Antrim's steady finish keeps them a step ahead of Carlow

Antrim 0-23 Carlow 1-12:ANTRIM'S HURLERS stepped up a gear in the closing stages of Saturday's phase one SHC qualifier clash at Casement Park to ease past Carlow by eight points.

However Antrim didn’t have it all their own way. Carlow pushed from the throw-in but had amassed four wides by the 10th minute. The more economical Antrim side had moved 0-4 to 0-1 ahead by that stage but the sides were level on 18 minutes at 0-5 apiece with Ruairí Dunbar, Shane Kavanagh, Craig Doyle and Daryl Roberts on target.

Antrim nudged ahead again through Kevin Molloy, Neil McManus and Karl Stewart but three scores from Dunbar made the half-time score 0-9 apiece.

The third quarter belonged to the men from the north with the excellent McManus deadly accurate from frees. Kavanagh’s second 65 of the game provided a bit of respite but impressive Antrim full forward Darren Hamill immediately cancelled out that Carlow score with a fine point of his own.

The visitors dragged themselves back into the game when Roberts set up Paudie Kehoe for the game’s only goal but Antrim outscored their visitors by 0-9 to 0-2 in the final 20 minutes.

ANTRIM: C OConnell; C McGuinness, C Donnelly, K McGourty; A Graffin, M Herron, N McAuley (0-2 both frees); P Shiels (0-2), K Molloy (0-1); S McCrory, K Stewart (0-2), E McCloskey (0-2); C McCann (0-1), D Hamill (0-3), N McManus (0-9, seven frees). Subs: B McFall for S McCrory, T McCann (0-1) for K Molloy, C McFall for D Hamill.

CARLOW: K Kehoe; A Corcoran, S Kavanagh (0-2, both 65s), D Shaw; E Coady, J Rogers, R Coady; E Nolan, B Doyle; C Doyle (0-1), E Byrne, P Kehoe (1-2, two frees); D Roberts (0-1), M Brennan (0-1), R Dunbar (0-5, four frees). Subs: J Doyle for R Dunbar, P Coady for E Nolan.

Referee: J McGrath (Westmeath)