Allianz Hurling League Division 2A: Armagh 2-11 Antrim 2-18
ANTRIM are well placed for promotion after an unconvincing but welcome win left Armagh, gallant losers once again, with relegation worries to attend to with a round of fixtures to go.
Eight second half points on-the-trot sealed the deal for the Saffrons yesterday after Armagh had briefly regained control of a physical encounter thanks to their first goal.
But Antrim were seven-point winners at the finish and their victory means that they now top Division 2A and only an unlikely combination of results will deny them a place in the final.
Meanwhile, at the other end of the table, Armagh sit second from bottom above London on scoring difference and they’ll have to fight tooth-and-nail when they travel to Carlow for their final fixture to maintain their status at this level.
A goal and a point from Cahal Carvill left Armagh a point ahead with 20 minutes left, but for all their effort the Orchardmen lack scoring options and Antrim’s greater strength-in-depth – substitute Deaghlan Murphy weighed in with seven points – saw the Saffrons over the line.
Despite the victory, joint-manager Terence McNaughton wasn’t best pleased with what he saw. Antrim’s players showed occasional glimpses of class, but they hit 12 wides – eight with the wind in the first half – and gave the ball away cheaply at times.
“We wouldn’t have been happy with our performance at all,” said McNaughton.
“We’re trying hard and we knew we were in for a tight game coming down to Armagh, there’s never any complacency on our part, definitely not.
“They’re in division three because they’ve earned the right to be there and we’ve earned the right to be there too.
“We have one game to focus on and that’s Westmeath and if the League final happens it happens. We’re in a position where we don’t have the right to say we’re going to beat anybody and we knew coming down here we were in for a game of it.”
A shower just before throw-in ensured that the sliothar was slippery and the surface was greasy but Antrim’s Conor McCann had a point on the board inside 30 seconds when he let fly from the halfway line and his wind-assisted effort whistled over the Armagh bar.
Conor Johnston added another but Armagh – fiercely contesting every ball – replied through the hard-working Cahal Carvill.
Eoghan Campbell picked up and struck the sliothar over the Orchard bar in one movement to make it 0-3 to 0--1 to the visitors, but Cahal Carville and his cousin David, from a free, soon had the sides level again.
Simon McCrory and Ciaran Clarke registered wides and Armagh capitalised on their wastefulness when another David Carvill free sent them ahead for the first time.
Clarke and Conor McCann restored Antrim’s lead but Dylan McKenna battled through their defence to equalise and fouls on Cahal Carvill by Ciaran Johnson and John Dillon set up pointed frees that left the Orchardmen two points ahead.
But they didn’t score again in the half and Antrim regained the lead when Conor McKinley’s long ball was broken down by makeshift full-forward Neal McAuley and Clarke swept the loose ball into the Armagh net.
McKinley added a point and, with McCrory getting on a lot of ball in midfield, a Clarke double, the first from a penalty, left Antrim 1-8 to 0-7 ahead with half-time approaching.
A fine save from Armagh goalkeeper Simon Doherty and some stout defending from Eoin McGuinness ensured that the gap was only four points at the interval and the home side began the second half with the wind at their backs.
They quickly reduced the arrears to three after Danny Magee, who replaced Stephen Renaghan after he broke his wrist late in for the first half, split the Antrim uprights.
McKinley and McCann both hit wides before David Carvill’s free left just two between the sides.
Clarke landed Antrim’s first score of the second half with a 47th minute free after David Carvill had become the fourth Armagh player to be booked. However, Armagh rallied and David Carvill and Magee did the spadework for Cahal Carvill to smash home his first goal and level the game.
Another Carvill point had Armagh ahead and the introduction of some fresh scoring reserves at that point might have seen them go on and win the game. But it was Antrim who kicked on. They sprang Murphy from their bench and the Rossa club-man opened his account with a brace from play.
Fellow sub James McNaughton grabbed an eye-catching score and five more points followed as Antrim put distance between themselves and their hosts.
McKinley and Conor Johnston efforts in between three frees from Murphy had Antrim 1-17 to 1-10 ahead with five minutes left.
There still some fight in Armagh and when two Antrim defenders jumped for the same ball, Carvill cracked the sliothar past goalkeeper Chris O’Connell to give the Orchardmen hope.
It was quickly dashed, however, as Antrim replied from the puck-out with their second goal – McCann with a fine finish after a pacey solo run.
There was just time for Murphy to register his seventh point and Caily Gorman to grab one for Armagh before the finish.
Gorman’s late equalizer against London earned Armagh a valuable draw and manager Sylvester McConnell is confident his side will be playing their hurling in Division 2A next season.
“If you want to play hurling you have to have heart,” he said.
“I think that the Armagh players showed not only heart today but skill and we could have had two points today. We were in the game and they hit a wee purple patch.
“We were in the game but we thought a couple of decisions went against us – a pull here and a tug there – and they seemed to fall on the Antrim side.
“We know they’re a good team, we’re not kidding ourselves but we did enough today to get something out of the game. We’re disappointed, but we’re also very proud.
“It’s down to the last game now, it’s a tough League but we showed that we’re a team that’s fit to stay in it.”
Armagh: S Doherty; C Clifford, A McGuinness, D Bridges; J Corvan, N Curry, T Nevin; S Renaghan, C Devlin; D McKenna (0-1), E McGuinness, D Carvill (0-5 frees); C Carvill (2-2), R Gaffney, C Corvan.
Subs: D Magee (0-1) for Renaghan (35), O Curry for Bridges (42), P McKearney for Devlin (45), C Gorman (0-1) for McKenna (70).
Blood sub: Devlin for Clifford (69-72).
Yellow cards: Bridges (31), A McGuinness (41), Clifford (44), D Carvill (46), C Carvill (55), Curry (64).
Antrim: C O’Connell; S Rooney, J Dillon, Ciaran Johnston; T Coyle, M Donnelly, P Burke; C McKinley (0-2), S McCrory; E Campbell (0-1), C McCann (1-2), N McKenna; C Clarke (1-4, 0-1 free, 0-1 pen), N McAuley, Conor Johnston (0-2).
Subs: D Murphy (0-7, 0-5 frees) for McKenna (49), J McNaughton (0-1) for Campbell (53), D McKernan for Clarke (57), M Connolly for McAuley (70).
Yellow card: T Coyle (55).
Ref: D Hughes (Carlow).
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