ANTRIM HAVE SPRUNG a massive surprise against Wexford in this afternoon’s Bord Gáis Energy All-Ireland U21 hurling championship semi-final at Semple Stadium.
The Saffrons, with Eoghan Campbell playing a sweeper role to perfection, shocked the Leinster champions in Thurles to become the first Ulster team to reach the final of this competition.
Corner forward Ciarán Clarke bagged 1-5 (including 0-5 from frees) and centre forward Stephen McAfee hit 1-4 from play as the Ulster champions earned a landmark win.
Managed by senior boss and Waterford native Kevin Ryan, Antrim were never overawed by Wexford and trailed just once in the entire game.
Ian Byrne’s free in the second minute handed Wexford the lead but Antrim led all the way to the finish after McAffee’s fortuitous goal in the third minute.
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Antrim had the lead out to eight points, 2-13 to 0-11, with twenty minutes remaining before Wexford threatened a revival.
Conor McDonald scored a last minute goal to cut the gap back to just three points before Jack Guiney tagged on another score for Wexford.
But time ran out for the Slaneysiders and it’s Antrim who march on to contest an historic final against Clare or Galway on September 14.
The Saffrons produced an impressive first half display at Semple Stadium, with Stephen McAfee and Ciarán Clarke on target with goals.
All six of Wexford’s forwards scored from play, as well as midfielder and captain Lee Chin, but the Model County still found themselves four points adrift at the break.
Antrim, who led by 2-7 to 0-9 at the break, got off to a flier in the third minute when Stephen McAfee’s speculative effort was fumbled into his own net by Wexford goalkeeper Brian Murphy, as he attempted to catch the greasy sliotar.
And Antrim scored a second goal in the 13th minute when Ciaran Clarke cut in from the left touchline before flashing a low shot across the boughs of Murphy and into the bottom corner of the Town End netting.
That strike handed Antrim a 2-4 to 0-4 lead and they would lead again by six before Wexford hit four of the last six points on offer in the opening half, including two from senior star Guiney.
Scorers for Antrim: Ciarán Clarke 1-5 (0-5f), Stephen McAfee 1-4, Jackson McGreevey & Niall McKenna 0-2 each, Ciarán Johnson & Daniel McKernan 0-1 each.
Scorers for Wexford: Jack Guiney 0-7 (6f), Conor McDonald 1-1, Garry Moore, Ian Byrne (1f) & Rhys Clarke 0-2 each, Lee Chin 0-1.
ANTRIM: Ger Dixon (Cú Chulainn); Conal Morgan (Naomh Eoin), Matthew Donnelly (Mac Uilin), Tiernan Coyle (Na Seamróga); Tomás Ó’Ciaráin (Naomh Gall), Paddy McNaughton (Ruairí Óg), Ciarán Johnson (Naomh Eoin); Jackson McGreevey (Naomh Gall), Eoghan Campbell (Ruairí Óg); Niall McKenna (Pádraig Sairséil), Stephen McAfee (Mac Uilin), Shane Dooey (Cú Chullain); Daniel McKernan (Pádraig Sairséil), Conor McCann (Creágan), Ciarán Clarke (Mac Uilin).
Sub: David Kearney (Ruairí Óg) for McKenna (58).
WEXFORD: Brian Murphy (Shelmaliers); Garret Foley (St Mogue’s Fethard), Conor Goff (Oulart-the-Ballagh), Eoin Conroy (Naomh Éanna); Andrew Kenny (Buffers Alley), Shane O’Gorman (Adamstown), Dermot O’Leary (St Patrick’s); Lee Chin (Faythe Harriers), Aaron Kenny (Oulart-the-Ballagh); Jack Guiney (Rathnure St Anne’s), Ian Byrne (Ferns St Aidan’s), Garry Moore (Glynn-Barntown); Conor McDonald (Naomh Éanna), Barry Carton (Cloughbawn), Rhys Clarke (Faythe Harriers).
Subs: Aidan Nolan (HWH-Bunclody) for Byrne (36), Conor O’Leary (Oulart-the-Ballagh) for Dermot O’Leary (43), Tony Ffrench (Adamstown) for Aaron Kenny (51).
Had the pleasure of playing under Kevin Ryan with Carlow when he was our manager. We beat wexford in 2010 under his leadership and lost the following sunday to Clare by a point. He is such a fantastic manager and a real daddy figure to players.I cant get across how delighted i am for him and well done Antrim what a result. Hope ye win it now. Congrats.
As a Wexford man i’m a bit gutted that having beaten Kilkenny in the Leinster final they couldn’t go one more step to get to the all Ireland final. Having said that, well done Antrim. Hope ye go on to win it now
Brilliant result for Hurling. Well done Antrim & especially Mt Sion’s Kevin Ryan who doesn’t seem to be rated by our own county board in Waterford. They’ll have their work cut out against a very good Clare team but hopefully they’ll give them a good game.
Every credit to Antrim on a famous victory. Kudos also to Wexford on the guard of honour at the end, nice touch in difficult circumstances.
It was strange that Wexford benefited from an error by the Kilkenny goalie at the climax of extra time in the Leinster Final and suffered the same fate themselves today in the very first minute ! They never really recovered.
Posted a comment on.here earlier bemoaning the fact that an Irish news/sports web site had to wait till this match was into second half before it even mentioned this game today.. Yet it was able to give minute by minute account of a soccer match being played in another country….
This comment was censored earlier and removed…
Very sensitive authors here or else ones that can’t take a it of constructive criticism..
Before you go criticising our coverage, can I point out that we had a half-time report on this game up 90 seconds after the half-time whistle went. That report was removed at full time to make way for this one.
That’s why your comment no longer appears, because the entire half time report was deleted to make way for this one.
I was looking at the Under 21 finals in the final programme last year, they are listed here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-Ireland_Under-21_Hurling_Championship and I remember thinking in 50 championships it was strange that the Ulster champions (usually Antrim I presume) had never sprung a surprise in the semifinal.
Completely missing the point..my complaint (if you had gone to the bother of actually reading) is that there was absolutely no mention that this completion was even on today… No earlier post to say who was playing where or even when, but there is a saturation of soccer On here that isn’t even been played in this country… While I do know that soccer in England is very fashionable here non the less coverage of our national games should take precedence over any foreign sport…
Maybe next time our national sport reaches the latter stages of its conclusion you might be so good as to give a pre match preview…
If you don’t think covering Ladies football and camogie, as well as All-Ireland senior and junior football championships and, of course, the All-Ireland intermediate hurling championship, I’m not sure what more we can do.
Also Kevin which one do you think gets more attention in general it’s a matter of interest to you general public and football is watched more than any other sport in this country
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Well done Antrim, great result for Ulster!
Boo to the lone red thumb!
Had the pleasure of playing under Kevin Ryan with Carlow when he was our manager. We beat wexford in 2010 under his leadership and lost the following sunday to Clare by a point. He is such a fantastic manager and a real daddy figure to players.I cant get across how delighted i am for him and well done Antrim what a result. Hope ye win it now. Congrats.
As a Wexford man i’m a bit gutted that having beaten Kilkenny in the Leinster final they couldn’t go one more step to get to the all Ireland final. Having said that, well done Antrim. Hope ye go on to win it now
Well done to them. Wish I had a tenner on them!!
Great result!! Well in Antrim.. Hopefully do the business in the final now
Brilliant result for Hurling. Well done Antrim & especially Mt Sion’s Kevin Ryan who doesn’t seem to be rated by our own county board in Waterford. They’ll have their work cut out against a very good Clare team but hopefully they’ll give them a good game.
Every credit to Antrim on a famous victory. Kudos also to Wexford on the guard of honour at the end, nice touch in difficult circumstances.
It was strange that Wexford benefited from an error by the Kilkenny goalie at the climax of extra time in the Leinster Final and suffered the same fate themselves today in the very first minute ! They never really recovered.
Great result for Antrim and Ulster!
Posted a comment on.here earlier bemoaning the fact that an Irish news/sports web site had to wait till this match was into second half before it even mentioned this game today.. Yet it was able to give minute by minute account of a soccer match being played in another country….
This comment was censored earlier and removed…
Very sensitive authors here or else ones that can’t take a it of constructive criticism..
Kevin,
Before you go criticising our coverage, can I point out that we had a half-time report on this game up 90 seconds after the half-time whistle went. That report was removed at full time to make way for this one.
That’s why your comment no longer appears, because the entire half time report was deleted to make way for this one.
Taxi for beakey!!
Fantastic. .. ! What a great time for our National Game
I was looking at the Under 21 finals in the final programme last year, they are listed here http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/All-Ireland_Under-21_Hurling_Championship and I remember thinking in 50 championships it was strange that the Ulster champions (usually Antrim I presume) had never sprung a surprise in the semifinal.
Completely missing the point..my complaint (if you had gone to the bother of actually reading) is that there was absolutely no mention that this completion was even on today… No earlier post to say who was playing where or even when, but there is a saturation of soccer On here that isn’t even been played in this country… While I do know that soccer in England is very fashionable here non the less coverage of our national games should take precedence over any foreign sport…
Maybe next time our national sport reaches the latter stages of its conclusion you might be so good as to give a pre match preview…
Oh really, no mention of the U21 championship? This is just the last two days:
http://thescore.thejournal.ie/clare-u21-hurlers-cliffs-of-moher-1051284-Aug2013/
http://thescore.thejournal.ie/clare-galway-u21-1050425-Aug2013/
http://thescore.thejournal.ie/sport-tv-listings-11-1048762-Aug2013/
http://thescore.thejournal.ie/clare-u21-hurling-paul-flanagan-1048626-Aug2013/
And this is all our GAA coverage today:
http://thescore.thejournal.ie/gaa/
If you don’t think covering Ladies football and camogie, as well as All-Ireland senior and junior football championships and, of course, the All-Ireland intermediate hurling championship, I’m not sure what more we can do.
Also Kevin which one do you think gets more attention in general it’s a matter of interest to you general public and football is watched more than any other sport in this country
Watched live? Gaelic football by a country mile. Watched from a barstool? The premiership. Shame because it’s killing our domestic soccer league.
More people watch gaa on tv than go to matches
Delighted for Ciaran Clark having a good game for Antrim today, poor lad isn’t having a great time at villa at the moment!
Excellent,well done. : )
Well Done Antrim !
When & where is the final!
September 14th semple stadium
Thanks Colm!
Another disastrous result for Wexford Hurling..Is there a lower level than Rock Bottom because we most certainly are in it ~ Congrats Antrim..
Winning Leinster & reaching an u21 semi final is hardly rock bottom.
Great result for Antrim.