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by thesaffrongael

The Saffron Gael speaks to Andy McEntee

After Saturday’s thrilling win over Cavan on Saturday I spoke to Antrim manager, Andy McEntee. The former Meath man was obviously delighted by his side’s performance and the result on the day and was only too willing to share his thoughts on the game, on the rest of the league campaign and just where he though Antrim football was at and is going after his first year in charge

Andy McEntee Interview

Saffron Gael: Andy thank you first of all for agreeing to speak to us and congratulations on securing division 3 status for next year with that splendid win over Cavan. What were your thoughts going into that game and your feelings after that win?

Andy McEntee: It was hard to know exactly where the lads were at after the heavy defeat to Westmeath last day out coupled with the large amount of injuries we had. I suppose we really tried to focus on getting a performance from the lads and let’s see where that gets us. We knew that the Westmeath game didn’t represent where we have been in the majority of games in the league to date and just tried to get back to doing the right thing and showing the right attitude. We were all delighted with the game but also with the way the lads played the game. They showed great character- especially when we conceded the second goal. I know everyone was thinking “here we go again” but to go up the field and get the last score was huge.

Saffron Gael: As a photographer-reporter and an ardent Antrim supporter I’ve been through the wide range of emotions that probably you and your backroom staff have experienced this year. There were the games where we played well in spells and actually outplayed Offaly for half a game, Down for 50 odd minutes and Fermanagh for a similar period of time and as I look this morning at this weekend’s fixtures and our trip to Longford I’m thinking we could have been aiming for promotion if things had went our way. What’s your thoughts?

Andy McEntee: Absolutely agree. The truth is we could very possibly be sitting on 8 points and even 10 points going into the last game where we would be playing for promotion. But that’s how tight the league is and the importance of playing to the final whistle. We need to get used to winning and a lot of the panel are relatively new to inter-county football. The lesson is plain and simple – you have to keep your focus and play to the end. Experience plays a big role and perhaps you need to go through those heart breaking losses to get hardened to the reality of sport at this level.

Saffron Gael: When I looked at Saturday’s starting line-up against Cavan the thought occurred to me that perhaps we were holding a few back with the thought that Longford was going to be a must win for us and to be honest I wasn’t looking forward to that trip if that had been the case. Having attended the Offaly, Down and Fermanagh games, and given the fact that we lost so heavily in Mullingar I had a feeling that we might come up against an over confident Cavan and that we could get a result. What’s your thoughts on it?

Antrim manager Andy McEntee heads to the dressing room at half time during the Cavan game at Corrigan Park last Saturday

Andy McEntee: I can see where you were coming from but the truth is that any of the lads that were left out of starting line-up were left out for a reason, they were injured. I suppose there was always the possibility that Cavan might have underestimated us, which was understandable given the score-line v Westmeath but we could only control how we approached the game and as you would have seen, anyone who wore an Antrim jersey on Saturday went out to win the game.

Saffron Gael: The trip to Longford doesn’t have the same significance as what it would have had if we had lost to Cavan. Will you see it as an opportunity to give some of the fringe player’s game time or with the championship just a few weeks away or do you see it as an opportunity to build further confidence in the run up to that one?

Andy McEntee: It’s an important game for us in that we want to get used to winning. We haven’t decided on a line up yet but it would be harsh not to reward the lads who played so well on Saturday.

Saffron Gael: You came into the Antrim job not knowing too much about Antrim players and deprived of quite a few of the more experienced players from previous years. I know you carried out quite a few trials and training sessions and had a couple of run outs in the McKenna Cup in a relatively short time. I thought at the beginning of this year’s league campaign when I looked at the fixtures that division 3 survival would be success and we have achieved that and might have had much more. What do you think?

Andy McEntee: There is no doubt that survival was hugely important for the group and for Antrim football. However I would have to say that I fancied our chances of getting promoted at the start of the campaign and as the games have shown, it wouldn’t have taken an awful lot more for us to be in division 2 next year. Having said that, we still have a lot of football to play and a lot of work to do.

Saffron Gael: Finally Andy give us your thoughts on how the season has turned out to date and how you see Antrim football progressing in the coming season. Your thoughts on the forthcoming Ulster Championship game away to Armagh and your thoughts on the development of the side in your first year in charge?

Andy McEntee: They say that the tables don’t lie but I do feel that they don’t tell the full story either. There is no doubt that we let a couple of games slip that would have put a totally different look on the league campaign. We have been hit with a large number of injuries in the last month, at one stage we had 15 out of 37 players out injured, but as you have seen from the Cavan game it gave us the opportunity to look at players who might not have played otherwise.

That can only be of benefit to us in the long term. Looking forward to the Armagh game we would hope to have a full hand to play with and hopefully be in a position to put in the type of performance that we are capable of. I think the lads have put in a huge amount of work to date and they have developed physically as a result. However we are definitely playing catch up in this area and it will be vital that they continue this development throughout the rest of the year so that we can come back stronger next year. It will be vital to increase the quantum of players capable of playing at this standard.

Job well done! A happy Andy McEntee with county treasurer, Donal Murphy after the game

Saffron Gael: We at the Saffron Gael thank Andy McEntee for taking the time to speak to us and wish our footballers all the best in Longford on Sunday and in their forthcoming championship game away to Armagh.

Despite finishing just clear of relegation it has been an exciting season for me personally, a season of what might have been rather than the one it is. It’s not over yet and I’m personally looking forward to the visit to Armagh where I know, we will be massive underdogs.

If we can put all the best phases of our play in games throughout the league together at the Athletic Grounds then we might not be too far away.

In the meantime we wish Andy and his backroom team all the best in the future. It seems to me that we are a project in progress and I’ve been impressed by the buy-in to that project and I believe the future can be bright for Antrim football if that buy-in continues.

by thesaffrongael

Goals the difference as All Saints claim the points at the Bear Pit

ACFL Division 2

Sarsfields 0-7 All Saints 3-3

All Saints travelled to the Bear Pit on Sunday seeking to extend their unbeaten start to season.  Sarsfields are yet to register any points on board from their 2 previous outings with both teams missing key players at this early stage of the season. 

Sarsfields registered seven scores to the visitors six but three of the All Saints scores were goals and in the end that proved to be the difference. All Saints dominated the early exchanges but it took 12 minutes before a white flag was raised with Sarsfields registering the first score of the game. 

In an uninspiring 1st half, both teams struggled to get many scores on the board. All Saints scored the only goal of the first half in a low scoring encounter with youngster Darach Bradley finishing well midway through the first half.  Brendan McDonnell added their only point from a free in a low scoring drab encounter with the half time score 1-1 to 0-3 in favour of the visitors.

The second half continued in a similar pattern to the first with both teams struggling for scores though things improved as the half progressed.

Sarsfields enjoyed good spells of possession at times but struggled to create scoring opportunities to get through a resolute All Saints defence but managed to add four to their first half total.  

All Saints were always able to keep their noses in front however throughout the 2nd half with further scores coming from Benny McDonnell and goals apiece from James McDonnell and substitute Paul O Boyle ensuring them the victory.

Sarsfields have yet to register points on the league table and All Saints continue as one of the early front runners but will need to improve considerably if they are to maintain this position come the business end of season. 

All Saints:

Ryan Stewart

James McDonnell (1.0)

James Gillan

Cal O Brien

Pat Ferris

Sean McVeigh

Ciaran McGarry

Luke O Rawe

Emmet Killough

Matty Downey

Conal Lemon

Darach Bradley (1.0)

Brendan McDonnell (0.3)

Peter McReynolds

Shea O Brien

Subs:

Eoin Campbell

Ronan McKillop

Paul O Boyle (1.0)

Conor Brennan 

by thesaffrongael

Lámhs edge tight affair in Hannahstown

ACFL Division One 

Lámh Dhearg 1-08-0-10 Cargin 

Kevin Herron reports from Hannahstown 

Shaun McManus struck the winning point six-minutes from time as Lámh Dhearg claimed their first league win of the season with a hard fought 1-08-0-10 victory over Cargin at Hannahstown on Sunday morning. 

Both sides had early goal chances with Rhys Camlin make an outstanding acrobatic save to deny a certain goal. 

At the other end Michael Hynes saw his shot clip the base of the post and Adam Murray shot was parried by the foot of Shea Laverty. 

It was Cargin who would make the breakthrough on the scoreboard, Ciaran Bradley and Paudie McLaughlin curling over from play and Bradley adding another from a free. 

Terry McCrudden would get the hosts off the mark with a point from play a quarter of an hour in, though Bradley re-established his side’s three-point advantage, converting his second free of the half. 

The sides traded further scores with Declan Lynch claiming a mark and converting, Bradley replied with a sensational score with the outside of his boot to bring his personal tally to four points. 

An injury to Kieran Fay-Kelly saw responsibility for the placed ball passed to Adam Murray and the 18-year-old would close the deficit to a single point thanks to successive kicks. 

Just before the break talisman Bradley kicked his second free of the half to ensure that Cargin held a 0-06-0-04 lead at the midway point. 

The visitors increased their lead in the early stages of the second period, substitute John McNabb took control of a popped pass forward and guided his shot between the posts. 

However, the Lámhs pulled level in fortuitous circumstances. Terry McCrudden’s pass with the outside of the boot was taken down by Adam Murray and Ciaran Boyd tried his luck with a high shot that Declan Dunne tried to help goalward, only from Boyd’s shot to bounce over keeper Laverty and into the net to level the game at 1-04-0-07. 

Half-time substitute Dunne may have found a second moments later, though his quickly taken close-range free whistled past the post. 

A further goal opportunity went a begging when Niall McGarry fed Carl Maxwell and he immediately picked out the run of Declan Lynch who opted to pop the ball to Conor Murray whose fisted effort was blocked on the goal line. 

Ciaran Bradley restored his sides lead through a converted free- his third of the morning, but Ben Rice conjured a magnificent reply to restore parity. 

Lámh Dhearg hit the front for the first time in proceedings when Terry McCrudden picked out the run of Carl Maxwell and he shot over to give his side a 1-06-0-08 lead. 

James Lavery would tie things up though an impressive point at the other end and Ciaran Bradley then converted his fourth free, bringing his tally to seven in the process. 

It was level pegging again in Hannahstown after Conor Murray traded passes with Declan Lynch and then squeezed an angled effort between the posts. 

The winner would arrive with seven minutes remaining, Conor Murray combined with Niall McGarry, and he picked out Shaun McManus on the loop to swing over a magnificent point that edged the hosts 1-08-0-10 ahead. 

Cargin had the chance to salvage a share of the spoils, but John McNabb dropped a tricky free short against the wind. 

A further opportunity would present itself with the final kick of the game, though the ball tailed wide and Lámh Dhearg would survive to claim their first league victory of the season after three attempts. 

Lámh Dhearg: R Camlin, N McGarry, C Nolan, D Smith, D Martin, B Rice (0-01), M Hynes, S McManus (0-01), C Murray (0-01), A Byrne, K Fay-Kelly, C Maxwell (0-01), T McCrudden (0-01), D Lynch (0-01m), A Murray (0-02f). Subs: C Boyd for K Fay-Kelly (14), D Dunne for M Hynes (HT). 

Cargin: S Laverty, S Og Quinn, R Gribbin, H O’Donnell, B McLarnon, B Laverty, S Og O’Neill, O Molloy, G McCann, J Carron, J Laverty (0-01), C Bradley (0-07, 0-04f), E McGrogan, P McLaughlin (0-01), PJ Quinn. Subs: J McNabb (0-01). 

Referee: Kevin Parke (Naomh Eanna)

by thesaffrongael

Convincing win for St Mary’s in Gallagher Cup

Danske Bank Gallagher Cup Hurling

St Mary’s CBGS 4-13 Cross & Passion College 2-10

St Mary’s recorded a good win over CPC in Tuesday’s Gallagher Cup round-robin game at Allen Park, Antrim, winning in the end by 4-13 to 2-10 in a high scoring game.

The Belfast boys held the upper hand in a close first half and were three points to the good nearing half time when Darren Delander scored the first goal of the game to give his side a 1-9 to 0-06 lead at the break. Goals from Daire Jemffrey and Iarlaith Rogan early in second period put St Mary’s in firm control and though Darragh Kinney got one back for CPC It was not enough to get the Ballycastle boys back into contention.  St Mary’s got the 4th goal from a long range free by Matthew Murray in the last ten minutes before Dan Lynn scored one from a free in the final minute of game for CPC, but it was merely a consolation score as the St Mary’s had already secured the win.

by thesaffrongael

Send us your report

Were your team playing in the Antrim ACFL at the weekend? Did a report appear in the Saffron Gael or would you like to have had it published?

We at the Saffron Gael published reports and pics at:

 Creggan v Portglenone,

Rasharkin v Pearses,

Ardoyne v Gort na Mona,

Glenravel v St. Paul’s

Aldergrove v St. Teresa’s

St. Gall’s v Tir na nOg

Moneyglass v Rossa

Ahoghill v St. John’s (Wednesday night)

Antrim v Cavan NFL (Saturday)

Antrim v Tipperary NHL

Antrim v Derry LGFA U16 Football

We had reporters-photographers at most of these games but we did not have people to cover the other games and we rely on clubs to furnish us reports or at least stats on the game.

  1. Just send us a pic of both team sheets (Referees will be more than willing to let you photograph them before the game, or at half time. You might even take a pic of the referee and captain-A good phone camera is usually good enough)
  2. Note the scorers numbers in the order they come in and times if possible
  3. Send us half time score and full time score and notable incidents i.e. goals and the build up to them and time

Send it to ptrckmclwn@yahoo.co.uk or john.mcilwaine@yahoo.co.uk and we will be pleased to publish it and hopefully we will get along to one of you games shortly.