Joe McDonagh Cup – Round 3
Antrim v London
Venue: McGovern Park, Ruislip – Date: Sunday 10 May
Throw in: 1pm
Referee: Niall Malone
Brendan McTaggart looks ahead at Antrim’s must win encounter with London in the McDonagh Cup.
When it comes to penning previews, I’ve often sat in front of my laptop wondering what angle I can take. We publish these pieces a bit closer to match day so by the time other media outlets have released their pearls of wisdom, speaking with a player or management can feel like you’re going over old ground.
I have figured that it doesn’t matter what I come out with here and now, it will have been said throughout the 32 counties since Antrim left Portlaoise on 25th April. A chastening defeat and a nightmarish second half after a more than decent opening 35 minutes. It wasn’t the first time we’ve left the O’Moore Park stadium with our tail between our legs, I’ve been reporting on games for the better part of 13 years and I’ve never witnessed an Antrim hurling victory there in that time – although there was one victory for the big ball men under precarious circumstances and one Chris Kerr starring, a story for another day and maybe a podcast.
Back to the hurling and my angle. What is my angle I hear you shout? Unity. It’s time to put the maniacal whirlwind of the last two weeks behind us and concentrate on what happens on the pitch. Statements, counterstatements, rumours with substances, scurrilous rumours that if true would make the hairs on your toes stand on end, it never sat well with me. You might think that when you dip your toes in this profession that someone like me would be relishing these circumstances. I promise you, that couldn’t be further from the truth. I would much rather be reporting on Antrim victories and having pints with the management team than having that gut wrenching feeling in the pit of my stomach before grabbing a few words after the game.
The national media and a few clowns on podcasts and ‘X’ have had their say – no, not the three amigos on We Are Antrim, although we’ve had our say also. Some of the reporting has been sensationalised, some of it for clicks. What I will say is that the silence for the last week from the hurling camp has been music to my ears. I’m hoping that means there has been a resolution found and everyone has their shoulder to the wheel. Like I said on the We Are Antrim podcast, we are still alive in the McDonagh Cup despite the two defeats. We have three winnable games coming up, starting with Sunday in London. It certainly won’t be a handy 70 minutes, that’s for sure but it’s 70 minutes that we need a result. If things don’t go our way in Ruislip, not only can we kiss goodbye to a place in the top two and the McDonagh Cup final but we are looking over our shoulders at relegation and into the Christy Ring. That’s a very negative way to be thinking about the upcoming game but it is the reality of where we are right now.
A starting 15 hasn’t been released as yet at the time of writing. I’m hoping there will be some changes with potentially Jack McCloskey, Conal Bohill, Scott and Gerard Walsh getting their place in the starting 15. McCloskey has been in fine form for Loughgiel and has to be worth a shot at this stage to help an attack that has been heavily reliant on Seaan Elliott. Bohill and the Walsh lads would add a bit more tenacity and physicality in the middle third that was badly missing in the face of a tidal wave of Laois momentum.
Systems and formations are irrelevant for me at this stage. What I want to see is a result. If that comes with playing one man inside and employing a running game from midfield, I’ll be happy. If a result comes from playing a more like we have been used to seeing in Antrim and playing to our strengths, I’ll be happier.
But a result is a must.