Tailteann Cup Quarter-Final
Antrim 3-15
Wicklow 2-19
At Corrigan Park
ANTRIM captain Eoghan McCabe was left devastated after Antrim squandered a nine-point lead and end plans of a trip to Croke park next weekend, as Wicklow clinched a late victory at Corrigan Park.
Conor Hand got Antrim underway when the midfielder retrieved possession from Pat Shivers before clipping his effort delicately over the black spot for an Antrim point inside the first minute.
A silly breach from the hosts allowed Wicklow to gain an early advantage and avail of the breeze when Mark Jackson split the posts for two points and flip the scores in a tightly contested opening half.
Oisín McGraynor’s free from short range extended the away side’s lead but Conor Hand replied with a terrific two-pointer for the hosts to level proceedings once again inside the opening ten minutes.
Ryan McQuillan and Dean Healy both exchanged scores with the Wicklow midfielder pile-driving an effort from 40-yards and an orange flag was raised as the ball settled in the catch-net.
Healy thought he had the first goal of the contest, but eventually the midfielder’s attempt was cancelled out due to an over-carrying of possession, and Antrim drove to find a score from Conor Hand after a great spell in the final third.
Wicklow began to dominate the middle of the park but were unable to make it count on the counterattack with wides being signalled for their resulting efforts from Christopher O’Brien and Eoin Darcy.
Antrim would register the first major of the contest when Ryan McQuillan found the net for a third consecutive Tailteann Cup game.
John McNabb switched up the kick-out routine and found Tiernan McCormick in space who popped a pass to Joseph Finnegan who cutely flicked the ball onto McQuillan, and with just the keeper to beat the net bulged.
Dean Healy thought he found the net when he found himself on the end of Eoin Darcy’s lay-up, but the midfielder had to settle for a point when his punched effort scraped the top of the bar.
Despite a quiet opening half, Niall Burns would close it out with Antrim on top as he managed to get the better of his tight-marker and strike a great point over the bar and the whistle sounded for the half.
Antrim started the second-half goal hungry and found their goals on two occasions when Tiernan McCormick rose high to thump McEnhill’s pass into the net
Then Paddy McAleer managed to thump the ball into the net moments later when the midfielder found space and blasted it into the net after some nice link-ups from St Gall’s duo Burns and McCabe.
The turning point of the game came when Antrim were awarded a penalty but a great stop from Mark Jackson prevented the game from being over.
Wicklow hit back after the penalty with O’Toole, Darcy and Murtagh all scoring befoe Kevin Quinn fisted over to reduce the scores to within four points.
Wicklow were awarded a spot-kick of their own when Jonathan Carlin was dragged down in the box. Eoin Darcy’s initial strike was saved by John McNabb, but the rebound was scrambled over the line and Wicklow had hope.
Four points separated the sides and time was limited, but the Leinster outfit rallied, and Antrim only managed two more scores in what remained and Mark Jackson found a score for an orange flag.
The travelling support breathed life into their side and they managed to get it over the line with a free from Oisin McGraynor finding the inside post, before Dean Healy’s fisted point saw their bench erupt as 30 seconds remained.
Antrim went long and when Pat Shivers attempted to pull the trigger the ball soared high and wide and the hooter went for full-time.
After the whistle, captain Eoghan McCabe was left devastated that his side lost out on an opportunity to make the final four.
“I feel sick standing here to be honest,” reflected the Antrim captain. “There were so many things we could have down that we made in the game, and it was the wrong decision, even at the end there I passed to Pat (Shivers) and it was a left-footed shot and I should’ve launched it. But over the course of the game, we had too many turnovers and misplaced passes and ultimately that is probably what cost us.
“We could have had another three or four goals and we are just gutted we didn’t put the game to bed. It’s something we will look back on and have to go again next year. But we should never be eight or nine up and lose.
“This is a young squad, there is so much potential here and we need to just keep going and build on this year’s campaign.”
The St Gall's star believes that there is more to come from the group, despite a late collapse. McCabe does not believe fitness hampered Antrim.
"I definitely don't think it's a fitness thing, we were still able to get scores late on and keep ourselves in front. Unfortunately the momentum swung and at that point it can be tough to combat in games like these.
"We knew all week it was going to be tight."
Antrim: John McNabb; John Morgan, Joseph Finnegan, Kavan Keenan; Eoghan McCabe, Eunan Walsh 0-1, Marc Jordan 0-1; Paddy McAleer 1-1, Conor Hand 0-4 (1xTP); Tiernan McCormack 1-1, Ryan McQuillan 1-1, Ronan Boyle; Pat Shivers 0-2 (0-1F), Niall Burns 0-2, Dominic McEnhill 0-2 (1xTP),
Subs: Adam Loughran on for Ryan McQuillan (56’), Tomas McCann for Ronan Boyle (56’), Cathal Hynds on for Dominic McEnhill (64’), Tom Shivers on for Paddy McAleer (66’)
Wicklow: Mark Jackson 0-4 (2xTPF); Tom Moran 0-1, Matt Nolan, Malachy Stone; Darragh Fee, Eoin Murtagh 0-1, Gavin Fogarty; Dean Healy 0-5 (1xTP), Jack Kirwin; Jonathan Carlin, Pádraig O’Toole 0-3, Christopher O’Brien; Oisín McGraynor 1-2 (0-2F), Kevin Quinn 0-2, Eoin Darcy 1-1 (0-1F)
Subs: Cian Deering on for Gavin Fogarty (47’), Joe Prendergast on for Eoin Murtagh (64’), Mark Kenny on for Darragh Fee (66’),
