TJ Ryan satisfied by Limerick’s cutting edge
Antrim took the lead just after the restart when Eoghan Campbell scored the game’s only major, but Limerick gradually asserted their authority to pull away.
The visitors got off to the better start, and led by 0-2 to no score after four minutes, with Paul Brown and Shane Dowling on target. By the 10th minute, it was all square at 0-3 apiece, with Paul Shiels landing two sublime points, and when Mattie Donnelly pointed, the home side led for the first time.
The heavy conditions didn’t make for attractive hurling and referee John Keenan had to throw-in the sliotar on a few occasions after it became buried in the soft surface. Three unanswered scores had Limerick 0-6 to 0-4 to the good on the 20-minute mark, with Seamus Hickey making a foray up field to land his side’s sixth point of the day.
Antrim battled back, restoring parity through Ciaran Johnston and Neal McAuley. There was a moment of controversy when umpires waived Donal O’Grady’s 25th minute effort wide, but referee John Keenan overruled his officials to signal Limerick’s seventh score of the day.
The sides went score for score until the short whistle, with a Shiels free levelling the sides for the sixth time. However Paul Brown’s second of the day on the stroke of half-time gave Limerick a 0-10 to 0-9 lead at half-time.
Within a minute of the restart, Antrim were back in the lead. Ciaran Clarke pulled the ball back to Eoghan Campbell after a mazy run to the end line and the Cushendall club man finished superbly past Nicky Quaid for a 1-9 to 0-10 lead.
The Saffrons held the advantage for just five minutes. Condun, Brown and O’Grady pointed to level matters and Wayne McNamara completed an unanswered run of four points for the visitors.
Limerick were beginning to space in the tight confines of the Ballycastle pitch and Condun added a brace to put three points between them.
Campbell and Shiels brought Antrim to within a point in the 54th minute, but that would be the last score for the Ulster men.
Dowling remained accurate from frees, while the impressive Cian Lynch tacked on his third point of the day. Sub John Fitzgibbon became the 10th Limerick scorer in injury time.
“The pitch was difficult, conditions were difficult and the trip is difficult. It’s a good result and I’m very happy,” said Limerick manager TJ Ryan. “The breeze was strong, the ball got stuck in the mud a number of times, it was difficult for the referee too and in fairness to the lads, their effort and attitude was excellent and I’m delighted with an eight-point win.
“The goal after half-time put them right in the hunt but the lads responded well. We got back down field and got a couple of points and kicked on from there. I’d have taken your hand off for a win this morning. I knew it was going to be difficult. Ballycastle is tough, the pitch is tight, conditions were hard, not ideal for hurling.
“Twenty-three points any day you go out is a good score. Apart from the goal we conceded straight after half-time, we would be very happy. The show moves on, we have to go to Wexford in two weeks, which is another difficult trip. We’re glad to have this one out of the way.”
Saffron boss Kevin Ryan didn’t hide his disappointment but is content his side are moving in the right direction. “In the last five minutes they were starting to pull away. It’s very hard given the effort we put in last week (against Wexford). We don’t have the numbers to change five or six players but we will in time. Having said that, it’s all about learning,” said the Waterford native.
“We were quite happy performance-wise. It’s onwards and upwards. We’ve learnt a lot from these games. Even though we got nothing out of them, it’s still two reasonably good performances against two very good teams. We are in a good place, mentally and physically. We’re not happy with people patronising us with ‘moral victories’, but we are happy within ourselves. We’re looking at this long-term. There is a great unity among them. We’re not despondent but we’re disappointed not to have gott anything out of the two games, particularly last week.”
Scorers for Antrim: P Shiels 0-7 (0-5f); E Campbell 1-1; C Clarke, S McCrory, C Johnston, M Donnelly 0-1 each.
Scorers for Limerick S Dowling 0-6f, P Brown, D Reidy, C Lynch, T Condon 0-3 each; D O’Grady 0-2; S Hickey, W McNamara, J Fitzgibbon 0-1 each.
ANTRIM: C O’Connell; R McCambridge, N McAuley, A Graffin; S McCrory, C McKinlay, M Bradley; N McManus, C Johnston; P Shiels, D McKernan, E Campbell; C Clarke, PJ O’Connell, M Donnelly.
Subs: E McCloskey for D McKernan (31), C Carson for M Donnelly (48), O McFadden for N McManus (52), S McAfee for PJ O’Connell (65), D Hamill for C Johnson (65).
LIMERICK: N Quaid; S Walsh, R McCarthy, S Hickey; T Condon, W McNamara, D Morrissey; S Ryan, P Brown; D Reidy, D O’Grady, C Lynch; T Morrissey, S Dowling, A Breen
Subs: S Tobin for A Breen (48), D Hannon for T Morrissey (59), C Allis for T Condun (67), J Fitzgibbon for D O’Grady (69), S O’Brien for P Brown (70)
Referee: John Keenan (Wicklow)
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