Joe McDonagh Cup
Antrim 0-23
Down 1-22
At Pearse Park, Dunloy

ANTRIM suffered a huge setback in their quest for the Joe McDonagh Cup after they suffered another loss to Down within the space of a month as lightning struck twice and Donal Hughes netted in added time to secure the win.

Antrim led the tie at the break despite only 50 per cent of their first half strikes resulting in a score. They fell behind early after Tom McGrattan's opening score for Down inside a minute.

The hosts soon replied and would grab the initiative thanks to a trio of scores from Seaan Elliot with the Dunloy native lashing over three frees in succession.

Down were determined to keep the game scrappy as the scoreboard remained unaltered for the next five minutes with the game playing out in the middle of the park.

Antrim usually retained possession before firing efforts the wrong side of the uprights but eventually Elliot found his and Antrim’s fourth point with their first from play on the quarter hour mark.

Unlike the league contest between the two, goals chances were a rarity in the first half with neither side troubling the opposition shot-stopper. Eventually the Mourne county got into the game with a first for Pearse Óg McCrickard and Daithi Sands soon followed suit.

The first half homecoming rang true when the Dunloy cohort on the panel all found their shooting range as Conal Cunning, Eoin O’Neill and Keelan Molloy all firing scores from play as the half played out.

Antrim did eventually end the half with a healthy lead but one that left a lot to be desired given the wind favouring the travelling side in the second period.

Down did answer some of Antrim’s questions and narrowed the gap to two after McCrickard and McGrattan struck for raised flags, but the late tally from Ryan McCambridge and Paul Boyle kept the away side at arms' length from their Ulster rivals.

The away side got up and running again as they looked to mount a comeback over Antrim with Tom McGrattan striking first before James McNaughton found his second score of the afternoon.

Scores from Coleman and Hughes kept Down reducing the scoreboard as they hoped to continue to pile home the scores and reduced the deficit to within two.

Seaan Elliot fired over some more scores courtesy of his free-taking excellence, but the momentum was firmly slipping away from the Saffrons as the closing stages began to roll around.

Antrim kept Down at bay with more of Elliot’s free-taking, but the Saffrons climbed back into their shells, allowing the away side a glimmer of hope that looked far-fetched as the final ten minutes approached.

McGrattan levelled the tie with a great-off-the-shoulder point and panic set in for Antrim who did manage to retake the lead in added time when Jack McCloskey thumped a terrific effort between the posts but eventually the game would be won and stolen by Down at the death.

Donal Hughes fired home the winner in the league clash between the sides in Páirc Esler and lightning would strike twice, the same player burying the critical goal in injury-time to give the visitors a dramatic victory.

Hughes managed to make use of a mix-up in the Antrim back-line and found space where he blasted the effort beyond Cormac McFadden and the away fans roared in amazement as they led for the first time on the 73rd minute.

Late efforts from Gerard Walsh and Ruairi Donaghy missed the target as the Saffrons were unable to find the scores to rescue a result, despite nine minutes of added on time at the end of the game.

Davy Fitzgerald's side head to Laois in desperate need of a win but for Down, it's a famous win which kicks off their Joe McDonagh tilt in the best possible fashion.

Antrim: Cormac McFadden; Oisin Donnelly, Niall O'Connor, Stephen Rooney; Ryan McNulty, Paddy Burke, Joe Maskey; Eoin O'Neill (0-01), Paul Boyle (0-01); Keelan Molloy (0-02), Ryan McCambridge (0-02), Conal Cunning (0-02); James McNaughton (0-03), Ruairi Donaghy, Seáan Elliot (0-11, 10f).

Subs: Gerard Walsh for O'Neill, Conal Bohill for Boyle, Jack McCloskey (0-01) for Cunning,

Down: Pearse Smyth; Tom Murray, Ruairí McCrickard, Ben Teggart (0-01); Barry Trainor, Caolan Taggart (0-01), Niall McFarland; Donal Hughes (1-01), Liam Savage (0-01); Daithí Sands (0-02), Finn Turpin (0-01), Pearse Óg McCrickard (0-08, 8f); Tom McGrattan (0-04), Tim Prenter, Shea Pucci

Subs: Marc Fisher (0-01) for Savage, Cahal Coleman (0-01) for Prenter, Ronan Beatty for Pucci, Ronan Smyth for McFarland, Owen McDermott (0-01) for Turpin