Carlow 5-23

Antrim 4-15

James Doyle lit up Croke Park with four goals as Carlow overwhelmed Antrim in a high-scoring Christy Ring Cup final.

Doyle bagged a first half hat-trick to help the Barrowsiders to a commanding 3-12 to 1-7 half-time lead before adding a fourth goal with three minutes remaining. Marty Kavanagh raised the other green flag for Colm Bonnar's charges in the 46th minute as they avenged their Allianz League Division 2A final and Ring Cup first round losses to the Saffrons in emphatic fashion.

Free-taker Denis Murphy also starred with 11 points for a Carlow side who can now look forward to an All-Ireland qualifier first round clash with neighbours Laois on June 24. They set out their stall by taking an early lead through points from Paul Coady and Murphy before scores from Ciaran Clarke (two) and Neil McManus had Antrim level by the 12th minute.

Clarke then put the Saffrons ahead for the first time from a '65' before Diarmuid Bryne equalised again. The sides were level on a further two occasions before Carlow streaked clear after Doyle's brilliant 23rd minute goal which was created by Eddie Byrne. Richard Kelly and Byrne added points before Doyle netted again in the 28th minute after Marty Kavanagh had laid off a beautiful handpass.

A shell-shocked Antrim responded with a scrambled goal from Conor Johnston within 30 seconds, but there was no respite as Doyle struck again in the 34th minute to leave Carlow firmly in the driving seat at the interval.

Clarke got a goal back for the Ulstermen three minutes after the restart, but Carlow continued to play the better hurling and when Kavanagh fired home, they were 4-16 to 2-9 to the good. 

Antrim, to their credit, refused to throw in the towel. Neil McManus rifled home a 20-metre free within a minute of Kavanagh's strike, and Clarke's second goal with 15 minutes remaining had the margin back to seven points, 4-11 to 4-18.

But Carlow weren't to be denied as Murphy increased his tally from frees before Doyle applied the coup de grace with his fourth goal late on.

Carlow - J Carroll; A Corcoran, P Doyle, G Bennett; R Coady, D English, R Kelly (0-1); J Kavanagh, D Byrne (0-3); J M Nolan (0-3), M Kavanagh (1-1), J Doyle (4-1); D Murphy (0-11f), E Byrne, P Coady (0-1). Subs: K McDonald for J Kavanagh, C Nolan (0-1) for P Coady, S Murphy for E Byrne, J Murphy (0-1f) for D Murphy, S Whelan for J Doyle.

Antrim - C O'Connell; S McCrory, J Dillon, S Rooney; C Johnson, P Burke, A Graffin; C McKinley (0-1), P Shiels (0-1); N McAuley, C McCann, E Campbell (1-0); C Johnson, N McManus (1-2, 1-1f), C Clarke (2-9, 0-7f, 0-1'65). Subs: N McKenna for N McAuley, D McKernan (0-1) for C McCann, P McGill (0-1) for P Shiels, M Donnelly for J Dillon, C Cunning for C Johnson.

Referee - M Murtagh.

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