26 March 2014
Antrim U21s exited the Ulster Championship tonight, separated from Armagh by 3 points at the end of a replay in Parc Esler, Newry.
Antrim started tonight’s game in determined form, putting in good hits, forcing errors and registering their first point of the game from a McGrady free. By the time that score came we had already hit two wides and that feature of our game tonight was to prove costly. Not as much though as what can now be seen as the game’s pivotal moment; a red card for a supposed off the ball incident involving Ronan McGrady.
McGrady was one of the men Armagh Manager Stevie McDonnell had publicly singled out as someone the Orchard men would need to stop. Well, he saw red after the linesman consulted the umpire, then the linesman. Naturally enough as soon as the red was flashed Lazarus resumed his position in the Armagh full back line.
Our team coped with that setback to a degree and even moved into a 0.3 to 0.2 lead, with points from Ryan Murray and Dermot McAleese but Armagh had erected an orange wall on their half back line and Antrim were forced into long distance shots, too many of which went wide or dropped short into the keepers hands.
There was a pace to the game and some very determined turnovers forced by the Antrim midfield and defence which was heartening to witness, and even by the midway point of the first half our goalkeeper Ronan Hanna had established himself as a key figure in the game. Armagh pulled away somewhat towards the end of the first half to set up a 0.6 – 0.3 lead.
Playing with a man down was always going to be a challenge and when Armagh opened with 2 points saffron fans worried the game may be gone from us already. Up stepped Patrick McBride with a series of points, including one monster effort from the halfway line arising from a short ’45 and soon it was a 2 point game, with Owen Gallagher and sub Ryan Lynch chipping in too.
At this point Antrim turned over Armagh possession and made a lightening paced break from deep in our half, the move led to a goal chance which went inches wide of the post. Almost immediately Hanna stopped what seemed a certain Armagh 3 pointer and the game was being played at top speed.
We got the score down to one point with 10 minutes to go but Armagh scored the next 2, including one from a soft free which was moved even closer to goal on foot of Saffron protests.
We needed a goal now and with the final attack Oisin Hamill was fouled; McBride went for goal through the crowded line and it almost did go in. However it wasn’t to be and the final score was Armagh 0.13 Antrim 0.10
The sending off was pivotal; the response from our players encouraging. At least 6 of these guys have already played senior for Antrim and on this showing – coupled with last week’s – a lot more will in the not too distant future. There was real desire to win in the team and they for large parts of the game they played the more determined and better football.
It will go down as another ‘one that got away’, but plaudits to the team and management – a huge effort over the two games.
