13 February 2011
Antrim hurlers produced a battling second-half comeback to beat Kerry and get their National Hurling League Division 2 campaign off to a winning start in Tralee
The Saffrons started well and were 3-1 ahead, all three points coming from Neill McManus frees, but the home team closed with a point from M Boyle. A PJ O'Connell goal and a Simon McCrory point increased the Antrim lead but Kerry came back strongly and points from O'Connell (2), Ryall and Boyle put them 0-8 to 0-8 to 1-4 at the break. Away trips to Kerry have never been easy for Antrim and it was clear this was going to be no exception as the home team provided the sternest of tests. However as the second-half advanced the Saffrons began to gain some control. A solid defence restricted Kerry to just four second-points while a series of points from Simon McCrory, Karl McKeegan and substitutes Shane McNaughton, Thomas McCann and Colm McFall saw them ease to six point win.
Dinny Cahill and his backroom team will be pleased to have got this awkward fixture out of the way but they will know that next Sunday’s home game against Clare will be a much tougher encounter.
ANTRIM : B McFall; N McAuley, C Donnelly, A Graffin; K McKeague, M Herron, C Herron; K McKeegan (0-2), K Stewart (0-3, frees); N McManus (0-3, frees), M Armstrong, S McCrory (0-1); D Hamill (0-1), C Carson, PJ O’Connell (1-0). Subs : C McFall (0-1) for S McCrory (h/t), S MacNaughton (0-3) for C Carson (42), L Kerins for PJ OConnell (55), T McCann (0-1) for K McKeegan (64).
KERRY : B Rochford; A Keane, J Godley, C Harris; A Royle (0-1), T Murnane, P OGrady; J Griffin, D Dineen (0-1); D O’Connell (0-5, frees), M Boyle (0-2), L Boyle (0-1), J Egan, A Boyle (0-1), S Nolan. Subs : J Flaherty (0-1) for S Nolan (45), B O’Grady for D Dineen (55), J Casey for P OGrady (56), G O’Brien for L Boyle (64), T Moloney for J Egan (64).
Referee: D O’Driscoll (Limerick).
