory, N McManus, T McCann; PJ O'Connell, L Watson, K McKeegan.
Dublin: G Maguire; N Corcoran, T Brady, O Gough; S Hiney, J Boland, M O'Brien; S Lambert, S Durkin; P Kelly, L Rushe, D O'Dwyer; P Carton, D O'Callaghan, A McCrabbe.
Referee: D Kirwan (Cork).
FROM BBC:
Antrim are through to the All-Ireland SHC quarter-finals after a superb comeback victory at Croke Park.
PJ O'Connell's goal gave the Saffrons an early lead in the third phase qualifier but Dublin closed the gap to make it 1-7 to 0-10 at the break.
The Dubs took control after the restart and surged clear but Antrim fought back to score the final five points.
Shane McNaughton levelled as the game entered injury-time and Karl Stewart won it with a 20-yard free.
Saffrons keeper Chris O'Connor made an excellent save to deny Alan McCrabbe after 22 minutes.
It was level at the interval but Dublin fired over the first seven points of the second half, with McCrabbe among the scorers.
It was Antrim's first ever championship victory over Dublin.
"We've told them before every game that you have to fight to the bitter end, and that's what we did here," said Saffrons manager Dinny Cahill.
"We learnt a lot from the Carlow game when we were eight points down and managed to win it.
"There is great battling in this team and we have worked hard enough to win games."
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Antrim: C O'Connell, Kieran McGourty, C Donnelly, S Delargy, P Shiels, J Campbell, C Herron, K Stewart, S McNaughton, S McCrory, N McManus, T McCann, PJ O'Connell, L Watson, K McKeegan
From RTE:
Midfielder Karl Stewart struck the decisive injury-time point as Antrim overhauled a dithering Dublin side at Croke Park.
The Dubs had a 0-18 to 1-09 lead with 20 minutes remaining, but the Saffrons rallied superbly to seal their first All-Ireland quarter-final appearance since 2004.
The sides were level at 0-10 to 1-07 at half-time, with PJ O'Connell registering Antrim's goal.
Dublin ace Alan McCrabbe added five more points to his tally, but the Ulster champions' never-say-die spirit got them over the line.
From Sunday Independent:
ANTHONY DALY will consider his position as Dublin manager after his side fell to a Karl Stewart injury-time winner at Croke Park.
The Clareman cut a disconsolate figure after his side threw away a six-point second-half lead, scoring just one Alan McCrabbe free in the last 23 minutes.
It was a collapse to match anything the footballers have done in the last number of years, but Antrim deserve great credit as they showed remarkable battling qualities and were the better side at the business end of the game.
Daly signed a year's extension with Dublin before this season, but the manner of the defeat and a lack of progression from last year's All-Ireland quarter-final defeat to Limerick, may see him walk away after two years at the helm.
"It's a big setback," he said. "I don't know (if I'll stay with them). I've another year, we said that at the start of the year, but my attitude to that would be, we'll have another look at it at the end of the year. If my message isn't getting through, then you'd have to reconsider."
Daly made a late change to his side, bringing Simon Lambert in for the ill John McCaffrey and although Joey Boland got the Dubs off to a good start with a point from the throw-in, it was Antrim who set the pace by racing into a 1-3 to 0-2 lead.
Karl McKeegan and Neil McManus got them off the mark with points, before Tomás Brady and Oisín Gough somehow let Stewart's ball past them and PJ O'Connell raced on to it and beat Gary Maguire.
Liam Watson added an angled point, but Dublin rallied with scores from Liam Rushe, Lambert and Peadar Carton scoring three points to two Campbell frees.
They got a run of three scores through Alan McCrabbe, who sent over a point and a free, with the impressive Carton adding another to draw level.
Two McManus frees and points from Carton and McCrabbe saw the sides go in level, while Dublin came blazing out after the break and, led by McCrabbe and the impressive Lambert, they raced into a six-point lead.
But after a silky Lambert effort on 49 minutes, they sat back as Dinny Cahill's men took over and with Neil McManus accurate from the dead balls, they clawed their way back into the game, with Shane McNaughton levelling going into injury-time.
Liam Ryan did see a goal chance go wide, while Chris O'Connor had saved well from Paul Ryan with Dublin a point up. At 0-19 to 1-16, Declan O'Dwyer missed a chance to win it for Dublin in injury-time, but Antrim swept downfield and Brady failed to deal with a dropping ball allowing Stewart the opportunity to steal victory.
"It was a tough one to win," Cahill said. "We knew we were up against a tough team and we're delighted to get our noses ahead right at the whistle."
Scorers -- Antrim: N McManus (8f) 0-8, PJ O'Connell 1-1, L Watson (1f), K McKeegan, S McNaughton (1f) 0-2 each, S Delargy, K Stewart 0-1 each. Dublin: A McCrabbe (7f, 1 '65) 0-9, P Carton, S Lambert (3f) 0-3 each, J Boland, L Rushe, D O'Callaghan, P Ryan 0-1 each.
Antrim: C O'Connell; K McGourty, C Donnelly, S Delargy; P Shiels, J Campbell, C Herron; S McNaughton, K Stewart; S McCrory, N McManus, T McCann; PJ O'Connell, L Watson, K McKeegan.
Dublin: G Maguire; N Corcoran, T Brady, O Gough; S Hiney, J Boland, M O'Brien; S Lambert, S Durkin; P Kelly, L Rushe, D O'Dwyer; P Carton, D O'Callaghan, A McCrabbe.
Referee: D Kirwan (Cork).
- Ruaidhri O'Connor All-Ireland SHC Qualifier
Sunday Independent
