Electric Ireland Leinster Minor Hurling Championship, Round One
Down 2-11 Antrim 2-17
ANTRIM produced a strong finish at a sunny Portaferry on Wednesday to overcome Down in the Leinster Minor Hurling Championship.
Leading by nine late in the first half, Antrim looked well on course for a handsome victory, but Down rallied and took the lead in the final 10 minutes, only for the young Saffrons to show their mettle as they found the answers when needed with the last seven points of the game.
The win gives Antrim a place in Round Two where they will face the winner of Thursday's clash between Meath and Westmeath in Darver on Wednesday evening (7.30pm) and manager, Paul Donnelly, says he is delighted with how his team responded to Down's surge.
"We just said to the team there that it takes 20 players and more to get a good performance," he said.
"Today we used 20 players and when they came on they did the business for us.
"We made a good start with Jack McCloskey scoring a couple of goals - a fantastic player and fantastic talent - but I thought our work-rate dropped a little bit.
"Fair play to Down, they came back into the game, showed resolve and resilience, and it was a very competitive game in the end.
"I'm glad to say we made three or four substitutions who came in and did the trick, did fantastically well. They are very young, all of them, so we are very proud of the entire team.
"The things we are looking from this team are work-rate, attitude and application. Over the course of the entire game we got that."
Deaglán Mooney gets out in front of Odhrán Birt
Antrim enjoyed a dream start with Ronan McCollum pointing on the run and then the lively Jack McCloskey cut through the middle for the opening goal.
Points from Fionn Turpin and Michael Dorrian got Down off the mark, but they would endure a scoreless 20 minutes as Antrim's flying full-forward line caused them all sorts of problems with McCollum, McCloskey and Niall McGarel all pointing and when Sarsfield's man McCloskey got onto an excellent long delivery from Daniel Kearney to race through and crack home his second goal, the Saffrons were eight to the good.
Down did stick in and out-scored Antrim by three to two at the end of the half, but Antrim led 2-6 to 0-5 at the break.
The hosts picked up where they left off after the break and substitute Fergal Gilmore made an immediate impact with a point.
McGarel replied for Antrim, but Down were getting on top with their word-rate helping them drive forward and were awarded a 38th minute penalty when Odhran Birt went down under a Ruairi McCormick challenge that saw the Antrim full-back sin-binned.
Goalkeeper Pearse Smyth stepped-up and drilled low to the net with a Gilmore point leaving just four in it.
That remained the case at the water-break and after another exchange of points, Down's Adam Rogan sent in a shot that deceived Antrim goalkeeper Críostaí McAuley with the sun in his eyes and ended up in the net.
Platers tangle for a high ball in Portaferry
Dorrian then fired over the equaliser and a Deaghlan Mallon free gave Down a one-point lead and seemingly in pole position, but Antrim responded brilliantly with the substitutions all making an impact, with Joe McLaughlin knocking over the equaliser after showing fantastic skill to gather.
McGarel put them back not the lead with a shot out on the right and Antrim didn't look back as Aodhán McGarry fired over after a breakaway and then McCormick made up for his earlier indiscretion by storming out of defence to collect the ball and lash over from distance.
Daire McMullan and McGarel then converted late frees in-between McLaughlin's second as Antrim finished how they started this game to sail into the second round, with Down now entering the Peadar O Liathain Cup.
DOWN: P Smyth (1-0, pen); S Mageean, D Mallon (0-3, 2f, 1 65), M Duffy; D Magee, F Turpin (0-1f), R Corcoran; S O'Neill, C Fowler; J Roddy, M Dorrian (0-4), C Blaney; O Birt (0-1), B Rice, O McMeel.
Subs: O McGrattan for S Mageean (HT), F Gilmore (0-2) for S O'Neill (HT), T Connolly for C Blaney (42), A Rogan (1-0) for R Corcoran (50)
ANTRIM: C McAuley; F Henry, R McCormick (0-1), D Mooney; E McCartan, D McMullan (0-1f), D Kearney (0-1); O Gillan, C Dickson; A McGarry (0-2), A McGarrigle, C Killyleagh; N McGarel (0-6, 1f 1 65), R McCollum (0-2), J McCloskey (2-2).
Subs: D Quinn for C Dickson (HT), J McLaughlin (0-2) for C Killyleagh (HT), D Patterson for E McCartan (45), J Bakewell for A McGarrigle (55), C McKeown for R McCollum (58)
REFEREE: Aidan McAleer (Donegal)
