Cork lucky to leave Antrim with full points

Cork 0-18
Antrim 1-12



Cork's hurlers escaped Ballycastle with full points in yesterday's clash, but hosts Antrim will be ruing one that got away after leading by four points at the half-time break and hitting a total of 15 wides over the 70 minutes.

However it could have been a very different atmosphere on the team bus on the long journey home had Antrim converted a few of their 12 first-half wides.

Although Cork had the wind advantage to come after the restart, it wasn’t until Patrick Horgan’s 61st-minute point that the visitors took the lead.

Earlier Matthew Donnelly had touched the sliotar to the Cork net on the stroke of half-time after Neil McManus’s long delivery had been batted down by Cork goalkeeper Darren McCarthy to give Antrim a deserved 1-9 to 0-8 advantage at the break.

Long-range scores
Antrim led by 0-6 to 0-3 on the 20-minute mark with Barry McFall adding the pick of the scores from long range.

Horgan, who finished the day with 0-11, cut the gap before a Conor Lehane brace either side of a Stephen McAfee free put just one between the sides, with Conor Johnson again serving notice to the Cork defence when forcing a great save from McCarthy.

Cork’s best goal chance arrived 40 seconds into the second half when Horgan’s effort was well saved by Chris O’Connell.

The same player opened the second half scoring on 40 minutes, and accounted for the next three Cork scores.

Antrim served up replies from Paul Shiels and McAfee to leave Antrim leading by a point approaching the 60-minute mark.

Horgan’s accuracy from the placed ball – the corner forward converted three times in as many minutes – had Cork ahead by two before Lehane added his fourth point of the day.

Shiels added Antrim's first point for 12 minutes but points from Horgan, Lehane and Patrick Cronin ensured Cork maintained their unbeaten record in this year's league.


ANTRIM: C O'Connell; Ciarán Johnson, C McKinley, O McFadden; N McManus (0-2, frees), N McAuley, E Campbell, B McFall (0-1), D Hamill, C Carson (0-2), S McAfee (0-4, 0-2 frees), C McCann, Conor Johnson, M Donnelly (1-1), PJ O'Connell. Subs: S Beatty for C McCann, J McGreevy for B McFall, N Elliott for PJ O'Connell, P Shiels (0-2, 0-1 free) for D Hamill, D McKernan for J McGreevy.
CORK: D McCarthy; S McDonnell, E Keane, K Murphy; S White, C Joyce, W Egan; L McLoughlin, P Cronin (0-1); B Lawton, S Harnedy, D Kearney; P Horgan (0-11, 0-8 frees, 0-1 65), C Lehane (0-4), B Hartnett (0-1). Subs: C McCarthy for S Harnedy, R O'Shea for L McLoughlin, P Haughney (0-1) for D Kearny, A Cadogan for S White.
Referee: E Hassan (Derry)