McKenna Cup
Antrim v Fermanagh
Ahoghill 1-00pm Sunday
A busy week for Antrim footballers continues on Sunday when the Saffrons play hosts to Fermanagh in round 2 of the McKenna Cup in Ahoghill.
The Saffron’s got this year’s campaign under way when they travelled to Castleblaney on Wednesday night to face Monaghan where they eventually lost by five points after taking the lead midway through the second half,
After an easily forgettable opening half, where they lost the returning Stephen Beatty to injury early in the game, Antrim improved immeasurably after the break and at the three quarter stage an upset looked possible.
A great goal from David Garland, immediately after Ronan Boyle had kicked Antrim into the lead, turned the game decisively in favour of the Farney men but manger Andy McEntee and his backroom team can take plenty of positives from the game.
Antrim fielded a number of debutants against Monaghan and introduced a few more from the bench in the second half while the return of Paddy McAleer after nearly two years out with an injury which required surgery, will have been another bonus for the Meath man.
Antrim fielded the returning Eunan Walsh at full-back and the Aghagallon man did well in the unfamiliar number 3 shirt while John Morgan, Daniel McNicholl, Conor Hand, Kavan Keenan, Aidan McAleese, Benen Kelly, Calum Higgins and Oran Downey all saw game time in a youthful Antrim side.
They were without the service of some of their more established players with Aghagallon’s Ruairi McCann, Kevin Small, Peter Healey, Adam Loughran and Dermot McAleese side-lined for various reasons.
Ruairi McCann and Dermott McAleese may well be ready for Sunday as Antrim look for the win that could keep them in the competition but more importantly set them up for the start of their division 3 league campaign which begins away to Limerick later in the month.
Antrim lost by a point to Sunday’s opposition in the 2023 National league but recorded a good win over Fermanagh in the Tailteann Cup back on the 4th of June and will be hoping to repeat a McKenna Cup win over the same opposition at Sunday’s venue back in 2020.
