Antrim win seven Ulster titles in a row
Thursday, 19 June 2008
Antrim captain Tony McCloskey lifts the Ulster Minor Hurling Championship trophy (The Danny McNaughton Cup) after his team’s win over Down in Sunday’s final at Casement Park.
What a coincidence that the Antrim Minor and Senior hurling teams should score exactly the same amount as they put an end to Down in both grades when the Ulster finals were staged at Casement Park on Sunday afternoon.
There was a difference however. The Minors, in advancing to the next stage in the All Ireland series, were clear cut winners by a massive 22 point margin while the Senior, in setting themselves up for an All Ireland qualifier against Galway in a fortnight's time, were held to a five point winning margin.
The Minors success, 3-18 to 0-5, made one feel some pity for the lads from Ards.
With Gerard Laverty hammering home a goal after five minutes it was clear this one was going to be all one way traffic.
With the points flowing like confetti and Antrim hitting two second half goal it was humiliation time for the youngsters in read and black.
Ten minutes into the second half Michael Davitt broke the point scoring rhythm with the Saffrons second goal and the third came in injury time from Michael Armstrong.
It certainly was celebration time for the Antrim Under-18s as they collected their 15th Ulster crown but it also says something about the state of Ulster hurling at this level when one county can have such a stranglehold on the title.
