A glimmer of common sense has finally emerged through the cloud that has hung over the Antrim v Armagh, Ulster Championship opener on the 12th April. Antrim emerged first from the draw and nominated Corrigan Park as their home venue.
Ulster Council deemed Corrigan unfit to host the game on safety and capacity grounds but Antrim footballers dug their heels in saying ‘Corrigan of nowhere’ The Gaelic Players Association has backed the Antrim stance.
But negotiations in recent days have seemingly resolved the issues of contention and the game is now set to be played in west Belfast on 12 April, with the resolution expected to be rubberstamped by Ulster GAA later this week.
We at the Saffron Gael feel that it never should have been an issue and to be fair, the noises coming out of Armagh suggested that they felt Antrim were right to make their stand.
Health and safety issues, largely concerning the big demand for tickets from the very well supported All-Ireland champions, had led the provincial body to move the game to Newry’s Pairc Esler.
This only hardened the “Corrigan or nowhere” stance from the Antrim players and indeed the county’s GAA board which put the match in potential jeopardy.
That scenario could have led to Antrim’s removal from the remainder of the football championship, which would have involved them being thrown out of the second-tier Tailteann Cup. (Talk about kicking a man when he’s down)
It’s understood that Antrim GAA have been able to convince Ulster officials that the required health and Safety provisions will be in place for the provincial quarter-final.
Antrim were first out of the hat in the Ulster SFC draw last October which normally means home advantage for that team.
Even with home advantage, the Saffrons will go into the contest as massive underdogs having suffered relegated to Division Four of the Allianz Football League on Sunday.
Antrim’s fate was confirmed in Newbridge on Sunday when they lost to now promoted Kildare but the game was far more eventful than the 11-point margin at the final whistle might suggest.
Brian Flanagan’s team knew coming into the game that they would be promoted if they could overcome an Antrim side who already had one foot in division 4 following their defeat to Sligo the previous weekend and the visitors got off to a bad start when Niall Kelly, Callum Bolton and Alex Beirne kicked two points each as Kildare scored the first six points of the game inside the opening 14 minutes.
However, Antrim came storming back into the game with the wind at their backs and Conor Stewart kicked their first point of the game in the 15th minute from outside the two point arc and they would go on to kick a further five 2 pointers before the half time whistle.
Dominic McEnhill was excellent from distance as he kicked three two-pointers, including two from frees after Kildare didn’t leave the required number of players up the field.
From Stewart’s first two-pointer, Antrim outscored Kildare by 0-14 to 0-3 in the last 20 minutes of the half and led by 0-14 to 0-9 at the break and were good value for their lead in St. Ternach’s Park
Paddy McBride who scored 0-2 in KildareRyan McQuillan who was on target for the Saffrons
Kildare looked in a bit of trouble with their promotion ambitions depending on the result from Sunday’s game but the windy conditions aided their cause and there was a different intensity from Kildare after the break.
The introduction of Ben McCormack at half time and then later in the half of Paddy McDermott and Darragh Kirwan hugely helped the Kildare cause and in total their bench contributed 10 second-half points.
Kildare scored the first 1-8 of the second half, including a well taken Niall Kelly goal in the 44th minute before Ryan McQuillan finally got the Saffrons going again with a good point.
The home team were six points ahead with seven minutes to play but a battling Antrim never gave up and they pulled a goal back through Fionn Nagle and the fat was back in the fire.
Antrim suffered a blow when Eoghan McCabe was shown a red card in the 70th minute after picking up a second yellow card and that certainly didn’t help the Saffron cause but they can take some consolation from another descent performance.
Not for the first time this season Antrim showed in spells that they are as good as most of the teams in the division but have been unable to sustain that high level of performance for 70 minutes and it is something they will be attempting to address for the visit of Armagh in three weeks’ time
Scorers for Kildare: N Kelly 1-4, D Kirwan 0-5 (2ptf), A Beirne 0-6 (2ptf,1f), C Bolton 0-2, C Dalton 0-2, B McCormack 0-2, R Sinkey 0-1, K Feely 0-1f, B McLoughlin 0-1, P McDermott 0-1, T Archbold 0-1.
Antrim: D McEnhill 0-8 (3 2ptfs, 1 2pt), C Stewart 0-3 (2pt), P McBride 0-2 (2pt), F Nagle 1-0, R McQuillan 0-2 (1f).
KILDARE: Cian Burke; Harry O’Neill, Mick O’Grady, Brian Byrne; Ryan Houlihan, James McGrath, David Hyland; Callum Bolton, Aaron Masterson; Cathal Hagney, Alex Beirne, Colm Dalton; Ryan Sinkey, Kevin Feely, Niall Kelly. Subs: Ben McCormack for Hagney, h/t; Paddy McDermott for Masterson, 44; Darragh Kirwan for Sinkey, 50; Brian McLoughlin for McCormack, 63; Tony Archbold for Beirne, 70.
ANTRIM: Luke Mulholland; Eoghan McCabe, Eunan Walsh, Kavan Keegan; James McAuley, Jack Lenehan, Dermot McAleese; Conor Stewart, Patrick Finnegan; Patrick McBride, Niall Burns, Ruairi McCann; Conor Hand, Dominic McEnhill, Ryan McQuillan. Subs: Eunan Quinn for Hand, 41; Fiionn Nagle for Finnegan, 50; Ronan Boyle for Keenan, 60; Calum Higgins for Burns, 65; James McDonnell for Walsh, 68.
Antrim’s fate looks all but decided as they travel to Newbridge on Sunday to face promotion hopefuls, Kildare.
The Lilly Whites looked like running away with the title in the early stages of this year’s division 3 campaign but now need a win over visitors Antrim to maintain their push for promotion.
Recent defeats to Offaly and Clare have reeled Kildare back into the promotion chasing pack with Offaly, Clare and even Fermanagh still in the chase on the final day.
I’m not going into the permutations of results that would bring about success for the relevent sides as they have been well documented in the National Media this week,needless to say they do not involve Antrim.
Antrim’s chances of division 3 survival all but ended at Corrigan Park last weekend when they lost to Sligo in a winner takes all contest where they failed to turn up in the opening half.
A much improved second half performance saw them close the gap to the minimum at one stage after trailing by 8 at the break before Sligo kicked a couple of late 2 pointers to eventually win by three.
That win moved Sligo a point above Antrim and with a home game against a Leitrim team, who couldn’t field last week, the Yeats county look odds on to retain their division 3 status.
So pride might well be the only motivation for an Antrim side who will reflect on a season of ‘might have been’ where they led against both Fermanagh and Laois before losing narrowly in both away games.
It’s been that sort of a division this year with little between all of the sides on any given day.
Andy McEntee has named the same side that started against Sligo last week so they are not travelling to St. Conleth’s Park just to fulfil a fixture and are quite capable of causing an upset against Kildare.
The Saffron management and players refuse to use the ongoing debacle of the forthcoming Ulster Championship game against Armagh (CORRIGAN OR NOWHERE) as an excuse but it has to have played on the minds of some.
Sunday could provide an opportunity to record a win that would instil a bit of confidence for that forthcoming meeting with the All Ireland champions.
That game should be staged at Corrigan Park following the long running saga that has been the Casement Park project.
Good luck to Andy McEntee and his side on Sunday and who knows, Leitrim may travel to Markievicz Park and beat Sligo – Antrim are overdue a wee bit of good fortune!
Barring a miracle Antrim will be playing their football in division 4 next season following defeat to Sligo in this ‘4 pointer’ at Corrigan Park on Sunday.
The Yeats county went into this game trailing Antrim by a point but knowing that a win would almost certainly guarantee them survival, with one game remaining it seems they have achieved what they came to Belfast for.
After a poor start to the season Sligo have found their form at the right time to claw themselves away from the drop zone and just need a draw at home to Leitrim next week.
The visitors dominated the opening half with Antrim badly of the pace and for long periods the Saffrons couldn’t get their hands on the ball while Sligo were excellent on the press and moved the ball at pace.
They looked to be coasting to victory when they led by 1-11 to 0-6 at the break but a couple of half time changes and a much more positive approach saw the home side stage a strong second half comeback.
Sligo opened the scoring as Alan Reilly finished a patient build-up and the Yeatsmen continued to control the early stages as Alan McLoughlin and Niall Murphy (free) added scores.
It took Antrim 9 minutes to get off the mark when goalkeeper Michael Byrne kicked the first of his three 45s in the opening half before Ryan McQuillan thumped over from play.
However, Sligo were dictating terms with five of the next six points including one a Niall Murphy free that came as a result of Antrim having just two players in the other half of the field.
Antrim were just not at the races as pass after pass went astray and this allowed Sligo to get on the front foot and as the half continued to tick along, the lead continued to increase with Alan McLoughlin and Reilly leading the way.
A fine score from Antrim’s Eunann Walsh who began the move in his own half hinted at better to come for the hosts, but the goal that seemed to be coming duly arrived with two minutes of the half remaining as the Antrim defence seemed to switch off, allowing Sligo all the time to work open a tap-in for Luke Towey.
Patrick O’Connor then saw a shot tipped over in added time as Sligo held a commanding 1-11 to 0-6 lead at the break and Antrim were probably relieved to get to the shelter of the dressing rooms and regroup.
Antrim made two changes for start of the second half with Ruairi McCann and Dominic McEnhill replacing Conor Stewart and Conor Johnston and it brought about an immediate improvement as they posted 1-4 without reply in the third quarter.
Half-time sub, Dominic McEnhill grabbed 1-1, his goal coming with 50 minutes played as he finished a flowing move that began with Conor Hand’s run at goal, while the Saffrons felt they could have had an earlier goal but Eunan Walsh was penalised for over carrying after a surging run saw him finish from close range.
Dominic McEnhill celebrates after scoring Antrim’s goal in the second half.
Just when it looked that things were now very much in the hands of Andy McEntee’s side, Sligo rattled off the next three points through Spillane, McLoughlin and Muphy before Ryan McQuillan pulled one back and the teams then swapped two-point frees through Murphy and Byrne.
A Ronan Boyle score left two in it again as the Saffron support started to find their voice, but that two-pointer from McLoughlin gave Sligo a cushion, before Eoghan McCabe pointed for the hosts to leave a goal in it.
Antrim were chasing that second major, but it wouldn’t come as Sligo held firm to leapfrog Antrim in the table ahead of next week’s final round where they host Leitrim and Antrim head to Kildare.
A point against Leitrim would be enough for Sligo, even if Antrim were to win in Newbridge but the Yeats men are likely to win that one comfortably to leave Antrim playing their football in division 4 next season.
Antrim scorers: M Byrne 0-6 (1x2pf, 3x45s, 1f), D McEnhill 1-1, R McQuillan 0-3, C Johnston 0-1, E Walsh 0-1, P McBride 0-1 (1f), R Boyle 0-1, E McCabe 0-1.
Sligo scorers: A McLoughlin 0-6 (1x2pf, 1f), N Murphy 0-5 (1x2pf, 2f), A Reilly 0-3, L Towey 1-0, P Spillane 0-2, C Lally 0-1, P O’Connor 0-1
Antrim: M Byrne; E McCabe, E Walsh, K Keenan; J Finnegan, J Lenehan, D McAleese; C Stewart, E Quinn; P McBride, N Bu
Nagle; C Hand, C Johnston, R McQuillan.
Subs: R Boyle for J Finnegan (23, head injury), D McEnhill for C Stewart (HT), R McCann for C Johnston (HT), P Finnegan for P McBride (61), R Murray for E Quinn (66)
Sligo: D Lyons; E Lyons, E McGuinness, P McNamara; B Cox, D Cummins, L Towey; C Mulligan, P O’Connor; C Lally, D Quinn, A Reilly; A McLoughlin, N Murphy, P Spillane.
Subs: R Doherty for A Reilly (38), N Mullen for L Towey (51), S Deignan for P Spillane (52), PKilcioyne for C Lally (68), M Gordon for P O’Connor (70+2)
Referee: N Mooney (Cavan)
Eunan Walsh raises his arm in celebration after firing the ball to the Sligo net. However the celebrations were short lived as the match rereree ruled out the score for overcarrying.
TO VIEW MORE PIS FROM THE GAME CLICK ON THE LINKS BELOW
Antrim take on Sligo this Sunday in Corrigan Park in a game that looks like a ‘must win’ for both sides. Games between the two are usually close and Sunday’s is likely to be the same.
The Saffrons travelled to Markievicz Park in February 2024 with Sligo winning comfortably in the end and today the Saffron Gael looks back at the report from that game
Allianz NFL Division 3
Sligo 1-20 Antrim 1-13
Following a winning start to the season, an inexperienced Antrim suffered their second successive defeat when they travelled to Markievicz Park on Sunday and lost to a good Sligo side, led by their captain, Niall Murphy.
The Sligo number 15 scored eight points as the men in black put in their best performance of 2024 to run out seven point’s winners against a Saffron side who had performed well in the opening half.
Inspired by their own sharp shooter, Paddy McBride, the visitors led 1-9 to 1-8 at the short whistle and might well have been further ahead but were hit by a goal on the break from Cian Lally in the 26th minute.
Antrim came back from this setback to hit 0-6 on the bounce with McBride leading the way and Ruairi McCann, Dominic McEnhill and keeper Mick Byrne moving them two in front as half time approached.
An injury time point from Daragh Cummins for the Yates County left the home side trailing 1-9 to 1-8 to the break but Antrim must have felt fairly comfortable despite facing the breeze in the second half.
Antrim rattled the home side with a scrambled goal in the seventh minute when Ronan Boyle got the final touch after a Ruairi McCann delivery – a point attempt from a mark – dropped short.
A couple of minutes earlier Sligo keeper Aidan Devaney came smartly off his line to deny Marc Jordan with his legs as the big wing half back looked certain to find the net.
Sligo, though, gradually improved and they moved a point ahead, 0-5 to 1-1, with 23 minutes played following scores from Niall Murphy, Darragh Cummins and Sean Carrabine.
Good points from Dermot McAleese and Patrick McBride put Antrim back in front, 1-3 to 0-5 before Sligo replied with a goal from Lally in the 26th minute and followed with a point from Niall Murphy that looked to have put the Connacht County in control.
Antrim responded positively as they scored six points without reply, including four from the impressive Patrick McBride, who was landing some beautiful scores, to lead 1-09 to 1-08 in first-half stoppage time.
Sligo produced a much improved second half performance to secure their third win of the campaign with Murphy leading by example as they struck through Paul Kilcoyne and Sean Carabine to take the lead in the opening minute before Paddy McBride briefly levelled the contest with his sixth of the evening.
The visitors would only add two further points however through Colm McLarnon and Niall Burns as Sligo took control and slowly began to turn the screw.
The home side grew in confidence and stature with Niall Murphy leading the way and the Sligo captain would finish the contest with 0-8 to his credit as they out-scored their opponents 0-12 to 0-3 in a dominant second half display
The hosts and the visitors had identical records coming into this fixture – two wins and one loss apiece, with Sligo victorious over Limerick in the previous round and Antrim losing to promotion favourites Down.
These sides contested successive Allianz Football League finals back in 2009 and 2010, with Sligo winning those Division Four and Division Three deciders.
Recent meetings have been close encounters – a one-point win for Sligo in 2020 and a minimum margin victory for Antrim three years ago.
Murphy, substitute Luke Towey, Eddie McGuinness and Brian Cox impressed in a strong Sligo side and this win looks to have secured their place in division 3 for another campaign.
Antrim, for whom Patrick McBride was outstanding, finished with 14 players because of a late black card for Marc Jordan and will hope to get something from next week’s visit of Westmeath as they look anxiously over their shoulders at the chasing pack.
Sligo: Aidan Devaney, Paul McNamara, Eddie McGuinness, Evan Lyons, Brian Cox, Darragh Cummins (0-3), Nathan Mullen, Patrick O’Connor (0-3), Paul Kilcoyne, Alan McLoughlin, Donal Conlon, Cian Lally (1-0), Pat Spillane (0-1), Sean Carrabine (0-2, 1f), Niall Murphy (c) (0-8, 4f, 2 ‘mark’)
Subs used: Lee Deignan (0-1) for Pat Spillane, h-t; Luke Towey (0-2) for Donal Conlon, 46; Eoghan Smith for Alan McLoughlin, 62; Mikey Gordon for Sean Carrabine, 68; David Quinn for Cian Lally, 68
Antrim: Michael Byrne (0-1, 1f), Ronan Boyle, Eunan Walsh, Kavan Keenan, Marc Jordan, Joseph Finnegan, Dermot McAleese (c) (0-1), Colm McLarnon (0-1), Patrick McAleer, Cormac McGettigan, Patrick McBride (0-6), Ruairi McCann (0-2, 1 ‘mark’, 1f), Declan Lynch (0-1), Niall Burns (0-1, 1f), Dominic McEnhill
Subs used: Eoghan McCabe for Kavan Keenan, 39; Eoin Hynes for Cormac McGettigan, 45; Conor Hand for Dominic McEnhill, 53; Ryan McQuillan for Patrick McAleer, 63; Jack Dowling for Colm McLarnon, 63
