Joe McDonagh/Christy Ring relegation/promotion playoff
Saturday June 30
Athletic Grounds, Armagh
Throw in: 12:45pm
Referee: David Hughes (Carlow)
By Brendan McTaggart
It’s not the match those who follow the Saffron hurlers were hoping for this weekend, but it’s every bit as important. Antrim travel to the Athletic Grounds in Armagh for a play-off with Christy Ring winners Kildare, the prize on offer? The right to participate in the Joe McDonagh Cup in 2019.
After releasing a joint statement with the Kildare players on Thursday evening, the Saffron players and management have expressed their disappointment at the set-up and scheduling. The Lilywhites firmly of the belief that they have already earned that right when they defeated London at Croke Park in last Sunday’s Christy Ring Final and the scheduling of this match, just seven days after their first Christy Ring success since 2014 doesn’t help the situation much either.
The Antrim management have expressed their concerns around the play-off and the reasons – why break something that clearly isn’t broken is the trail of thought among Sambo, Woody, Neal Peden and Pappy and you would be hard pushed to find someone who would disagree with them, outside of GAA’s HQ. When we spoke with Dominic McKinley, he has sympathy for the Saffrons opponents on Saturday: “Look we’ve got ourselves in this situation and we’ve known the format from the start of the season. My own opinion is Kildare won the Christy Ring Cup and should be playing in the Joe McDonagh next year but I also think the McDonagh Cup should remain a six team competition.”
There is no doubting the McDonagh Cup has been a resounding success and McKinley is obviously eager to maintain Antrim’s status in the competition: “Some of the games have been outstanding. The games against Westmeath and Carlow were had fierce excitement and maybe wasn’t good for the managements health standing on the side line but I’m sure from a neutral’s perspective they were a spectacle. That’s the level of hurling that we as a county are at and we want to be playing in it next year again. Some of our hurling has been very, very good. You look at those first 20 minutes against Kerry and that’s what this team is capable off. We went off the boil and when that happens it’s difficult to get started again.”
Kildare come into the match ‘fresh’ from their dismantling of the Exiles. I say fresh but there is no doubting the Kildare men would have been hoping for at least another weeks grace before this playoff. The Lillywhites had 14 points to spare over London after the 70 minutes, thanks largely to goals from Jack Sheridan (two) and one from Shane Ryan along with the free taking ability of James Burke. A hugely impressive performance on an afternoon where they had 10 different scorers.
In recent matches Antrim have had the upper hand over Kildare, most recently the Saffrons had two points to spare on their way to securing promotion to Division 1b in March 2017. On that particular day in Cushendall, Ciaran Clarke top scored for the Saffrons with 1-6 but the Ballycastle man won’t be part of the squad at the Athletic Grounds: “We’ve known Clarkey’s situation all season,” added McKinley: “with his working commitments it was always a possibility he could miss this one and it’s turned out to be the case. The rest of the squad is much the same with no fresh injury concerns.” McKinley continued: “Some of the guys in this squad have been representing Antrim for the better part of 10 years. The squad enjoy being together and being part of Antrim hurling. They’re proud to represent their county and wear an Antrim shirt. There is no-one hurting more than they are right now for being in this playoff but we’re going to be doing everything we can to ensure we’re playing in the McDonagh Cup next year.”
Kildare will present a stern opposition for the Saffrons make no mistake about it. Their performances in the Christy Ring Cup were highly impressive highlighted by the fact they beat a strong London side and a Derry team littered with Slaughtneil players in the semi-final with eight points to spare. Under the tutelage of Joe Quaid they have made progress on the field of play and in Jack Sheridan they have one of the inform players in the country right now. Six goals in his three outings during the Christy Ring tells you Antrim will have to be mindful but the Saffrons have enough about them to edge this one. If they can replicate the intensity and form in recent times against Westmeath and Carlow they should keep their place in the McDonagh Cup for next season.