ANTRIM 0-17 LAOIS 1-16

Report by Saffron Gael

Allianz National Hurling League Division 1b – Relegation Play Off

ANTRIM 0-17 LAOIS 1-16

By Brendan McTaggart at Pearse Park, Dunloy

So close, yet so far.  It was relegation heartbreak for the Saffrons in Dunloy on Sunday afternoon as their nemesis Ross King and Laois condemned them to an instant return to Division 2a for the 2019 season.  The Laois Captain top scored for the visitors to Pearse Park with 12 points and much like the league match between these two sides last month, King was again accurate from placed ball with nine frees in his tally.

Two points separated the sides at the end of the 70 minutes, Patrick Purcell’s 31st minute goal proving to be the difference but the pivotal moment of the play off came in the 60th minute.  Antrim were awarded a penalty and a chance to wrestle the momentum into their favour in the closing stages but Neil McManus’ fierce drive was superbly saved by Enda Rowland between the sticks for the O’Moore County.  A point was the end result but it was the reprieve and lifeline Laois needed.  Antrim would only score one further point in the 10 plus minutes that remained and Laois took full advantage.  A serious of missed chances with the game in the melting pot blighted the Saffrons chances as Laois and King took the scores that got them over the line.  17 wide’s over the 70 minutes will be a concern for the Saffron management as they begin their plans for the Joe McDonagh Cup but ultimately it was a hugely disappointing result and ending to a league campaign that promised so much.  There has undoubtedly been improvements both in the background and out on the pitch but an under-par first 35 minutes ultimately cost them their Division 1b status on a bitterly cold afternoon in north Antrim.  Despite a strong start, the Saffrons trailed Laois by five points at the short whistle and it could have been more with goal keeper Ryan Elliott saving superbly to deny Stephen Bergin and Purcell denied a major by the width of the cross bar.

A much improved second half performance raised the hopes in the crowd and tension on the field as Antrim played with the desire and intensity they have shown in their campaign.  A five point deficit became a one point lead by the 55th minute when Ruairi Og man Paddy Burke sent the sliotar sailing between the posts but Antrim’s frustrating day in front of the posts ensured Laois’ survival.

When these two sides played each other during the league, Antrim started superbly only for Laois to claw their way back and Sunday was no different with the home side making all the early running.  Neil McManus and Michael Armstrong finding the target with Patrick Purcell replying for Laois.  A brace of King frees in the ninth minute restored parity to score line and Laois began to find some footing in the Relegation decider.  McManus landed his third point of the match in the 11th minute but Laois responded with a trio of points from Charles Dwyer and King (two) to take a two point lead.

Laois were finding room in the Saffron defence but were denied an opening goal with Antrim ‘keeper Ryan Elliott superbly denying Stephen Bergin while moments later the width of the cross bar came to the home sides rescue, Purcell’s effort cannoning back with Elliott beaten.

Conor Johnston and McManus tied the sides once again after half an hour but Laois ended the half on top.  Purcell capitalising on some uncertainty in the Antrim full back line before finding the back of the Antrim net in the 31st minute.  Scores from Ben Conroy, James Ryan and King were responded to by a Nigel Elliott point for the Saffrons to leave Laois taking a deserving five point lead at the interval.

Antrim were wasteful in front of the target in the opening half but they came out after the half time whistle a side rejuvenated.  A trio of scores from ace marksman Neil McManus along with a fine individual score from half time substitute James McNaughton cut the deficit to just a single point before King opened the scoring for Laois in the second half after 12 minutes of the restart.  Antrim had all the momentum however and when another brace of points from McManus along with scores from Conor Johnston and Paddy Burke were answered with a solitary King free, Antrim had regained the lead with 15 minutes remaining.

Laois found another gear in the final quarter however.  King was as reliable as ever from placed ball while they brought the best out of Antrim goalkeeper once again on the hour, Elliott bravely denying Ben Conroy a certain goal.

Antrim looked to their bench for inspiration but they had a huge chance to cement their 1b status in the 62nd minute when they were awarded a penalty.  McManus was judged to have been brought down in the square but his penalty was superbly deflected over the bar by Enda Rowland.  The brilliance of the Laois ‘keeper providing the inspiration the midlanders required as they took full advantage of the reprieve.

In a captivating but nervous last 10 minutes, the Saffrons had chances to pull away but Laois and King proved to be more clinical when it mattered.  With thoughts turning to the possibility of extra time, Laois edged ahead, King with his eighth free of the match in the last minute of normal time.  McManus had a chance to restore parity in the third minute of injury time with a free from well over 70 yards but unlike his heroics against Dublin, his shot tailed to the left of the uprights.  King compounded the Saffrons disappointment by landing his seventh point of the second half, meaning he was the only scorer for the O’Moore County after half time with all but one of his scores coming from placed ball but also condemning the Saffrons to an immediate return to Division 2a.

Scorer for Laois: Ross King 0-12 (9 f), Patrick Purcell 1-1, Charles Dwyer 0-1, Ben Conroy 0-1, James Ryan 0-1

Scorers for Antrim: Neil McManus 0-10 (5f, 2 65’s, 1 pen), Conor Johnston 0-2, Nigel Elliott 0-1, Michael Armstrong 0-1, Eoghan Campbell 0-1, Paddy Burke 0-1, James McNaughton 0-1

LAOIS: Enda Rowland; Joe Phelan, Leigh Bergin, Lee Cleere; James Ryan, Matthew Whelan, Padraig Lawlor; Patrick Purcell, Ben Conroy; Willie Dunphy, Charles Dwyer, PJ Scully; Ross King, Neil Foyle, Stephen Bergin.

Subs: Conor Phelan for Stephen Bergin (30)

ANTRIM: Ryan Elliott; Arron Graffin, John Dillon, Ryan McCambridge; Joe Maskey, Conor McKinley, Paddy Burke; Eoghan Campbell, Gerard Walsh; Conor Johnston, Neil McManus, Michael Armstrong; Donal McKinley, Conor McCann, Nigel Elliott.

Subs: James McNaughton for Gerard Walsh (HT); Simon McCrory for Conor McCann (59); Ciaran Clarke for Michael Armstrong (60)

Ref: Patrick Murphy (Carlow)