Antrim remain in the Leinster hurling championship as tensions run high with 14-man Carlow

Antrim will remain in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship as they found the goal touch to overcome 14-man Carlow at Corrigan Park on Sunday, winning 4-22 to 2-22.

Conal Cunning and James McNaughon netted twice each, while Carlow lost Chris Nolan to a red card at the start of the second half as the Barrowsiders now return to the Joe McDonagh Cup.

It was a tense afternoon in Belfast, but one in which Antrim would ultimately prevail and it was a vital win for their progress.

Carlow enjoyed the better of it early as Martin Kavanagh and Seaan Elliott traded points before they rattled of the next three.

Antrim had the first sight of goal after five minutes when Conal Cunning miscued when attempting a first-time pull, but there was no denying the Dunloy man three minutes later as he was played in by James McNaughton and finished.

But Carlow seemed to always have an answer as they gradually opened a gap with a goal three minutes later as the pace of Chris Nolan saw him get clear and finish from an angle.

Nolan, Kavanagh, James Doyle and Conor Kehoe were all finding their range as they made the most of the wind advantage.

Antrim were just not accurate at times but there was a sense they had the ability to create goals and their second came on 20 minutes as James McNaughton found himself through to finish and bring his side to within two.

A third came four minutes later and from a penalty, when Seaan Elliott was bundled over by Paul Doyle for what was deemed a goalscoring opportunity outside the area with Doyle also sin-binned and Cunning finishing the award to bring the game level.

Carlow replied with three of the next four points as all six starting forwards had now registered, but Antrim finished the half well with a pair of