2024 Ireland Hurling champions Clare the visitors to Cushendall

Antrim's hurlers welcome 2024 All Ireland champions Clare to the Glens this weekend, looking to get their 2026 National League campaign up and running.

The Saffrons suffered defeat on the opening day in the cruellest of fashions.

Having never been behind at any stage during the game, Antrim looked set to record an opening day win in Wexford.

But, a free in the eighth minute of injury time, some 20 odd metres out saw the home sides goalkeeper, Mark Fanning score what proved to be the decisive score.

It was a gut-wrenching end to a game played in heavy rain that the visitors simply didn’t deserve to lose.

They had battled superbly for almost 80 minutes and their slender lead could have been greater but for some missed chances when the game was thrown into the melting pot.

The first half was a testament to the grit and determination of the Saffrons as they battled through the driving wind and rain.

They started with intent, establishing an early lead through the accurate free taking of Dunloy's Seaan Elliott and clinical points from distance.

The home side managed to level the scores on several occasions from Simon Roche, their own dead ball specialist but Antrim finished the half with a flurry.

Three unanswered points from Paddy Burke, captain Conal Cunning and a Seaan Elliott converted free left the Saffrons 0-9 to 0-6 ahead at the interval.

There were concerns that three points may not have been enough such were the elements and with the wind increasing after the break, it was going to take a monumental effort from Davy Fitzgerald’s men to get anything out of the game.

The intensity reached boiling point ten minutes into the second half when a flare-up resulted in both sides being reduced to 14 players.

Gerard Walsh received a straight red and Wexford’s Richie Lawlor received a second yellow card for his part in the altercation.

Wexford did their best to use the wind to chip away at the Antrim lead but the Saffrons remained composed to keep their noses in front with a mix of slick passing and tireless work rate in the middle of the park.

Even when Roche converted a ’65 in the 31st minute to cut the Antrim lead to the minimum, the Saffrons remained unshaken.

The drama reached a crescendo in the final minutes when fresh legs off the bench looked to have given Antrim the edge.

Ruairi Donaghy, Joseph McLaughlin and Conor Johnston all combined for the Saffrons goal as the clock ticked into injury time at the end of 70 minutes giving Antrim a three point lead.

Wexford pulled a point back immediately and while Antrim had chances to extend their advantage, their accuracy let them down with the game now very much in the melting pot.

The home side were awarded a free some 45 metres from goal with Roche standing over and surveying his options.

Referee Thomas Walsh, however, spotted an infringement and brought the sliotar forward to the 20 metre line and in front of the goals.

Wexford handed responsibility to Mark Fanning and the goal keeper rifled the sliotar high to the back of the Antrim net.

Much to the frustration of the Antrim management, the game was blown up on the restart.

It certainly felt like there should have been at least one more play but Antrim’s time was up.

It was a day where bodies were on the line and wasn’t one for the faint hearted.

Antrim, tactically, denied the home side scoring chances and time on the ball for the majority of the game while up front they looked to use the pace of Seaan Elliott, James McNaughton and Paul Boyle.

With underfoot conditions far from conducive for any sort of hurling, Antrim won their fair share of rucks.

Showing a desire and intensity in the tackle they fed off that to build belief as the match progressed.

Every turn over ball was celebrated like it was a match winning point by a defence that was led superbly by Joe Maskey, Seán McKay and Paddy Burke while Ryan McCambridge’s strength in midfield was exactly what the Saffrons needed

For long periods of this game, it looked like the Saffrons were going to start the new league campaign with a well-deserved victory.

It didn’t happen but the green shoots of what they are trying to build began to appear in a rain soaked Wexford Park.

All thoughts now turn to welcoming the 2024 All Ireland champions to North Antrim as Clare come to town on Sunday, throw-in 1pm in Cushendall.

Antrim: Domhnall Nugent; Eoin McFerran, Paddy Burke, Ruairi McCormick; Seán McKay, Joe Maskey, Gerard Walsh; Ryan McCambridge (0-1), Eoin O’Neill; Scott Walsh, Paul Boyle (0-1), Séan Duffin (0-1); Seaan Elliott (0-7), James McNaughton, Conal Cunning (0-2)

Replacements: Cormac McKeown for S Duffin ; Joseph McLaughlin for R McCambridge ; Conor Johnston(1-0) for S Elliott ; Ruairi Donaghy for S Walsh ; Jack McCloskey for E O’Neill

Wexford: Mark Fanning (1-0); David Clarke, Conor Foley, Darragh Carley; Niall Murphy, Richie Lawlor, Eamon Wickham; Conor Hearne (0-1), Ross Banville; Ciaran O’Connor, Simon Roche (0-8), James Byrne (0-1); Cian Byrne, Tomás Kinsella (0-1), Kevin Foley

Replacements: Corey Byrne-Dunbar for C O’Connor ; Jack Redmond (0-1)for J Byrne ; Darren Codd (0-1) for C Byrne ; David Codd for R Banville ; Damien Reck for C Hearne

Referee: Thomas Walsh (Waterford)