Antrim will be in the Christy Ring Cup next year after suffering a 2-18 to 1-11 defeat to Carlow at Dr Cullen Park.

The result completes a thoroughly miserable year for the Glensmen, who also lost their Division One status to Kerry last month.

With so much at stake, this was a bad-tempered match which saw both sides reduced to 13 men before the finish. The Barrowsiders had Martin Kavanagh and Edward Coady sent to the line while Antrim pair Conor Johnston and Simon McCrory also received their matching orders.

Kevin Ryan's men made a decent start when Johnston netted in the tenth minute and they trailed by just 0-8 to 1-3 at the break, with wind advantage to come.

But the hosts controlled the second period, adding ten more points to their tally as well as goals from Paul Coady and Sean Murphy.

While the winners have retained their Leinster SHC status for another year, this result isn't enough to secure a quarter-final berth in this year's competition, with Laois and Westmeath emerging from the preliminary group.

Carlow - K Kehoe; S Kavanagh, J Rogers, A Corcoran; R Coady, D English, E Coady; D Byrne, J Kavanagh (0-2); Sean Murphy (1-1), E Byrne (0-2), J M Nolan (0-3); Seamus Murphy, M Kavanagh (0-2f), P Coady (1-7, 0-5f). Subs: M Brennan (0-1) for Seamus Murphy, G Coady for J M Nolan.

Antrim - C O'Connell; O McFadden (0-1), J Dillon, R McCambridge; S McCrory, T McCann, C McKinley; Ciaran Johnston, N McAuley; P Shiels (0-1'65), C Carson, D McKernan; C Clarke (0-3, 2f), C McCann (0-1), Conor Johnston (1-4, 0-3f). Subs: M Donnelly for N McAuley, M Bradley (0-1) for P Shiels, E Campbell for D McKernan, C Ross for R McCambridge.

Referee - C McAllister.

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