Antrim and Down both suffer defeat away from home

Antrim’s woes in Division 1B of the National Hurling League continued with a 3-21 to 0-20 defeat by Kildare in Newbridge.

Three goals in the space of nine second half minutes including two from man of the match Muiris Curtin saw the Lilywhites build an insurmountable lead as they claimed their first win of the campaign with Antrim now empty-handed from three games.

Down are also without a victory as they endured a long after noon against Clare in Ennis with the Banner men romping to a 3-35 to 0-15 win.

Antrim’s trip to Newbridge began brightly, but soon unravelled as they fell apart early in the second half against Kildare.

Seaan Elliott pointed an early free and Ruairi Donaghy – one of four late changes for the Saffrons – found his range before Jack Sheridan put the hosts on the board.

This score helped settle Kildare who began to get into a flow, yet it was an even start to the game with the sides level at 0-4 apiece after 15 minutes.

Points from Antrim’s Ryan McCambridge and Conal Cunning were cancelled out by Muiris Curtin and a monster score from Paul Dolan, and while James McNaughton restored the Antrim advantage in the 19th minute, it was the last time they would lead.

Kildare began to punish Antrim mistakes as they rattled off four on the spin with three of those from Sheridan and while Elliott and Cunning brought Antrim to within one, Kildare rallied with the next three including one from Cathal Dowling to ensure all six starting forwards were on the board.

Antrim did find a response late in the half with Elliott pointing either side of one from Kildare’s Daire Guerin who punished yet another slack pass from the visitors and it was the hosts leading 0-14 to 0-11 at the break.

Points from Cathal McCabe and Sheridan extended the gap early in the second period before Kildare hit their first goal in the 40th minute as Curtin gathered a long delivery from Sheridan and popped substitute James Dolan in to blast home.

Eight minutes later, Curtin required no assistance as he leapt to gather high, turned and fired an unstoppable shot past Domhnall Nugent and after Ryan McCambridge hit back with an Antrim point, Curtin took a pass from Cathal Dowling and this time blasted low to push the gap out to 13.

In reality, that was that as Antrim never looked like finding a way back into it as they were relying on pointed frees from Elliott for the most part with Eoin O’Neill the only other to contribute on the board in the final 20 minutes.

Elliott would finish with 11 to his name with all but one from the placed ball as Antrim hit the 20-point mark for the first time since last year’s league win over Laois, but this was little consolation as Kildare kept their visitors at arm’s length in the closing stages.

Despite a bright start in Ennis, Down were overpowered by the 2024 All-Ireland champions who ran out 29-point winners.

This was a first meeting between the counties in 15 years and Clare were not in a charitable mood against Ronan Sheehan’s side despite resting Tony Kelly and Shane O’Donnell, as newcomers Senan Dunford, Diarmuid Stritch and Niall O’Farrell make the most of their chance to impress with 10 points between them.

The sides were level at 0-4 apiece with Down’s top scorer Pearse Og McCrickard landing two of his side’s scores, but Clare completely took over from then on with the next nine points on the spin.

Jack Kirwin began and ended the sequence with Mark Rodgers on target from frees and while McCrickard broke the run, Clare would hit another nine points before the interval to lead 0-22 to 0-7 with Shane Meehan and Cathal Malone prominent.

Down did rally a little after the break as they matched Clare in the third quarter with the sides scoring five points apiece as Paul Sheehan and Cahal Coleman scored off the bench for the Ulster side.

Clare would find another gear in the final 15 minutes, however, as the Banner finkished with a flourish.