Currie too hot for Antrim to handle

DUBLIN SHARPSHOOTER SEÁN CURRIE WHO SCORED 2-13 IN DUBLIN’S WIN OVER ANTRIM IN NEWRY

Electric Ireland Minor Hurling Championship Quarter Final

Dublin 2-20 Antrim 0-11

by John McIlwaine

Antrim found Dublin full forward Sean Currie just too hot to handle in Saturday evening’s All Ireland Minor Hurling Championship quarter-final at Pairc Esler in Newry as Na Fianna teenager scored 2 goals and 13 points (2-9 of them from play) to ruin the Saffron’s chances of making it to the semi-final for the first time. Currie was in superb form, first on the edge of the Antrim square, and later further out the field, as he guided his team to a 0-10 to 0-3 half time lead against an Antrim team who seemed overawed by the occasion.

The young Saffrons best spell of the game came in the opening ten minutes of the second half when they began to show something of their true form as they clawed their way back to 0-13 to 0-8 and back into contention. However Currie’s first goal ended the comeback hopes as he fired an inch perfect drive across Antrim goalkeeper Paul McMullan into the bottom corner of the net. It has to be said that play came in somewhat controversial circumstances as Antrim captain Conor McHugh appeared to be fouled fifty metres from the Dublin goal. Most Antrim followers felt the whistle was signalling a free to their side, which if converted would have closed the gap to four, but instead it went to Dublin and when the free was delivered into the Antrim ‘square’ Currie got on the end of it to finish superbly.

Soon afterward the talented full forward grabbed his second goal of the game when he gave McMullan no chance from close range to seal a semi-final place for his team against Cork in three weeks’ time.

Antrim: P McMullan; O McAuley, S Walsh, P Lennon; S Magill, C  Boyd, R McGarry; M McGreevy, C McHugh; E McQuillan, C Scullion, N McCormack; T Murphy (0-4f), D Smith (0-1), S Elliott (0-5, 3f)

Subs: A McGrath (0-1) for C Scullion (7), E McManamin for A McGrath (52), F McCurry for P Lennon (57), M Smith for O McAuley (57)

Dublin: C O’Donoghue; A Dunphy, B McHugh, K Burke; E O’Neill, L Walsh, L Gannon; D Keogh, B Coffey (0-1); M Grogan (0-2), E Allen (0-2), E O’Donnell; L Murphy (0-1), S Currie (2-13, 4f), L McDwyer

Subs: S Lambe for L McDwyer (49), C Derwin (0-1) for M Grogan (51), B Smith for A Dunphy (55), J Byrne for L Murphy (55), J Rooney for C O’Donoghue (67)

Referee: J Keane (Galway)