Antrim get late wake-up call

Antrim 0-21 Down 2-12 It took a wake-up call right on the 70 minutes to spur Antrim into positive action at Casement Park yesterday.

The Saffrons were in command for most of the game. They were more positive in attack and dominated around midfield, but a late surge by underdogs Down levelled the argument at 0-18 to 2-12 with ordinary time up.

During the final quarter, the Mournemen had powered their way back into the hunt, and when Stephen Clarke rattled the home net the teams were level and the result looked a certain draw. But three cracking, unanswered points in injury time took Antrim through to the final against Derry.

Brian McFall was in his usual sharpshooting form from placed balls as Antrim eased into a 0-10 to 0-5 interval lead. The St John's clubman snatched five of those Antrim scores - one a super sideline cut from 40 metres.

Stephen Clarke kept Down in the hunt with points from frees, but points by McFall (two) and Watson in injury time gave Antrim that half-time cushion.

The winners opened out to 0-14 to 0-6 10 minutes into the second half, but as thunder rattled over the ground, Down stormed forward to hit a goal and two points inside two minutes from the 52nd, with the goal struck home from an acute angle by Gary Savage.

From there to the end the hurling may not have been top-drawer but it was fast and furious with Down storming forward. When Stephen Clarke slipped in for a 70th-minute goal it was level pegging at 0-18 to 2-12.

It was then that Antrim turned on the power play for Liam Richmond, skipper Colm McGuckian and substitute Darren Quinn to rifle over the winning scores.

However, had it not been for the brilliance of man of the match Graham Clarke between the Down posts the game would have been wrapped up long before that. Clarke brought off two tremendous double saves and several first class stops.

ANTRIM: DD Quinn; M Kettle, K Kelly, J Campbell; M McCambridge, K McKeegan, C Herron; C Cunning, J Connolly; P Richmond (0-1), C McGuckian (0-3), L Richmond (0-4); G O'Kane (0-2), A Mort, B McFall (0-7, six frees, one sideline). Subs: L Watson (0-2) for Mort (25 mins), A Delargy (0-1) for McFall (64 mins), Darren Quinn (0-1) for O'Kane 67 mins).

DOWN: Graham Clarke; T Coulter, Gabriel Clarke, E Dorrian; L Clarke, G Savage (1-1), G Adair (0-1); B Milligan, P Monan; M Coulter, S Wilson (0-1, free), E Trainor; G McGrattan, S Clarke (1-7, seven points from frees), G Johnson (0-2). Subs: M Braniff for Pucci (48 mins), B Coulter for M Coulter (48 mins), A Dynes for Adair (66 mins).