NFL Division 3

Offaly v Antrim

Tullamore – 2-00pm Sunday

Antrim make the trip to Tullamore on Sunday to take on Offaly in a game that they realistically need something from if they are to keep their promotion hopes alive.

Andy McEntee’s side opened this year’s league campaign with a win Over Clare in Corrigan Park before travelling to play Fermanagh in Ederney where, despite laying siege on the home goal in the closing stages they were beaten by a point.

Meantime Offaly, with Mickey Harte now on board as joint manager have maximum points from their opening two games having recorded a 1-17 to 0-13 win over Sligo in Tullamore before travelling to Laois where they had five points to spare over the home side.

Offaly fielded quite a number of the side who lost in Belfast in 2024 against Antrim in their opening day win over Sligo with Keith O’Neill top scoring with 0-6 and Dylan Hyland 0-4 and Ruiari McNamee 1-1 impressing in attack.

By all accounts Sligo gave as good as they got but their profligacy in front of the posts proved their downfall and Offaly took advantage in the second half as they dominated the kick out to hit four on the bounce.

The Antrim side who faced Offaly that day in Belfast is likely to contain quite a number who were in action on the Whiterock but Paddy McAleer and Creggan’s Ruairi McCann have retired and Colm McLarnon and Eoin Hynds are injured while Peter Healey’s long term absence has been a blow for the Saffrons

Keith O’Neill sparkled for Offaly as the Mickey Harte era began with this Division 3 home victory over Sligo and they followed that win with victory over Laois and the Mickey Harte influence appears to have taken immediate effect.

Antrim have made a descent start themselves and will feel that they should have taken something from a Fermanagh game where they were on top for long periods but appeared to switch off at the start of the second half and were punished when Garvan Jones struck three early points for the home side.

They came back through Paddy McBride and Mick Byrne and the sides were level at the end of the third quarter but Fermanagh hit a purple patch to move four clear with Jonathan Cassidy and Fionn O’Brien to the fore.

Antrim threw everything at the opposition in the closing stages with the Fermanagh goal under siege and were finally rewarded when Ruairi McCann rose to palm to the net from close range.

That was as close as Antrim would get with the full time whistle coming as a relief to the home side and their supporters.

Antrim will reflect on the number of chances they failed to convert when they were on top in Edenery and the concession of a couple of goals that were preventable but can take a lot of positives from the game.

Their ability to break and win breaking ball around mid-field gave them the edge in that department, particularly in the opening half and if they can eliminate basic mistakes then they can take something from their visit to O’Moore Park.

Mick Byrne, Kavan Keenan, Marc Jordan, Joe Finnegan, Conor Stewart, Paddy McBride and new man, Fionn Nagle were Antrim’s best performers against Fermanagh and should all get the nod in a side that is unlikely to show too many changes.

Ryan Murray was replaced just before throw-in in Ederney and Patrick Ferris may have shown enough when he came on as a second half substitute to get the nod for a starting place in Tullamore.