Hurling & Camogie

McCaughan inspires Antrim against punch-drunk Kildare

Antrim’s Saul McCaughan celebrates after scoring a goal during yesterday’s Allianz NHL Division 2A clash with Kildare at Ballycastle. McCaughan scored 2-1 in the Saffrons’12-point win  
Antrim’s Saul McCaughan celebrates after scoring a goal during yesterday’s Allianz NHL Division 2A clash with Kildare at Ballycastle. McCaughan scored 2-1 in the Saffrons’12-point win   Antrim’s Saul McCaughan celebrates after scoring a goal during yesterday’s Allianz NHL Division 2A clash with Kildare at Ballycastle. McCaughan scored 2-1 in the Saffrons’12-point win  

Division 2A: Antrim 3-25 Kildare 3-13

A FEW eyebrows might’ve been raised by what Antrim conceded to Kildare in Ballycastle on Sunday – but it was still the proverbial breeze for the home side.

Played beneath concrete grey skies and a freezing wind, the Saffrons made it two wins out of two in Division 2A with the minimum of fuss.

The visitors may have had the temerity to raise the first green flag of the day after 14 minutes but Antrim were never in any danger of slipping up against the newly promoted Lilywhites.

If anything, Antrim should have won yesterday’s encounter by more than 12 points.

The scoreboard was more than generous to Kildare.

When Jack Sheridan pounced on Conor McKinley’s rare mistake to slap the ball home in the 14th minute, Kildare edged in front 1-3 to 0-5. It was the only time Kildare led in the game.

Kildare’s two second-half goals –through Sheridan again and Gerry Keegan – were mere consolations.

Afterwards, Antrim boss PJ O’Mullan was very content with his side’s performance.

Asked if conceding three goals was a worry, O’Mullan replied: “Not if you’re scoring 3-25. In tighter games it would be a worry.

“But the positive thing for us was when they got a goal we went up the field and replied, and we should’ve had another six or seven goals. Their ’keeper made three or four good saves and we missed a few chances.”

For the vast majority of yesterday’s clash, it was backs-to-the-wall for the Lilywhites.

The visitors couldn’t contain Antrim’s brilliant full-forward line of Ballycastle duo Saul McCaughan and Ciaran Clarke and Conor Johnston of St John’s. The in-form trio hit a combined 3-6 from open play.

Given the heavy conditions, some of their hurling was sublime. Young Saul McCaughan left an indelible mark on yesterday’s game with an audacious piece of skill that belonged on YouTube.

On 23 minutes, the rookie McQuillan’s forward flicked the ball over his marker and fired home off his left side, giving Paul Dermody no chance in Kildare’s goal to put Antrim 1-12 to 1-4 ahead.

Despite missing Kildare’s posts from a couple of awkward angles, McCaughan grabbed his second major of the day on 50 minutes.The alert Conor Johnston intercepted the ball before off-loading to Niall McKenna. 

The Sarsfield’s clubman, who hit three excellent second half points, lobbed the ball onto the edge of the square and McCaughan was on hand to catch and ripple Kildare’s net for the second time.

It was a memorable afternoon for McCaughan on home soil.

Antrim forged ahead 2-21 to 2-8 at that stage, but Kildare showed admirable guts by replying immediately with a goal of their own through the hard-working Gerry Keegan.

McCaughan almost raided another three-pointer, but fired wide in the 53rd minute. But his clubmate Ciaran Clarke didn’t make the same mistake two minutes later.

Flawless from a series of placed balls, Clarke rounded Kildare corner-back John Doran before finding the top corner of the net to put the home side 3-21 to 3-9 ahead with a quarter of an hour remaining.

The Kildare full-back line were left punch drunk.

On the hour mark, Lilywhites manager Joe Quaid made a couple of changes to his full-back line but the damage was already done.

“Antrim were by far the better team today,” Quaid acknowledged.

“We’re only up from Division 2B so technically we should be the weakest team in this division. 

“But we’re out to prove that we’re not. We did a lot of good things today; we put up a nice score, but we conceded way too much. 

“I know the conditions were tough, but we didn’t do a lot of the basics right. And if you don’t get the basics right at this level you will get punished.

“But it’s vital that we stay in Division 2A to get the competitive matches. It’s a far better League, without a doubt. The lads were telling me that they won a lot of their matches very handy in 2B last year, but you’re playing against seasoned campaigners here. It’s a good League and it’s where we want to be.”

Although there were a few lapses in concentration at the back for Antrim, they enjoyed some heavy scoring periods in the game.

They hit 1-7 without reply between the 17th and 26th minutes with Antrim’s free-scoring midfielder Kevin McKernan adding to Kildare’s misery.

McKernan’s midfield partner Jackson McGreevy popped over two lovely points in the second half, while free-taker Martin Fitzgerald did his best to keep the scoreboard ticking over for Kildare.

Even though Antrim are expected to win games in Division 2A they look in good shape ahead of their third League game against Westmeath in a fortnight’s time.

“They’re all key games,” said O’Mullan.

“I would say if we win against Westmeath we would have a good chance of reaching the League final as there’s nobody putting the scores that we’re putting up. That’s 3-21 [against Derry] and 3-25 in the last two games.

“We know the talent is there. I know we conceded 3-13 and we’ll have a look at that...”

O’Mullan added: “We’ve a lot of players missing. We had about 10 missing today – Chrissy O’Connell, Tony McCloskey, Liam Watson, Chris McGuinness and four or five Cushendall lads...

“So those players are only going to strengthen us as we go forward.”


Antrim: G McTaggart; O McFadden, N McAuley, C McKinley; S McCrory (0-1), C Johnston, B McFall; K McKernan (0-5, 0-1 free), J McGreevy (0-2); E McCloskey (0-1), N McKenna (0-3), D Nugent; C Johnston (0-3), S McCaughan (2-1), C Clarke (1-9, 0-5 frees, 0-1 ‘65) 


Subs: B Graham for O McFadden (60), S Beatty for D Nugent (60), D McCloskey for C McKinley (67), S McAfee for K McKernan (67), J Connolly for S McCaughan (67)

Kildare: P Dermody; C Gordon, M Grace, J Doran; R Bergin, M Moloney, P Divilly; P Ryan, N O Muineachain (0-1); P Cocoman (0-1), M Fitzgerald (0-7, 0-6 frees), J Byrne; R Casey (0-1), G Keegan (1-3), J Sheridan (2-0) 


Subs: D Flaherty for P Ryan (h-t), S Gainey for J Byrne (51), F O Muineachain for M Grace (58), C Forde for J Doran (58), T Brady for F O Muineachain (61 inj.)


Yellow cards: G Keegan (25), J Sheridan (31), R Bergin (39), D Flaherty (41)

Referee: D Hughes (Carlow)