Ulster SHC Final: Antrim 2-20 New York 1-13: After the summer impasse when the Ulster finalists engaged in a will they-won't they debate, Antrim won the last of the year's provincial finals in Canton, outside Boston, yesterday. It was the first ever-provincial showpiece held outside Ireland.
And with GAA president Nickey Brennan looking on approvingly from the sideline, a strong and enthusiastic turnout from the Irish Bostonians, some good hurling, the club championship scores from the old country blaring out through the loudspeaker and, at one point in the second half, a fine if deafening blast of Barleycorn singing The Leaves of Enniskillen, it was better that the Ulster competition was played in the New England Fall rather than not being played at all.
The emigrants fell away in the end, with Liam Richmond blasting a 47th minute goal which settled the issue. Prior to that, Gotham's hurling men had put up a fine show in what was their first ever provincial final appearance. Their goal was a classic end-to-end ambush, with the busy full back Richie Gaule delivering a long clearance to Kevin Kennedy, who played a gorgeous ball for Trevor Fletcher to race on and drive past Damien Quinn.
In the early stages of the first half it looked as though the visitors would storm away from the New Yorkers, with the speed and tidy stick craft of Johnny McIntosh the highlight of the half. The Glenariffe man delivered 1-5 from play during the entertaining opening half hour, turning sharply for his goal and faking a hand pass before firing a bullet from his left past Gleeson.
New York kept in touch through the accurate marksmanship of Michael "Bonny" Kennedy, who has fleshed out a little since his starlet days with the Tipperary minors but who still knows where the posts are.
The emigrants were unlucky not to goal themselves during a strong five minute burst before half-time when Kieran Bergin caught a great ball in traffic and kicked a shot against the post and Kevin Kennedy arrived a split second too late to connect with the ball as it rolled across the goal mouth.
ANTRIM: D Quinn; D McAuley, J McKeague, J Campbell; K McKeegan (0-1, 65), C Herron (0-1), M Molloy; C Cunning (0-1), M Scullion (0-1); J Scullion (0-1), K Kelly, M Herron (0-1); J McIntosh (1-6, one free), P Richmond (1-3), B McFall (0-4, one sideline cut). Subs: G Bell for M Molloy (14 mins, inj), B Delargy for K Kelly (46 mins), P McGill for J McIntosh (52 mins), M Dallas (0-1) for M Scullion (46 mins)
NEW YORK: A Gleeson; P Wickham, R Gaule, M Mitchell; H O'Leary (0-1), T Moylan, A Guinan; L O'Connor (0-1), T Maher; M Kennedy (0-7 frees), J Madden, P Murray; K Bergin (0-2), M Finn, K Kennedy (0-2). Subs: T Fletcher (1-0) for T Maher (half-time), C White for J Madden (58 mins), K McHale for H O'Leary (67 mins).
