SHADOW BOXING behind closed doors would be an apt way of describing Sunday's Walsh Cup Shield semi-final in Dr Cullen Park. Clashing the game with TG4's live transmission of the appetising All-Ireland Club hurling semi-final clash of Ballyhale Shamrocks and Newtownshandrum coupled with the fact that Antrim champions Dunloy were in action against Portumna in the other semi-final in Parnell Park ensured the attendance dipped below 100.

And with both teams due to meet again in the first round of the NHL in Belfast next Sunday the approach of both teams was bound to lack the intensity that will fire-up Casement Park,

Indeed the Northern, due in part to Dunloy's participation in that semi-final as well as St Gall's unsuccessful All-Ireland Intermediate final appearance in Croke Park the previous night, paraded just three of the Antrim team that made their historic Leinster SHC debut against Dublin last Summer.

Carlow, for their part, had seven of their Christy Ring Cup final starting fifteen in action and it was probably that greater spread of first teamers that saw Kevin Ryan's charges through to a Shield final meeting with Laois, a team they will play again in both the league and the first round of the championship.

Antrim started brightly and swept into a 13 to no score lead after just eight minutes, Eddie McCloskey's softish goal something of a six-pointer coming as it did after the Ulster sides goalkeeper Chris O'Connell made a great save to deny Carlow a goal.

However there was nothing the Northern net guardian could do to prevent Ruairi Dunbar rattling his net in the 9th minute, the Carlow Town raider collect driving home a powerful shot from the 20m line.

That goal sparked Carlow to life and when Eddie Byrne followed Dunbar's suit in the 27th minute to plunge a strong shot in the Antrim net from 20m the home county opened up a six point gap.

Come half-time the lead had changed hands yet again as a spree of Antrim points saw the Glensmen go into the break with a 1-10 to 2-6 advantage.

That flurry of Antrim points came after Carlow had lost mid-fielder James Hickey who was stretchered from the field but hopes are high that the injury was not as serious as first feared.

Carlow, backed by the breeze, outscored Antrim 0-7 to 0-2 over the course of the opening 26 minutes of the second half as the sticks of Richie Coady, Colin Hughes, Eddie Byrne, Paudie Kehoe and Brendan Lawlor yielded a succession of well taken points.

That gave Carlow a four point lead but with the game in injury-time and the gap down to three Kevin Ryan's charges survived a late scare when Liam Watson attempted to goal from a close range free. However his rising shot rose that bit too high, going over the bar for a harmless point that left Carlow deserving winners.

In keeping with their attitude throughout this competition, the Carlow management team of Kevin Ryan, Cyril Hughes and Seamus Brennan once more spread the net, giving Kevin Kehoe his first inter-county start in goal while James O'Hara, son of the great John who played over 100 times for Carlow, collected his first cap as did Eddie Kane, all three further graduates from Carlow minor teams of recent years.

- Leo McGough in Dr. Cullen Park