14 May 2011
A Neil McManus inspired Antrim fought back from five points down at half-time to beat Laois by 1-21 to 3-12 in the opening game of this season’s Leinster Hurling Championship at Portlaoise.
Five in arrears at the break, after having a first-half injury time goal somewhat controversially ruled out, Antrim appeared to have a mountain to climb when they lost left-half back Neill McAuley just five minutes after the restart. However their never say die attitude prevailed as they battled back to outscore the hosts by fifteen scores to five to earn an historic first ever win since entering Leinster two years ago.
Lining out without a number of regulars Antrim were further depleted when Shane McNaughton was forced to cry off with food poisoning, but they started well and a Simon McCrory goal gave them an early advantage.
The home side began to get on top however and goals from Neil Foyle and the excellent Willie Hyland gave them the edge as they went on to lead by 2-8 to 1-6 at half-time.
When McAuley was sent off in the fortieth minute things looked bleak for the Saffrons but McManus struck points from play and a free and Karl Stewart added one to cut the gap back to just two. With the wind at their backs Antrim began to gain in confidence and with championship debutant Conor McCann, Karl Stewart and McManus picking off the points they closed the gap to the minimum.
McCann levelled and McManus restored the lead with a pointed free but the drama continued when Laois corner-forward Holohan fired in a 58th-minute goal and Hyland sent over a free to bring the home side level.
It briefly appeared that the extra man advantage was starting to tell in Laois’s favour but Conor McCann edged Antrim back in front, and though Hyland tied things up again for Laois, the brilliant Karl Stewart restored the Saffrons’s advantage with a sixty-fourth minute point.
The depleted visitors really had a head of steam up by now and they stretched their advantage to four as substitute Michael Armstrong, McManus and McCann split the uprights to open a 1-20 to 3-10 gap. There were anxious times for the visiting fans as Foyle and Whelan cut the gap to just two but McManus hit the final score to book his team a quarter-final place against Wexford in two weeks time.
Antrim: C O'Connell; C McGuinness, A Graffin, K Molloy; N McAuley (0-1), M Herron, C Herron (0-1); P Shiels, B McFall; S McCrory (1-0), K Stewart (0-4), J Black; C McCann (0-4), N McManus (0-10), K McKeegan. Subs: M Armstrong (0-1) for Black (43), D Hamill for McKeegan (57), K McGourty for B McFall (67).
Laois: P Mullaney; J A Delaney, B Smith, B Stapleton; J Fitzpatrick, M Whelan (0-2), B Galvin; J Walsh (0-1), S Bourke (0-1); B Dunne, N Costelloe, W Hyland (1-4); O Holohan (1-1), N Foyle (1-1), J Brophy. Subs: C Dunne for Fitzpatrick (h/t), W Dunphy (0-2) for Dunne (38), S Dollard for Costelloe (61).
