Limp display in Corrigan Park leaves Carlow in relegation mix
Antrim's Ruairi Donaghy shakes hands with Kevin McDonald of Carlow after the game Photo: ©INPHO/Dan Clohessy
Just when it was needed most Carlow failed to produce and were duly dispatched by their Northern rivals in this National Hurling League Division 1B tie at Corrigan Park on Sunday.
For almost all of the first half, the visitors gave as good as they got and if the ball had hopped nicely for them, they could well have scored at least two goals.
Seann Elliot punished Carlow fouls and ended up with four first half points while Marty Kavanagh landed three frees and converted a 65 to leave the Barrowsiders 0-10 to 0-9 in arrears at the break.
The visitors lived on crumbs in the second half Elliott knocked over an early 65 and Conal Cunning also bisected the Carlow posts. Paddy Boland replied with one of his trademark points when he rose high to collect and fired over the bar at the clubhouse end of the ground.
That was as good as it got for the visitors as Antrim’s work-rate swept the Carlow challenge aside. In the end the margin was thirteen points and the visitors could have no complaints.
S Elliott 0-8 (65 5fs), C Cunning 0-6, K Molloy 0-4, J McNaughton 0-2 (1f), E O’Neill, R Donaghy, C Johnston, S Rooney, N O’Connor 0-1 each.
M Kavanagh 0-5 (65 4fs), K McDonald 0-2 (1f), P Boland, C Nolan, D Murphy, JM Nolan, J Treacy 0-1 each.
Cormac McFadden; Stephen Rooney, Niall O’Connor, Paddy Burke; Eoin McFerran, Joe Maskey, Gerard Walsh; Ryan McCambridge, Keelan Molloy; Paul Boyle, Conor Johnston, Ruairi Donaghy; Sean Elliott, James McNaughton, Conal Cunning.
Subs: Scott Walsh for McFerran (57), Eoin McNeill for Boyle (59), Joseph McLaughlin for Donaghy (64), Morgan Nelson for Johnston (67), Ryan McNulty for Walsh (61).
Brian Tracey; Niall Bolger, Dion Wall, Paul Doyle; Fiach O’Toole, Kevin McDonald, Paidi O’Shea; Fiachra Fitzpatrick, Jon Nolan; Chris Nolan, Donagh Murphy, Paddy Boland; Jack Treacy, John Michael Nolan, Marty Kavanagh.
Subs: Ted Joyce for J.M. Nolan (42), Richard Coady for Boland (52), Kevin Kavanagh for Murphy (57), Conaill Fitzpatrick for Bolger (61), Eric English for O’Shea (67).
Shane Hynes (Galway)
