Antrim hit the front early as Kerry left with too much to do


06/05/2003






Antrim 3-18, Kerry 3-12
By Denis O' Leary
THIS Allianz National Hurling League Division 2 decider was a more than worthy appetiser to the classic that followed, with its own share of fine goals.



Antrim came into the game with a much better recent big-game history, fielded 14 of the side that caused Tipperary so many problems in last year?s All-Ireland championship quarter-final, but this is an emerging Kerry side, with real ambition.

In the regular-season game a month ago, in Tralee, Kerry came back from being eight points down at the break to take a one-point lead into injury-time, but eventually fell to two late points from Antrim marksman Brian McFall.

Yesterday, they had every chance of pulling off an upset, give new GAA president Sean Kelly the opportunity of presenting the first major hurling trophy of his reign to a fellow-Kerryman. It didn?t happen, and Kerry have only themselves to blame.

As they had done in Tralee, they allowed Antrim a big half-time lead, ten points on this occasion, and it was just too much.

Looking nervous and over-anxious, over-awed perhaps by a combination of the occasion plus the Croke Park setting, they were down 1-4 to zip after ten minutes, 2-11 to 1-4 at the break, and not at all the side that had hurled so confidently through the league campaign. Certainly they could have been closer, and there were signs that this was not at all the mismatch the scoreboard suggested.

The first goal conceded by Kerry was a typical example of their nervousness, man-of-the-match Colm McGuckian stealing in to pick up a ball missed by full-back Michael Lucid, giving keeper John Healy no chance from about ten yards.

Shane Brick pounced for Kerry, his well-struck perfectly-placed shot in the 19th minute making the score 1-5 to 1-2, but soon thereafter came the second Antrim goal, and it was an even bigger body-blow then the first.

At one end of the field, Brick again tested Damien Quinn but, this time, the Antrim keeper was up to the task, the ball was swept to the other end, and full-forward Greg O?Kane shot to the net.

It could have been 2-2 to 1-6, was actually 1-2 to 2-6, and things were not looking good.

Then there was the contrast between the free-takers. While McFall wasn?t missing a ball, Kerry went through three would-be marksmen, who combined for five wides and just a single point.

The second half, however, saw Kerry play much closer to their real potential and with Shane and Billy Brick, with Michael Slattery, beginning to pick off the scores up front, Lucid settling down to have a fine game at the back, they began a comeback that looked set to outdo even that in Tralee. Slattery was especially prominent on the restart, a goal and two points, with two points from Shane Brick, one from Billy bringing them within four points of Antrim after 47 minutes, 2-12 to 2-8.

There?s a lot of class in this Antrim side however, and they were not going to be subdued for the full 35 minutes. When their turn came for dominance, it did so from all parts of the field and the points rained down.

Two from McGuckian, a peach from outstanding wing-back Ciaran Herron, another free from McFall, and one each from subs Paul Close and Sam Delargy had them ten ahead with just seven minutes left on the clock, game over.

Kerry did end reasonably, a second green flag from Shane Brick bringing them within a single score as we headed into injury-time, but Paddy Richmond?s tap-in after a super Healy save put an end to all of that, and there was no fairy-tale presentation for Sean Kelly.

"As a Kerryman, I?m proud of our performance there today, well done to ye", he said, in consolation to his county-men, and the generous applause accorded both sides by a still-skimpy attendance echoed that sentiment.

Kerry indeed did themselves proud, but Antrim always had the upper hand (quite literally, their ability to take the high catch a critical factor in their win). A cracking contest, cracking goals, and both of these sides will be asking tough questions later of supposedly higher-ranking sides.

Scorers for Antrim: B. McFall 0-7 (0-5 frees); C. McGuckian 1-3; P. Richmond 1-2; G. O?Kane 1-1; L. Richmond 0-2; C. Herron, P. Close, S. Delargy, 0-1 each.

Kerry: S. Brick 2-4 (0-4 frees); M. Slattery 1-3; B. Brick 0-3; P. O?Connell 0-2 (0-1 free).

ANTRIM: D. Quinn; M. Kettle, K. Kelly, J. Campbell; M. McCambridge, K. McKeggan, C. Herron; C. Cunning, J. Connolly; A. Mort, C. McGuckian, L. Richmond; P. Richmond, G. O?Kane, B. McFall.

Subs: P. Close (Mort 45); S. Delargy (L. Richmond 50); M. Herron (McKeggan 56); D. Quinn (O?Kane 63).

KERRY: J. Healy; H.F. Twomey, M. Lucid, I. Brick; W.J. Leen, J. McCarthy (c), K. O?Sullivan; B. O?Sullivan, L. Boyle; B. Brick, S. Brick, P. O?Connell; M. Slattery, M. Murnane, M. Conway.

Subs: A. Cronin (B. O?Sullivan 27); J.M. Dooley (Murnane 30); C. Harris (Boyle 41); C. Flaherty (Conway 58).

Referee: B. Kelly (Westmeath).>