Narrow victory for Clare

Clare   2-14    Antrim   2-13

The relief was clear on manager Ger O’Loughlin’s face on Sunday when, for the second year in a row, Clare came to Casement Park, finished with 14 men, left Belfast cursing a missed opportunity and returned home with a barely deserved one-point National Hurling League Division Two win.

After winning 0-13 to 1-9 12 months ago and given their performance against Limerick in the first round a week earlier, Clare travelled north knowing that a big improvement was required.
The team management named a much-changed team for this one with four changes in personnel and a lot of positional switches from the team that started against Limerick seven days earlier.
Mark Earley, Brendan Buglar, Cathal McInerney and team captain Pat Vaughan were in the starting line-up with Eamonn Gynn, Pat Donnellan, Colin Ryan and Fergal Lynch losing out.
The Bannermen were forced to repel a furious Antrim comeback that saw the home side rally from an 11-point deficit just before the break.
Clare built that lead thanks to a strong wind and two opportunistic goals that came after some sloppy Antrim defending. Cathal McInerney and Conor McGrath were the Clare goalscorers but Antrim’s fightback, punctuated by Neil McManus and Liam Kearns three-pointers, was almost enough to give Dinny Cahill’s men the win.
Clare held their nerve, however, winning and converting crucial late frees as they were forced to play the last 19 minutes a man short after James McInerney’s second yellow card signalled the end of his involvement in the tie.
Antrim had more than enough chances to put the game beyond Clare but never managed to lead and, in the end, saw their last chance of a share of the spoils disappear when Karl Stewart’s injury-time free from a tight angle skewed wide.
It was 0-2 apiece in the 12th minute when Conor McGrath’s shot was saved by Chris O’Connell, only for the rebound to fall to Diarmuid McMahon, whose effort struck the post. The rebound fell kindly to McGrath, who tapped in.
Cathal McInerney pounced on a spill from O’Connell to get Clare’s second goal in the 20th minute and they tacked on the next five points to open up their biggest lead of the day.
Antrim responded well before the break, adding a Karl Stewart free and then a brilliant goal from Neil McManus, who finished off a flowing move involving Kevin McKeague, Karl McKeegan and Conor Carson. This left the half-time score at 2-9 to 1-5 in favour of the visitors
After McGrath got the first point of the second half from a free, Antrim took over and scored 1-4 without reply to pull within a point. The goal, from Liam Kearns, was a controversial one, as it came when he scrambled home after Clare failed to clear a Colm McFall sideline cut that should have been given Clare’s way.
Worse was to follow for Clare from the officials when referee Eamonn Hasson sent James McInerney off for a second yellow card, both of which were picked up for fouls on McManus.
Despite the extra man however, Antrim couldn’t turn their possession into enough scores while Clare kept ahead thanks to frees calmly converted by Nicky O’Connell.
Karl Stewart, who was excellent all day, couldn’t respond from near the stand sideline with Antrim’s last chance.

Clare: Donal Tuohy; Mark Earley, Conor Cooney, Domhnaill O’Donovan; Brendan Bugler, Cian Dillon, James McInerney; Nicky O’Connell, Pat Vaughan (capt); Patrick O’Connor, John Conlon, Diarmuid McMahon; Darach Honan, Cathal McInerney, Conor McGrath.
Subs: Fergal Lynch for O’Connor (half time), Jonathan Clancy for C McInerney (half time), Colin Ryan for McMahon (48 minutes), Sean Collins for Clancy (69 minutes).
Scorers: Nicky O’Connell (0-7, 6f); Conor McGrath (1-1); Cathal McInerney (1-0); John Conlon, Darach Honan (0-2 each); Pat Vaughan, Diarmuid McMahon (0-1 each).
Antrim: Chris O’Connell; Neal McAuley, Cormac Donnelly, Aaron Graffin; Kevin McKeague, Michael Herron, Ciaran Herron; Karl McKeegan, Karl Stewart; Neil McManus, Michael Armstrong, Colm McFall; Darren Hamill, Conor Carson, Liam Kearns.
Subs: Shane McNaughton for Armstrong (38 minutes); Thomas McCann for Hamill (48 minutes).
Scorers: Neil McManus (1-4, 2f); Karl Stewart (0-4, 3f); Liam Kearns (1-0); Conor Carson (0-2); Karl McKeegan, Colm McFall, Shane McNaughton (0-1 each).
Referee: Eamonn Hasson (Derry).