ANTRIM NEEDED EXTRA-time to see off Carlow in a thrilling Christy Ring Cup opener at Netwatch Cullen Park.
Neil McManus posted 1-13 as the Ulstermen ran out 3-20 to 2-22 winners.
Marty Kavanagh and Niall McKenna traded goals in the opening half as Antrim trailed by four points at the interval.
Kavanagh bagged another three-pointer in after the restart while Ciaran Clarke hit the net for the Ulster champions as the sides finished on 2-16 apiece after normal-time.
Denis Murphy finished with 0-16 for Carlow but it wasn’t quite enough as Antrim edged it during extra-time.
Eoghan Sands scored a crucial second-half goal as Down ran out 2-24 to 1-20 winners over Roscommon, while Kildare survived a second-half fightback by Mayo to win 0-17 to 0-16.
It all means that Antrim, Down and Kildare qualify for the winners’ section of the competition.
In the opening round of the Nicky Rackard Cup, Donegal achieved their first victory over Armagh in 17 years. David Flynn goaled for Donegal in the 1-19 to 0-13 win against the beaten Ulster SHC finalists.
Lorcan Devlin’s late winner gave Tyrone a 2-11 to 0-16 win over Monaghan, while Ulster Shield champions Derrysaw off Louth on a scoreline of 2-17 to 1-11.
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Things to learn from 2012: don’t be sh!te
Given, O’Shea, Keane & Doyle have been great servants for us but its time for all 4 of them to retire after euro 2016 and give the younger players like Duffy, O’Dowda & Byrne a chance.
Starting 11 should be: Randolph Coleman Clark Keogh Brady McCarthy Hendrick Walters Hoolahan McClean Long
Such a let down and anti climax. I remember my own boys and their friends all decked out in green……so let’s manage expectations
Don’t play injured goalkeepers. Stop using players for media work cos they have native accents and thus include them in the 23. Let the people follow the Irish team and not some country called 3
It’s coming home
To be fair we overachieved in most tournaments prior to 2012 so we were due a bad one
Not sure getting out of the group should be the minimum for every tournament. We had come top players in them tournament also..
Don’t think it could ever be as bad as the Trapattoni era again, ugh, just typing that old spoofers name has left me depressed.