Waterford outclass sorry Saffrons at Corrigan Park

Mark Fitzgerald was named man-of-the-match after Waterford's dominant win over Antrim at Corrigan Park

A return to Corrigan Park did not have the desired effect for Antrim on Sunday as they were out-gunned by an impressive Waterford who claimed a utterly dominant 2-23 to 0-11 win in Division 1B of the Allianz Hurling League.

The Déise made good use of the elements in the first period to build a 16-point wind and managed the game well in the second with Antrim never really threatened to get back into it.

It was a disappointing display from Davy Fitzgerald's men who were out-hustled and out-muscled as the visitors came at them with intensity and the result now leaves them in a precarious position in the battle to avoid the drop.

Playing with an extremely strong wind at their backs, Waterford immediately set about building a big lead and had two points on the board within the opening minute.

The lead was three with 10 played before the visitors grabbed their first goal as a superb poc-out from Billy Nolan found Conor Prunty in stride with the ball worked to Kevin Mahony to crack home.

Their second major came six minutes later and from a Stephen Bennett penalty, awarded as he was adjudged to have been clipped outside the area, but deemed a goalscoring opportunity denied and Keelan Molloy would spend 10 minutes in the sin-bin to compound matters.

The scores flowed for Waterford with Jamie Barron and Dessie Hutchinson hitting some beauties, as Antrim only had a couple of James McNaughton frees to show until late in the half when Seaan Elliott had a sight of goal but shot over.

But the visitors had a commanding 2-14 to 0-4 lead at the interval with Antrim's hopes long gone.

The Saffrons made a decent start to the second period with the first four points including one from substitute Eoin O'Neill, but were unable to sustain the momentum with Waterford adapting to playing into the gale, rattling off four of their own to restore to 16-point gap going into the final quarter.

They could have had a third goal only for the crossbar denying Hutchinson, but the game was long decided and petered out late with Waterford home and hosed.