Red card the 'turning point' as Antrim retain Leinster SHC status

Carlow players and Antrim players tussle at the end of the first half. Photo by Shauna Clinton/Sportsfile

Leinster Senior Hurling Championship Antrim 4-22 Carlow 2-22 

GOALS proved the difference at Corrigan Park on Sunday as Antrim retained their Leinster Senior Hurling Championship status at the expense of Carlow.

Conal Cunning and James McNaughton netted twice for Darren Gleeson's men who managed to stay in the top flight for a third year, while Carlow drop down the Joe McDonagh Cup having battled their way out of it just a year ago.

It was a tense afternoon in Belfast with so much riding on the outcome, as for the vanquished, it was relegation and a major setback for hurling in the county.

That fate befell the Barrowsiders, who were brighter early on, but a red card for Chris Nolan before the second half began after an altercation at the end of the first didn't help their cause as Antrim began to find a way to ensure the are in the top tier for a third year.

"We put in some really good spells of hurling, Carlow put in some massive spalls as well and had us in all sorts of trouble early on," said a relieved Antrim manager Darren Gleeson.

"We were wasteful and they were clinical although we had a bit of a breeze coming-out in the second half a point up having played against it. That stood to us and gave us a small bit of confidence coming out, but I always felt there was a gear there we could go up and were stuck between gears at times.

"It was a tough battle. There's so much peril there in that game for everybody and you could see that on the field. We are the two teams that have that peril hanging over them all season and if we don't get our business done early in the year, it's down to that one-game shootout where anything can happen.

"The altercation there at half-time was probably the turning point."

Carlow enjoyed the better of it early but the Antrim goal threat was apparent and Cunning was played in to bury after eight minutes to tie it up.

Carlow responded with one of their own as the pace of Chris Nolan saw him get clear and finish from an angle.

Nolan, Kavanagh, James Doyle and Conor Kehoe were all finding their range as they made the most of the wind advantage.

Antrim would respond well with James McNaughton thumping home after 20 minutes and four later, Cunning buried a penalty that also led to a black card for Paul Doyle for what was deemed a goalscoring opportunity.

Carlow again replied with three of the next four points as all six starting forwards had now registered, but Antrim finished the half well with Keelan Molloy clipping them into a 3-9 to 1-14 lead at the half.

A coming together just at the short whistle would ultimately lead to a red card for Chris Nolan at the start of the second half as Carlow's task got tougher.

Antrim began to take charge again with long-range scores, but Carlow grabbed a lifeline on 55 minutes as Martin Kavanagh squeezed a shot over the line to level again.

Antrim hit back through Conor Boyd and then a goal of their own as two minutes later, Seaan Elliott teed up McNaughton to crack home.

Carlow kept in touch through Kavanagh, but Antrim were finding the answers as they pulled away and saw it out to retain their status.

"Two wins in the Leinster Championship isn't to be sniffed at," Gleeson said of the campaign.

"A win and a draw last year, it's very hard to get, so we are delighted with two wins. We were aiming for three to get ourselves progressed in the championship but it wasn't to be. We just regroup now and see where we go from here."

Scorers for Antrim: C Cunning 2-7 (1-0 pen, 0-6f, 0-2 65), J McNaughton 2-3, K Molloy 0-3, N O'Connor 0-2, G Walsh 0-2 (2f), S Elliott 0-1, P Burke 0-1, N Elliott 0-1, C McCann 0-1, C Boyd 0-1 

Scorers for Carlow: M Kavanagh 1-11 (8f, 2 65s), C Nolan 1-1, J Doyle 0-3, C Kehoe 0-3, JM Nolan 0-1, C Whelan 0-1, J Kavanagh 0-1, K McDonald 0-1 

ANTRIM: Ryan Elliott; Conor Boyd, Rory McCloskey, Paddy Burke; Gerard Walsh, Niall O'Connor, Eoghan Campbell; Michael Bradley, Keelan Molloy; Nigel Elliott, James McNaughton, Niall McKenna; Conal Cunning, Conor McCann, Seaan Elliott.

Subs: Paul Boyle for M Bradley (62), Joseph McLaughlin for C McCann (64), Christy McGarry for S Elliott (70+2), Rian McMullan for N Elliott (70+3), Fred McCurry for J McNaughton (70+4) 

CARLOW: Brian Tracey; Paul Doyle, Dion Wall, Niall Boland; Jack Kavanagh, Kevin McDonald, Tony Lawlor; Jack McCullagh, Paddy Boland; Chris Nolan, Ciaran Whelan, Martin Kavanagh; Conor Kehoe, John Michael Nolan, James Doyle.

Subs: Fiachra Fitzpatrick for J Kavanagh (47), Donagh Murphy for JM Nolan (65), Richard Coady for C Whelan (70+1) 

REFEREE: James Owens (Wexford)