Gaelic Games

Antrim defeat Carlow in Leinster senior hurling round-robin series

Antrim manager Kevin Ryan vents frustration with fixtures schedule

Antrim’s Paul Shiels landed 11 points in Sunday’s win over Carlow in their Leinster hurling senior championship clash. Photograph: Inpho
Mon May 05 2014 - 01:00

Antrim 2-18
Carlow 1-17

Despite taking their second victory in a row in the Leinster SHC Round-robin series, Antrim manager, Kevin Ryan, expressed his dissatisfaction at the arrangement which requires two teams out of five to come through a secondary competition before qualifying to meet Galway or Wexford in the competition proper in June.

“Why we are in this situation doesn’t make sense to me. I think any of those two teams and Laois would put it up to those teams who are not in that. We should be preparing for a Leinster quarter-final, not playing three or four weeks in a row. It is not fair,” said Ryan, who managed Carlow for four years before taking over up north.

Despite expressing his discontent, his players didn't let him down during their narrow victory at Dr Cullen Park. They were quickly out of the blocks and PJO'Connell scored an opportunist seventh-minute goal. Carlow refused to buckle and a Paul Coady point nudged them in front on 21 minutes.

Equalising point
In hindsight, it was probably significant Antrim replied when Paul Shiels landed the equalising free. He landed two more in the final five minutes of the half to help his side lead 1-11 to 0-12.

Carlow threatened all through the second half but could never get on terms. Goal chances were at a premium as the Antrim defence seemed to have that extra man back to clear any danger. As the game progressed, Shiels was constantly on the ball and if he wasn’t scoring from play, he was converting the resultant frees when fouled himself.

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Carlow were undone when a defender was caught when in possession from a quick puck-out. When David English was dispossessed, O’Connell ran through on goal to score.

Carlow replied almost instantaneously. Gaul was fouled in the big square and Marty Kavanagh slotted the semi-penalty. The home side did create another half-chance but Antrim were not going to be denied. It was fitting O'Connell should close the game out when he landed the insurance point in injury time.

"If you make mistakes you are penalised," lamented the Carlow manager John Meyler, as he reflected on a devastating defeat which puts a huge hole in the ambitions of his side in contesting Leinster proper this year.
ANTRIM: C O'Connell; O McFadden, C McKinley, C Johnson; A Graffin, N McAuley, N McManus; E Campbell, S McRory; C Carson, P Shiels (0-11, eight frees), C McManus (0-2); C Clarke (0-2), D Hamill, PJ O'Connell (2-3). Subs: B McFall for McRory (half-time), T McCann for Clarke (67 mins), D McKernan for Hamill (51 mins), J McGreevey for C Carson (52 mins).
CARLOW: B Treacy; A Corcoran, P Doyle, G Kelly; HP O'Byrne, D English, R Coady; J Kavanagh (0-2), C Wall; S Kavanagh (0-2), E Byrne, J Doyle (0-1); M Kavanagh (1-4, 1-0 pen, one free), P Coady (0-2), D Murphy (0-3, frees). Subs: A Gaul (0-2) for Byrne (3 mins), D Byrne for O'Byrne (half-time).
Referee: F. Horgan (Tipperary).