NHL DIVISION TWO: Antrim 0-15 Westmeath 0-15:A FREE deep into injury-time by Brendan Murtagh snatched Westmeath a draw yesterday at Casement Park. Only one minute of injury-time was announced, but referee Fergus Smith played almost three and the whistle went immediately after Murtagh's puck was registered.
The teams were level at 0-2 and at 0-4 in the first 17 minutes before the visitors scored five points to one. The run was halted as Karl Stewart (two frees) and Brendan Herron tossed over three Antrim points before Brian Smyth gave the visitors a 0-10 to 0-8 half-time lead.
In less than three minutes after the restart, Antrim were level with Herron and Stewart again the scorers and Stewart hit two more long-range frees. The latter kept Antrim’s nose in front with excellent free-taking and a super save by goalkeeper Ryan McGarry, his second, in the 50th minute prevented Westmeath from going in front with the score at 0-14 to 0-13.
Michael Herron increased Antrim’s lead four minutes from normal time, but points by Ciarán Curley and Murtagh’s free levelled the argument.
ANTRIM:R McGarry; K McGourty, N McGarry, S Delargy; J Campbell, K McKeegan (0-1, free), C McKinley; B Herron (0-3), M Herron (0-2); S McNaughton, C Duffin (0-1), E McCloskey; K Stewart (0-8, seven frees), PJ O'Connell, D McKillop. Subs:P McGill for McKillop (22 mins), J Scullion for O'Connell (half-time), P Doherty for Duffin (49 mins), C Donnelly for McNaughton, yellow card (55 mins).
WESTMEATH:J Greville; C Jordon, P Greville, D Curley; J Shaw (0-1 free), A Mitchell (0-3, all frees), E Price; P Dowdall (0-1), B Connaughton (0-1); B Smyth (0-1), D McCormack (0-1), C Curley (0-2); D Carthy, K Cosgrove (0-1), D McNicholas (0-2). Subs:B Murtagh (0-2, frees) for Carthy (25 mins), S Egan for Cosgrove (47 mins), D Kilcoyne for Smyth (70 mins).
Referee:F Smith (Meath).
