New look Antrim face All Ireland champions in League opener

By Kevin Herron

Antrim hurlers go into Sunday’s mammoth clash with All-Ireland champions Galway missing no-less than seven players who were prominent members of last year’s side.

The Saffrons travel to Pearse Stadium on Sunday (1 o’clock throw-in) looking to test themselves against last year’s Liam McCarthy Cup winners.

However, having gained promotion last season –SEVEN of last year’s panel won’t be lining out in Salt hill come throw-in on Sunday.

Last year’s captain Simon McCrory has stepped away from the panel for the foreseeable future, whilst Sarsfields duo Niall McKenna [work] and Daniel McKernan [university] are currently in England.

Ciaran Clarke and Eoghan Campbell, just two of the regulars who will miss Sunday’s league opener against Galway

Injuries have also struck with Ciaran Johnston taking time out to recover from a hip-injury along with Eoghan Campbell [foot], Ciaran Clarke [ankle] and St Pauls Stephen Rooney [shoulder]. Despite these setbacks joint manager Sambo McNaughton isn’t down in the dumps and revealed that the reason they have large panel is try and combat these problems this season.

“That’s sport, you have to deal with these things” McNaughton reflected.

“You’re going to get injuries and that’s the fact, the way that Championship is stretched this year – you’re playing every week nearly and you’re going to get this and that’s why we’re trying to find as big a panel as we can possibly get”.

“More so this year than any other year, the panel is really going to be tested because you’re not going to have your first fifteen every week – let’s be realistic about it and if you have to accept that fact you have to accept that people are going to get knocks and not get over them and they’re not going to be ready for the next game”.

McNaughton believes there will be plenty of coming and going during the season and has described it as a ‘work in progress’. The Cushendall native feels the Saffrons are on the right track and are capable of competing on their day.

“There is always boys coming and going if they don’t want to do it” acknowledged McNaughton.

“Everything is rosy until you start picking teams and you start getting problems, people have to serve their apprenticeship and have to get game time and people need to get fitter to get back in again. Eoghan Campbell has been totally forgotten about, he is ready to start training again and hopefully he will make an appearance during the league. Matthew Donnelly is getting more game time and slowly but surely is getting fitter and faster, Conor Carson and Simon McCrory are to come back”.

“It always seems to be a work in progress in Antrim and that’s just the nature of the beast and the reality of it. That’s where we are, it s a good place and we’ve a group of young fellas that want to play hurling for Antrim and that’s always a good thing – we’re going the right road, we’re not going to set the world alright but we’re going to compete and as long as you can compete; some days it will go for you and some days it won’t”.

McNaughton is relishing the year ahead and especially the McDonagh Cup which sees the Saffrons take on : Meath, Carlow, Kerry, Laois and Westmeath. The Antrim manager believes each of the six competitors are capable to lifting the trophy on July 1^st and feels it will set the winners up in good stead for competing at the top level.

“The likes of us and Down, people have got to realise we’re coming from a small base” McNaughton believes.

“Down are coming from a small base, smaller than Antrim if you look at the size of Antrim and the size of Down. Then if you compare Antrim with the size of Cork of Kilkenny the base is bigger again and that’s just the fact of life, that’s why the likes of us, Meath and the rest are in a competition were we are all probably equalish.  There will probably be a couple of favourites but on a given day – any team can beat any other team and I think it is a brilliant competition, I genuinely do. I look at it as a player and I would be dying to get at it”.

“I keep telling everyone, we could lose every game in it or win every game in it – it’s brilliant. We’re not going to win an All-Ireland, the teams that are in this competition have no chance of winning the Liam McCarthy Cup but they have a chance of winning the McDonagh Cup. You could win every game and if you do win it – it is a real achievement, because you’re going to have five games you could lose and if you get through it and win it then you’re in a good spot to go onto the next level”.