Antrim too good for Carlow U20s
Antrim's Liam Glackin cannot stop Carlow's Peter Lynch from getting his shot away.
Carlow manager, Alan Roche, cut a forlorn figure at the end of this All-Ireland U20 Hurling Tier 2 final in Ashbourne on Sunday.
He had watched his side take a filleting from Antrim who dominated from start to finish. Carlow never were in the game and by the end, it was a blessing when the full-time whistle came.
This was not the Carlow side who had edged out Westmeath in a thriller earlier in the season while the Leinster team had also beaten the same, bar one or two, Antrim team only seven days earlier.
“I don’t think they are seventeen points better than us. Far from it. Three goals, mistakes from us and not taking our scores in the first half. We didn’t get up to the pitch of the game. They scored 1-2 in the first five minutes and we were chasing it after that,” Roche articulated.
Within seconds of the throw-in, Antrim swooped for a point from Oisin McCallin. Thomas McLaughlin then found Orrin O’Connor with a neat pass and Antrim had their first three-pointer. Callagh Mooney also posted the first of his two first half points.
Carlow were so off the mark as Antrim found themselves in acres of space without a finger being laid on them. Three minutes in and it was grim looking.
“The one thing we said was that if we were in with these in the first 15 minutes we would have a right go but that 1-2 was a big kick in the gut,” noted Roche.
By half-time, the eventual winners led 1-10 to 0-9 so even though they were playing against a stiff, cold breeze, Carlow were not out of touch on the scoreboard.
Jake Nolan scored two points in the opening period for Carlow while Ruairi Murphy added four more with three coming from placed balls. The Leinster side did create one goal chance midway through the half but Antrim keeper, Sean Og McLaren dived to his right to keep out a shot from James Brennan.
Carlow will have scant memories of the second half, where an early Thomas McLaughlin point for Antrim was cancelled out by one from Nolan. Colm Kavanagh whipped the ball to the Antrim net on 35 minutes but after that it was all downhill.
Substitute, Conor Donnelly, scored Antrim’s second goal on 38 minutes and this was followed by another when Mooney fed Cadhan Crawford who easily found the net. Ultimately all the Antrim starting forwards and their two midfielders scored from play.
“I can’t put my finger on it at the moment. I am absolutely gutted. You probably lose more hurling games in life than you would like to but this is one I would love to put my finger on. I will in the next couple of days,” said Roche.
He now has the difficult job of lifting these players. Their intercounty season is over now so it will be back to their clubs for all of them. Roche says they must not get disheartened.
“Hopefully they will come back better next year. A lot of this panel is underage next year and the year after. They are a good bunch of players, a good bunch of lads and hopefully they will get their rewards in the next couple of years. That is the plan,” said the manager.
C Crawford 1-6 (6fs), C Donnelly, O O’Connor 1-1 each, C McAuley, C Mooney, O McCallin 0-3 each, L McEnhill, N Magee, R Fitzgerald, T McLaughlin, 0-1 each.
R Murphy 0-4 (3fs), C Kavanagh 1-0, J Nolan 0-3, K Nolan, D Bolger, P Lynch 0-1 each.
Sean Og McLaren; Cathair Donnelly, Liam Glackin, Conor McCann; Ronan Donnelly, Calum McIlwaine, Niall Magee; Charlie McAuley, Callagh Mooney; Liam McEnhill, Orrin O’Connor, Ronan Fitzgerald; Cadhan Crawford, Thomas McLaughlin, Oisin McCallin.
Conor Donnelly for Fitzgerald (h/t), Reece Cunning for R Donnelly (45), Oisin McCamphill for McEnhill (45), Ben O’Kane for C Donnelly (53).
Oisin McNally; Gavin Murphy, Alan Wall, Seanie McMahon; Daniel Bolger, Aodhan Keogh, Ciaran O’Neill; Martin Carroll, Peter Lynch; Colm Kavanagh, Jake Nolan, Ruairi Murphy; Thomas Sheehan, Kyle Nolan, James Brennan.
Andy Jordan for Sheehan (h/t), Mark Dundon for McMahon (h/t), Ruarc O’Neill for Bolger (37), Eoin Doyle for Keogh (47), Jack Foley for C O’Neill (57).
Kevin McDonnell (Dublin)
