Hurling & Camogie

James McNaughton fires Antrim to Kehoe Cup win

Belfast man Neal Peden, who will spearhead Antrim's new hurling management team in 2019, got them off to a winning start with victory over Wicklow yesterday, Sunday December 16 2018
Belfast man Neal Peden, who will spearhead Antrim's new hurling management team in 2019, got them off to a winning start with victory over Wicklow yesterday, Sunday December 16 2018 Belfast man Neal Peden, who will spearhead Antrim's new hurling management team in 2019, got them off to a winning start with victory over Wicklow yesterday, Sunday December 16 2018

Bord na Mona Kehoe Cup: Round 2: Antrim 0-21 Wicklow 0-13

Antrim recorded an eight-point win to get their Kehoe Cup campaign and new boss Neal Peden's reign off to a winning start against Wicklow.

Fourteen points from 'Man of the Match' James McNaughton helped the makeshift Saffrons to a comfortable victory despite only leading by a point at the interval.

In a team that only showed two survivors from the 15 that started in the last round of the Joe McDonagh Cup against Kerry, Antrim took some time to influence this tie against Wicklow.

But Saffrons selector Gary O’Kane wasn’t worried: “We’ve only been together for a couple of training sessions before today's match so we weren’t expecting anything too fancy today but I thought the lads played well and did enough out there today.”

Wicklow were more than a match for the Saffrons in the opening half and could have been ahead had they taken their goal chances in the first 35 minutes.

In an even first half, the sides were tied on nine occasions but The Garden County really should have been ahead at the short whistle with Seamus O’Cranlie and Eoin McCormack seeing goal chances go a begging.

McCormack firing the sliotar wide of Kurtis McGreevey’s post while Phelim Duffin managed to scramble clear O’Cranlie’s flicked effort.

The Wicklow attack were lively throughout the opening half with Seanie Gemaine and O’Cranlie adding six points between them for their side but Antrim improved after the restart to take control.

A free from Padraic O’Duill, his first of two in the second-half, brought Wicklow level but it was their last score for 15 minutes

Antrim upped their intensity and opened a six-point lead by the time O’Diull landed his second free of the match with McNaughton, Kevin Rice, Simon McCrory and Conor McCann all impressing for the Saffrons.

After a first-half where the Saffron defence took some time to get accustomed to the Wicklow attack, Antrim were much improved.

Matthew Donnelly and Simon McCrory were outstanding as O’Kane alluded to: “Simon (McCrory) was brilliant in defence today.

“He was always in the right place at the right time for us and when you think he’s hardly lifted a hurl since the club season finished it makes that performance all the more remarkable.”

Wicklow struggled with the Antrim attack during the second half with six of McNaughton’s seven second-half points coming from frees.

But they saw off the initial Saffron surge, and remained in the contest midway through the second half.

Then a run of four unanswered points towards end of the contest from McNaughton, Eamon Smyth, Joe Maskey and Sean Duffin effectively ended the Wicklow challenge.

It wasn’t the most fluent of Antrim performances but it’s a starting point as O’Kane continued: “We did what we had to do out there today. It’s not easy playing hurling in December but we’ll have a few more players back for the next round in a couple of weeks time and we’ll get back to training on Tuesday night to start working on a few things.

“The nature of our situation has meant we’re a couple of weeks behind with our preparations but we needed to start somewhere and it’s a credit to those lads out there today to perform how they did.”

Wicklow: C Mac an Fhaudille; M O’Brien, Liam O’Cuddihy, W O’Caomhanach (0-1); P O’Cahain, L Evans, G O’Broin; R O’Broin, S MacAndreis; S O’Duill, P O’Duill (0-3 (2 f’s), S Gemaine (0-4 (2f’s); S O’Neil, E McCormack (0-2), S O’Cranile (0-2).

Subs: B Kearney for P O’Cahain (12); C Moore-House for Gemaine (HT); Gearoid MacHaoide for O’Neill (44); G Weir (0-1) for O’Duill (51); A Byrne for Evans (51).

Antrim: K McGreevey; P Duffin, M Donnelly, S Rooney; J Maskey (0-1), E Smyth (0-1), S McCrory; C McHugh, S Duffin (0-1); N McKeague, C McCann (0-2), J McNaughton (0-14 (7 f’s); R McGarry, K Rice (0-1), J McGoldrick (0-1).

Referee: Thomas Gleeson (Dubin)