 Antrim joint-manager Sambo McNaughton was unhappy with his team's lack of discipline on Sunday |
Antrim joint-boss Sambo McNaughton said his team were the "architects of their own downfall" after they crashed to a shock Allianz NHL defeat in Carlow. Saffrons goalkeeper Ryan McGarry was sent off for retaliation in the first half and Paddy Richmond received a straight red card in the second period. With the Saffrons imploding, Carlow led 2-7 to 0-5 at the break. A Neil McManus goal helped Antrim to get within a point of Carlow but Richmond's red card was a massive blow. To make matters worse, the Saffrons also lost two players because of the experimental yellow card rule, including influential Cormac Donnelly. "The new yellow card rule is very annoying but we got what we deserved today," McNaughton told BBC Sport. "The two boys got sent off for retaliation and they know that you just can't do that sort of thing and get away with it. "We played nearly all of the match with 14 players and a large part of the game with 13. "You just cannot afford to do that." McNaughton acknowledged that the defeat "probably" leaves Antrim needing to win their final three Division 2 games - including the game against table-toppers Offaly in Tullamore on 19 April - to keep alive their promotion hopes. "That's providing we can beat Kerry and Laois in the next two games which is by no means guaranteed, given the way we are playing at the moment." The Saffrons started off their campaign with wins over Down and Wexford but the wheels have come off in the last two games as a home draw against lowly Westmeath was followed by Sunday's shock reverse. Antrim will be back in action against Kerry at Casement Park next Sunday.
Sunday's GAA results Allianz NFL Division 1
Derry 0-13 2-7 Galway
Kerry 1-12 0-6 Westmeath
Mayo 0-9 0-9 Dublin NFL Division 2
Cork 1-16 0-7 Wexford
Kildare 1-10 1-12 Armagh NFL Division 3
Limerick 2-9 1-11 Down
Offaly 1-16 0-13 Cavan
Louth 0-18 0-12 Longford
Roscommon 1-10 2-13 Tipperary NFL Division 4
Sligo 2-8 0-8 Carlow
Wicklow 1-15 2-9 Clare
Waterford 3-7 1-10 Leitrim
NHL Division 1
Clare 0-16 2-14 Cork
Dublin 0-15 1-11 Waterford
Galway 1-14 1-12 Limerick
Kilkenny 5-17 1-12 Tipperary NHL Division 2
Carlow 3-12 1-15 Antrim
Down 0-14 2-21 Offaly
Kerry 0-12 0-17 Laois
Wexford 3-15 2-14 Westmeath NHL Division 3A
Meath 2-16 1-19 Wicklow NHL Division 3B
London 3-12 1-10 Fingal
Longford 1-8 3-18 Louth NHL Division 4
Fermanagh 3-8 2-15 Monaghan
Leitrim 0-15 0-12 Cavan
South Down 2-10 1-13 Sligo
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