Antrim pushed right to the limit

UNDER-21 HURLING ULSTER FINAL:Antrim 0-21 Armagh 0-16

ANTRIM HAD to pull out all the stops to get the better of outsiders Armagh at Casement Park in Belfast last night.

There was little between the sides throughout and it was only in the closing moments Antrim pulled away from their opponents.

Armagh led 0-5 to 0-2 early in the contest, with Kieran McKernan, Michael Lennon and Conor Coulter supplying points.

But Michael Armstrong and Darren Hamill scored eight as the holders led 0-9 to 0-8 at the break.

In the second half it was end-to-end stuff with Cormac Donnelly playing a captain’s part with five points from full back.

The free-taking of midfielder McKernan enabled Armagh to lead by two, but Antrim didn’t panic.

In the closing 10 minutes Antrim seized control with points from Donnelly and the impressive Hamill.

ANTRIM: E Gillan; K Molloy, C Donnelly (0-5, 4f), L McAuley; C Carson, S Shannon, J Campbell; PJ O'Connell (0-2), E Laverty; M Devlin, T McCann (0-1), C Rocks; M Armstrong (0-3), D Hamill (0-10, 4f), C Quinn. Subs: M Lynch for Laverty, T McAlister for McAuley, G Laverty for Devlin, S Woulaghan for Rocks.

ARMAGH: P Kelly; R Comiskey, P Gaffney, JJ Hughes; S McNaughton, N Curry (0-1), D Carville; K McKernan (0-7, 6f), M Maguire (0-2); P Monaghan, M Lennon (0-2f), D Carville: C Corvan (0-1), C Coulter (0-3), M Moan. Sub: T Duffy for Monaghan.

Referee: D Magee (Down).

Next Up . . .

In the All-Ireland under-21 semi-finals – both provisionally scheduled for Saturday, August 21st – Galway will meet Dublin, while Tipperary play Antrim.