National Hurling League Division One B/ Antrim 1-14 Galway 0-16: A late goal by Johnny McIntosh gave Antrim an unexpected victory over Galway at Casement Park yesterday.
It was a 70th-minute solo effort by the big Armoy man who cut in from the left wing to slam the ball home from close range. He had already sent over seven points, six of them from frees, to emerge the hero of the day.
Antrim hustled and harried their opponents throughout with the defence holding firm and had it not been for a series of wides - nine - in the second half the winners would have wrapped up victory much earlier.
The hurling wasn't out of the top drawer but total commitment was the order of the day by the Antrim players who snuffed out their more illustrious opponents in many instances. Goalkeeper Damien Quinn also pulled off two remarkable saves.
Antrim breezed into a 0-4 to 0-2 lead after 15 minutes but Ger Farragher put over a free seven minutes later to level, following points by Niall Healy and Eugene Cloonan.
Had it not been for the accuracy of Farragher from placed balls - he hit a total of 10 - the winners would have been out of sight well before the final whistle. They were level again on the half-hour and once more three minutes later but points by Kevin Broderick and Farragher sent Galway in leading by 0-9 to 0-7 at the interval.
A blazing restart by Antrim pegged Galway in their own half for nearly 20 minutes as the home side tagged on five unanswered points to go three ahead. Farragher grabbed three frees to balance the scales again but Galway could never establish authority.
The fast and furious action was level at 13 and 14 points before Cloonan scored his second point in a minute to give the visitors a 0-15 to 0-14 lead with six minutes left. Farragher pointed his 10th free but when Cloonan sliced through for what seemed a certain goal on 67 minutes Quinn dashed out to bring off an amazing stop.
Then right on time, McIntosh produced the winning blast that stunned Galway.
ANTRIM: D Quinn; B McAuley, M McCambridge, G Cunningham; J Campbell, K McKeegan, C Herron; C Cunning (0-1), M Herron; C Hamill, B Delargy, M Scullion (0-1); S Óg McFadden (0-2), P Richmond (0-3), J McIntosh (1-7, 0-6 frees). Subs: B McFall for Hamill (half-time), B Quinn for Scullion (53 mins), M Dallas for McFadden (61 mins), J Scullion for Cunning (66 mins).
GALWAY: L Donohue; D Joyce, T Óg Regan, G Mahon; D Hayes, C Dervan, S Kavanagh; F Healy (0-1), D Collins; G Farragher (0-10, 0-9 frees, 0-1 '65), R Murray, K Broderick (0-1); N Healy (0-1), E Cloonan (0-3), D Donohue. Subs: K Daly for D Donohue (50 mins), A Coen for Murray (59 mins), MJ Quinn for Hayes (61 mins).
Referee: E MacMuiris (Dublin).
