GAELIC GAMES/Antrim 0-10 Carlow 1-6:ANTRIM, MINUS six of their selected line-out, turned in a late, late show to squeeze out Carlow by a single point at wintry Casement Park yesterday. The rainy and slippery conditions made certain top-drawer hurling was out of the question and it was endurance rather than skill that was needed.

They winners faced the second half trailing by 1-4 to 0-4, Carlow’s goal being the result of the sliotar slipping out of Ciarán Hamill’s grasp as he attempted to grab a dropping shot on the goal-line. Paulie Kehoe had fired in the free from over 40 metres to leave the visitors leading by 1-2 to 0-1 after 25 minutes.

Kehoe had been Carlow’s dangerman at right half forward but when Kevin Molloy was moved out from corner back after the resumption the Dunloy player did a good job of curbing Kehoe. Indeed the Antrim defence confined the opposition to just two second-half points, keeping the losers scoreless for the closing 23 minutes of the game.

The introduction of Karl Stewart to midfield helped greatly while Neil McManus won a lot of possession. Eventually, it was the Cushendall man who tapped over the winner three minutes from time after substitute Paul Shiels was brought down.

ANTRIM: S Hawes; K McGourty, S Shannon, K Molloy; N McAuley, J Campbell, C Herron; K McKeague, M Herron (0-1); N McManus (0-5, frees), T McCann, S McCrory (0-2); D Hamill (0-1), S McNaughton, PJ O’Connell. Subs: J McCouaig for McAuley (29 mins), K Stewart (0-1) for C Herron (30 mins), B McFall for McNaughton (44 mins), P Shiels for Campbell (53 mins).

CARLOW: K Hehoe; A Corcoran, S Kavanagh, J O’Hara; E Coady, D Kavanagh (0-1, free), R Coady; E Nolan J Kavanagh (0-1); P Kehoe (1-2, 1-1 frees), M Brennan, R Dunbar; A Gaul, E Byrne (0-1), A McDonald. Subs: K McCabe 6 for Byrne inj (25 mins), A Brennan 5 for McDonald (half-time), HP Byrne (0-1) for Gaul (42 mins), B Doyle for Dunbar (61 mins).

Referee: B Gavin (Offaly).