Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, Round Five
Offaly 3-15 Antrim 1-16

Antrim's latest run in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship came to an end in Tullamore on Sunday as Offaly claimed a five-point win to retain their Liam MacCarthy Cup status and relegate the Saffrons back into the Joe McDonagh Cup.

Coming into this game, both teams had lost all of their previous games int he competition, but Offaly's form guide was that bit better having run Dublin and Wexford close, while Antrim had failed to get within single figures, but they gave it all they had in this one and were so close to pulling it out of the fire despite playing almost all of the game with 14 following Niall O'Connor's dismissal on eight minutes.

With the wind behind them, Antrim were forced to go a little light in attack and instead of building a lead, found themselves four back at the break and by then, the writing was on the wall depsite a gutsy effort when they got back to within one late on and the improbably seemed very possible.

But Offaly managed to steady themselves and a Killian Sampson goal would finally see them put this game to bed when it was getting very nervy for the hosts.

In terms of effort, this Antrim performance could not be questioned and it was an emotional manager, Davy Fitzgerald, who praised his team in defeat.

"I actually thought we played alright in the first half," he reflected.

"If I'm being totally honest, I thought we were probably the better team - I'm immensely proud.

"It's probably the first time all year we've played consistently for that amount and they didn't back down. It feels hard. Niall O'Connor is not a dirty player. It might look what it looks.

"I was talking to him there and he said, 'Davy, I swear, it was my foot, I did not (stamp).' So I feel sorry for him because it probably was a massive turning point, but you know what? It was a massive turning point that we showed the character after that. I thought we played some really good stuff.

"I think we had another three goal chances. Our last pass let us down. If you take two in the first half, we were actually right through on goal. We had the opportunities, probably one in the second half in particular as well. It's just, we need to be clinical."

It couldn't have been a worse start for Antrim as, playing with a very strong wind, the objective would have been to build a lead. Instead, Offaly had the ball in the net in the second minute as Charlie Mitchell showed great hustle to get on the ball and send it inside, where Brian Duignan rose and cracked home.

Antrim could have responded in kind immediately, but Nigel Elliott's shot cleared the bar and then the Dunloy man put Paddy Burke away, but great cover defending saw Donal Shirley get back to make the hook.

James McNaughton did land a free but matters would get worse for Antrim in the seventh minute as referee Michael Kennedy flashed red at Niall O'Connor for a stamp on Mitchell - Antrim's fourth red card in five games.

The Saffrons kept pace with Ryan McCambridge and Gerard Walsh pointing either side of a Duignan free with the teams level, but then another big call went Offaly's way as Mitchell barged in on goal and hit the deck under a challenge from Conor Boyd. A penalty was given and Dan Ravenhill tucked it away.

Antrim hit six of the next nine points with McNaughton landing three frees, Keelan Molloy hitting back-to-back and Paddy Burke with a missile from deep either side of Ravenhill, Duignan and Donal Shirley for the hosts as the sides were level after 30.

However, Offaly enjoyed a better run to the half with five of the last six points through Mitchell (two), Shirley, Ravenhill and Duignan with a solitary Antrim score from Walsh and again, a half sniff of goal was thwarted when Shirley got back to challenge Elliott as Offaly went in with a 2-9 to 0-11 lead at the half with a gale at their backs for the second period to come.

Dan Ravenhill's penalty beats Ryan Elliott
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Dan Ravenhill's penalty beats Ryan Elliott

They tried to make a fist of it into the wind with McNaughton landing an early free, but Offaly had all the aces and after Duigan clipped over a pair of frees, Ryan Elliott was called into action to make a superb save to divert a Daniel Bourke shot up and over.

Antrim's hope was for a dropping ball to hang in the wind and break kindly to get a goal to ignite their charge, as the gap was six heading into the final quarter.

A pair of McNaughton frees reduced that gap to four and suddenly, the home crowd started to feel a little nervous as their team had failed to put this away.

In fairness, the wind appeared to have changed direction slightly and this was making shooting as tricky for them as it was for Antrim but a McNaughton free narrowed the gap to a goal.

Charlie Mitchell eased hoe nerves with their first score in 20 minutes, but the goal Antrim needed came in the 65th minute as it seemed Offaly had snuffed out the danger, only for the ball to end up with James McNaughton to crack home.

Offaly went upfield and Duignan seemed certain to respond in kind only for a superb block from Stephen Rooney, but Offaly had their goal moments later when Killan Sampson was picked out in space to bury.

A Duignan free pushed the gap out to five, leaving Antrim again seeking goals.

They had a chance from a 20-metre free as Gerard Walsh's effort trickled through legs but was scrambled away and a late push came to nothing as they came up short and with that, their recent run at the top level of the championship came to an end.

Ross Ravenhill tackles Eoin O'Neill
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Ross Ravenhill tackles Eoin O'Neill

"I can't say a (critical) word to them," Fitzgerald added, taking a swipe at his detractors. 

"I thought we did really well today. We were big-time outsiders, down to 14. And to the knockers, you're not doing them any favours doing what you're doing. That's all I'll say to you.

"You think you're big men, you're not big men. I'm so proud of them today, immensely proud of them.

"It's heartbreaking. We don't want to be going down. I honestly thought we were going to win today, but that's just the way it is."

OFFALY: M Troy; B Conneely, C Burke, S Bourke; R Ravenhill, D Shirley (0-2), J Sampson; C King, C Spain; K Sampson (1-0), D Bourke (0-1), O Kelly; D Ravenhill (1-2, 1-0 pen), C Mitchell (0-3), B Duignan (1-7, 0-7f).
Subs: J Clancy for D Ravenhill (HT), E Cahill for J Sampson (64)

ANTRIM: R Elliott; S Rooney, P Burke (0-1), N O'Connor; C Bohill, J Maskey, C Boyd; G Walsh (0-2), E Campbell; R McCambridge (0-1), N Elliott (0-1), S Walsh (0-1); J McNaughton (1-8f), E O'Neill, K Molloy (0-2).
Subs: C McKeown for R McCambridge (55)

REFEREE: Michael Kennedy (Tipperary)