Leinster Senior Hurling Championship
Antrim 4-22 Carlow 2-22

ON a day in which Antrim simply had to get the job done, they managed to find the answers to do just that to ensure they will be back in the Leinster Championship for a third-straight year.

Going into the game, Antrim needed to avoid defeat to Carlow at Corrigan Park or they would face the drop, but goals win games and two apiece from Conal Cunning and James McNaughton were the difference on a day in which the Saffrons had to dig deep.

It was a tense afternoon in Belfast with so much riding on the outcome as for the vanquished, it was the scenario of relegation to the Joe McDonagh Cup and a major setback for hurling in the county.

That fate befell the Barrowsiders who were brighter early on, but a red card for Carlow's Chris Nolan before the second half began after an altercation at the end of the first didn't help their cause as Antrim began to find a way to ensure the are in the top tier for a third year.

When they needed it most, Antrim produced the goods to leave all in saffrons breathing a huge sign of relief at the final whistle.

"We put in some really good spells of hurling, Carlow put in some massive spells as well and had us in all sorts of trouble early on," said a relieved Antrim manager Darren Gleeson.

"I looked up at the scoreboard and it was 1-14 to 3-5. We were wasteful and they were clinical although we had a bit of a breeze coming-out in the second half a point up having played against it. That stood to us and gave us a small bit of confidence coming out, but I always felt there was a gear there we could go up and were stuck between gears at times. 

"It was a tough battle. There's so much peril there in that game for everybody and you could see that on the field. We are the two teams that have that peril hanging over them all season and if we don't get our business done early in the year, it's down to that one-game shootout where anything can happen.

"The altercation there at half-time was probably the turning point."

The Barrowsiders were brighter early on, but a red card for Chris Nolan before the second half began after an altercation at the end of the first didn't help their cause as Antrim began to find a way to ensure the are in the top tier for a third year.

Carlow enjoyed the better of it early as Martin Kavanagh and Seaan Elliott traded points before they rattled off the next three.

Antrim had the first sight of goal after five minutes when Conal Cunning miscued when attempting a first-time pull, but there was no denying the Dunloy man three minutes later as he was played in by James McNaughton and finished.

But Carlow seemed to always have an answer as they gradually opened a gap with a goal three minutes later as the pace of Chris Nolan saw him get clear and finish from an angle.

Nolan, Kavanagh, James Doyle and Conor Kehoe were all finding their range as they made the most of the wind advantage.

Antrim were just not accurate at times but there was a sense they had the ability to create goals and their second came on 20 minutes as James McNaughton found himself through to finish and bring his side to within two.

A third came four minutes later and from a penalty when Seaan Elliott was bundled over by Paul Doyle for what was deemed a goalscoring opportunity outside the area with Doyle also sin-binned and Cunning finishing the award to bring the game level.

Tempers flare at the break
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Tempers flare at the break

Carlow again replied with three of the next four points as all six starting forwards had now registered, but Antrim finished the half well with a pair of Cunning frees and then Keelan Molloy clipped them into the lead for the first half in stoppage time as Antrim led 3-9 to 1-14.

A coming together just at the short whistle would ultimately lead to a red car for Chris Nolan at the start of the second half as Carlow's task got tougher, but early points from Kavanagh and Conor Kehoe got them ahead.

Antrim began to take charge again with Keelan Molloy, Niall O'Connor and Gerard Walsh finding their range from deep.

The gap was always four three of four as Carlow hung in and there with 15 to play, Ciaran Whelan blocked down O'Connor which would lead to a goal from Kavanagh who squeezed over the line.

But Antrim hit back through Conor Boyd and then a goal of their own as two minutes later, Seaan Elliott teed up McNaughton to crack home.

Carlow kept in touch through Kavanagh, but Antrim were finding the answers as they pulled away and saw it out to retain their status.

"It ebbed and flowed there," Gleeson continued.

"We seemed to create these chances but weren't fully clinical. We had three goals in the first half but maybe should have had five or six, maybe running too far and taking too much out of the ball. When they turned us over they were clinical at the other end.

"The big scores were the goals in the game and I'm just delighted to get out over the line."

Niall McKenna is challenged by Tony Lawlor
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Niall McKenna is challenged by Tony Lawlor

In all, Antrim finished the Leinster campaign with two wins from five games, which was a better return than their win and a draw last year.

That is a measure of progress but they had hoped Sunday's game was going to be an opportunity to advance into the knockout phase of the championship. That wasn't to be, but remains the target going forward.

"Two wins in the Leinster Championship isn't to be sniffed at," Gleeson acknowledged.

"A win and a draw last year, it's very hard to get, so we are delighted with two wins. We were aiming for three to get ourselves progressed in the championship but it wasn't to be. We just regroup now and see where we go from here."

ANTRIM: R Elliott; C Boyd (0-1), R McCloskey, P Burke (0-1); G Walsh (0-2f), N O'Connor (0-2), E Campbell; M Bradley, K Molloy (0-3); N Elliott (0-1), J McNaughton (2-3), N McKenna; C Cunning (2-7, 1-0 pen, 0-5f, 0-2 65s), C McCann (0-1), S Elliott (0-1).
Subs: P Boyle for M Bradley (62), J McLaughlin for C McCann (64), C McGarry for S Elliott (70+2), R McMullan for N Elliott (70+3), F McCurry for J McNaughton (70+4)

CARLOW: B Tracey; P Doyle, D Wall, N Boland; J Kavanagh (0-1), K McDonald (0-1), T Lawlor; J McCullagh, P Boland; C Nolan (1-1), C Whelan (0-1), M Kavanagh (1-11, 0-8f, 0-2 65s); C Kehoe (0-3), JM Nolan (0-1), James Doyle (0-3).
Subs: F Fitzpatrick for J Kavanagh (47), D Murphy for JM Nolan (65), R Coady for C Whelan (70+1)

REFEREE: J Owens (Wexford)