Antrim finish impressive League campaign on a high

Antrim's Niall McCormack fist pumps Matthew Whelan of Laois after the game

Allianz HL Division 1B

Antrim 2-23 

Laois 1-22 

Antrim’s hurlers completed their Allianz League Division 1B campaign with a five-poin wn over Laois at Corrigan Park Belfast yesterday.

Antrim took control early on and were four points to no score to the good after seven minutes with Conal Cunning (2), Eoin O’Neill and Aodhan O’Brien all on target. It was 10 minutes before Laois raised a flag when Jack Kelly stopped the rot, with Ross King reducing the deficit a minute later.

Niall McKenna’s effort was cancelled out by a long range effort from Ryan Mullaney before Antrim enjoyed a quarter hour of dominance during which they outscored their visitors by seven points to one.

Laois weren’t helped by a succession of wides, although the Saffrons’ wides tally also grew throughout the opening half hour with the home side hitting eight and the O’Moore men hitting 10 by the short whistle.

Laois did manage to find their range before half-time however, landing the last three points of the half through Ciaran Collier, Kelly and Enda Rowland (f) to trail by 0-13 to 0-7 at the break.

Laois continued to carry the fight to Antrim after the restart and 10 minutes into the second half had cut the gap to two points, 0-14 to 0-12, with Purcell, King, Kelly and Willie Dunphy on target. 

Antrim weathered the storm and with the help of three points from impressive debutante Seaan Elliott stretched the lead to six with 10 minutes on the clock.

Eoghan Campbell’s goal looked to have settled matters in favour of the hosts on 65 minutes, but a point and goal from TJ Scully put the game back in the balance as injury time loomed. 

Kelly’s fifth of the day cut the gap to two but a Cunning sideline, followed by Antrim’s second goal from another debutante Niall McCormack sealed the points for Antrim and with it fourth place in the Division 1B table.

ANTRIM: R Elliot; D McMullan, G Walsh, S Rooney; E Campbell (1-1), P Burke (0-1), A O’Brien (0-1); R McGarry, M Bradley; N McKenna (0-2), C Johnston, E O’Neill (0-2); D McCloskey, C Cunning (0-9, 3f, 0-1 ‘65’ 0-1 s/l), S Elliott (0-5) Subs: P McCallin for C Johnston (ht), M Donnelly for G Walsh (41), C Clarke (0-2) for D McCloskey (44), Ciaran Johnston for M Bradley (54), N McCormack 1-0 for E O’Neill (54), R McCambridge for A O’Brien (64), C Bohill for N McKenna (64) 

LAOIS: E Rowland (0-1f); L Cleere, S Downey, D Conway; R Mullaney (0-1), C McEvoy, S Maher (0-2); J Kelly (0-5), P Purcell (0-2); E Lyons, J Keyes, C Collier (0-1); W Dunphy (0-2), R King (0-3, 2f), C Dwyer 

Subs: D Hartnett for D Conway (55), A Dunphy (0-2) for C Collier (58), TJ Scully (1-3) for W Dunphy (58), J Ryan for J Keyes (66), M Whelan for L Cleere (66) 

Referee: J Keenan (Wicklow)