Antrim 0-23
Westmeath 2-11
Antrim sit top of the Leinster SHC round-robin group table after a six-point win over Westmeath at Ballycastle yesterday. Westmeath finished with 13 men after Aaron Craig and Tommy Gallagher saw red.
Westmeath were 0-4 to no score ahead after six minutes. However Antrim were level in the 20th minute
and took the lead when Paul Shiels pointed and Ciarán Clarke made it 0-8 to 0-6 on 24 minutes.
Regained lead
Westmeath were back in front moments later Derek McNicholas rattled the Antrim net, but four Antrim points without reply had the Saffrons three to the good as half-time approached. However two Ciarán Curley points reduced the gap to one at half-time, with Antrim leading 0-12 to 1-8.
Antrim stretched to a six-point lead, 0-18 to 1-9, after 56 minutes. A 1-1 salvo from McNicholas in the space of a minute had the gap back to minimum; however, Antrim responded well to finish six point winners.
ANTRIM:
C O'Connell; O McFadden, C McKinley, Ciarán Johnson;
E Campbell (0-2),
N McAuley,
N McManus (0-1); D Hamill (0-1),
B McFall; C Carson,
P Shiels (0-12, ten frees),
S Beatty;
C Clarke (0-3),
M Donnelly,
PJ O Connell (0-3). Subs:
A Graffin for S Beatty, C McCann for M Donnelly, S McCrory for B McFall, S McAfee for C Carson,
N McKenna (0-1)
for D Hamill.
WESTMEATH:
P Collins; K Duncan, T Doyle, L Varley, G Greville, A Craig, T Gallagher;
C Curley (0-2), E Price (0-3, two frees);
R Greville, A Devine, D Gavin, N Conaty,
D McNicholas (2-1), N O'Brien (0-5, four frees). Subs:
A Clarke for N Conaty, D Lynch for D Gavin.
Referee:
F Horgan (Tipperary)
