Allianz Hurling League

Roinn 1B – Round 5

Antrim v Carlow

Date: Sunday 2 March

Venue: Netwatch Cullen Park, Carlow

Throw in: 2:30pm

Referee: Chris Mooney (Dublin)

Brendan McTaggart looks ahead to Antrim’s away match with Carlow on Sunday afternoon.

Antrim’s search for a second league win of the season continues on Sunday afternoon as they travel to Carlow.

The Barrowsiders sit on three points after drawing with Offaly on the opening weekend and impressively, defeating Waterford in their two matches played so far.  While the Saffrons have played four, Carlow have seen their other game fall foul of the elements with their match against Laois cancelled due to a waterlogged pitch last weekend.

From an Antrim perspective, they are entering squeaky bum time.  Two matches remain and if they want their fate to remain in their hands, they must leave Carlow with two points.  A defeat will serve up all sorts of permutations ahead of the Laois game and given there are still a round of fixtures the following week while Antrim have a bye.

Going to Carlow while in top form is never easy but going in search for league points to the Barrowsiders backyard on the back of suffering chastening defeats to Offaly and Waterford is far from ideal.  It’s probably the polar opposite of the preparations you would want to face a side who have been the talk of the country in recent times given their exploits against the Déise and against Kilkenny in the Leinster championship last year.

Casting my mind back to Antrim’s last visit to Netwatch Cullen Park and coming away with a draw after a contest where we looked dead and buried for long periods.  It was the late, late show from Domhnall Nugent that came to the rescue and a share of the points that day. Leaving Carlow that day we felt sure we would meet them again in the Joe McDonagh final, but it didn’t work out that way and it was Kerry we beat in the final.

Off course, the sides have met much more recently with Antrim’s status in the Leinster Championship confirmed after a 4-22 to 2-22 win at Corrigan Park.  Antrim went into that game shorn of form also and were helped with the dismissal of Chris Nolan just before half time.

In that famous win over Waterford, Nolan scored 2-3 while Marty Kavanagh was at his best from placed ball with seven of his 10 white flags coming from frees but with eight different scorers and 2-14 coming from open play, they are a team who are far from reliant on one or two individuals.

With Conor Johnston, Ryan McGarry and Paddy Burke rumoured to be back in contention after injury, it’s not all doom and gloom for Davy Fitzgerald’s men as the Sixmilebridge native looks for that winning combination.

With ‘plus one’ being used against Offaly, Dublin and Waterford and to a lesser extent, Westmeath, you would imagine he will go down that road again for what promises to be a stern test against Carlow.  The jury is still out if it is the way Antrim need to go about their business.  Fitzgerald has a plan and in recent interviews has put the ‘collapses’ against Offaly and Waterford down to a psychological block of sorts with a sports psychologist now part of his backroom team.  Off course, getting ‘it right’ between the ears is important, but playing a style and/or system that suits the players you have available is equally as important.

Food for thought?

A trip to the Barrow County hasn’t been one for the faint of heart for the Saffrons in recent times and Sunday will be no different.  This side have shown impressive powers of recovery in the not-too-distant past.  Memories of those occasions will be required along with a serious uplift in form.

Is it possible?  Absolutely.  Is it likely?  I’m leaning towards my head saying one thing and my heart saying another. We’ll travel to Carlow in hope of a performance and two points.  Anything less will leave us looking over our shoulders tentatively and a return to Division 2 with one match remaining