Diarmuid O'Flynn
It’s a long way from 84,000 people in a packed Croke Park in September to 2,000 in O’Moore Park on a chilly evening in mid-May. A big gap too between what was offered up by Tipperary and Kilkenny on that unforgettable All-Ireland final day and the quality of the hurling on display in Portlaoise.
Nevertheless this is it, the first shots fired in the 2011 championship – we’re up and running.
An auspicious start it was too. These are two Division Two teams ended up third (Laois) and fourth (Antrim) in the table, though level on points, and know each other well. Having shared honours over the last four years – Laois marginally on top for the last two, Antrim just ahead for the two years prior to that, this one was always going to be close and on that score at least, it didn’t disappoint.
In fairness to the players on both sides, however, the level of fare didn’t disappoint either. On a good pitch, a sunny evening (the rain held off), both sides played hurling, good modern hurling.
Each team had its own dangerman with the now well-known Willie Hyland for Laois (the power of Fitzgibbon Cup hurling) and dangerous Neil McManus for Antrim. Both made good use of them, though in opposite manner.
Where McManus was being well held on the edge of the square, shifted outfield where he did a lot of great work, Hyland was switched from wing-forward to the edge of the square. Sensible moves both, given that Antrim were playing into the strong diagonal wind and McManus was seeing very little ball, while there was a plentiful supply in around the square at the other end of the pitch.
“Well he wasn’t getting the ball inside,” explained Antrim manager Dinny Cahill of the McManus switch. “You don’t leave a good player tied up inside, that was the purpose of it.”
Worked a treat for Antrim, McManus hugely influential when shifted out. Worked for Laois too, the Hyland switch, though they were robbing Peter – a powerful ball-winner gone from the half-forward line – to pay Paul. But that’s all part of the championship too, the sideline moves, the gambles, and whether in Croke Park in September or on a low-key evening in Portlaoise, the ramifications are the same – games won and lost.
The game itself came down to almost the last puck, a wicked first-time shot by Laois midfielder Seán Burke that could have tied the game, had it gone in for a goal, flashing just wide of the posts.
Low-key yes, and the probability is that neither of these teams will be there come late August, certainly not in September, but this was their day and dammit they did themselves proud, all of them.
After three years of trying Antrim have finally won a championship game in Leinster, and in the process have blooded several promising newcomers. Laois without question have improved their hurling under Brendan Fennelly, but need to bulk up.
Carlow and Westmeath now next Sunday in Dr Cullen Park, another low-key game but critical – again – to those involved, then Cork and Tipp and Munster championship a week later again. Slowly it starts, but quickly it builds.
Source: http://feeds.examiner.ie/~r/iesportsblog/~3/iaRCMgWqcxg/post.aspx
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