CAPTAIN Simon McCrory feels Antrim are ready for a step up in class next year – despite missing out on Christy Ring Cup glory once again.
The Saffrons were well beaten by Carlow in Saturday’s Croke Park decider, a year after missing out against Meath, but that blow could be softened if new proposals to shake up the hurling Championship are given the go-ahead.
If so, Antrim will be one of five teams taking part in a provincial qualifier group leading into the All-Ireland Senior Hurling Championship on a three-year trial basis.
Along with Laois, Westmeath, Kerry and weekend conquerors Carlow, the quintet would battle it out for one play-off spot against the third-placed team in the reformed Munster or Leinster Championship groups.
Winning that play-off would promote the winners into the All-Ireland quarter-final where they would play one of the two beaten provincial finalists.
It is a step up for the Saffrons but, considering they will also campaign in Division 1B next year against the likes of Galway and Dublin, McCrory says they will be ready for the challenge.
“It’ll be a massive step but we were well worthy of getting to 1B,” said the St John’s man.
“We need to add a few more players that I know can play county hurling who maybe haven’t put themselves forward.
“Maybe they’ve got their own reasons, but I would like to see maybe four or five players I know from around the clubs come back, strengthen the panel, introduce a few new faces and that could help us.
“There’s a lot of work to be done but we’ll be well prepared.”
Crucial to that preparation, McCrory feels, is retaining the current management team.
Dominic McKinley, Terence McNaughton, Gary O’Kane and Neal Peden came on board after PJ O’Mullan’s short-lived spell in charge and, according to McCrory, have “steadied the ship”.
McNaughton admitted he was unsure whether they would be back next year in the aftermath of their defeat to the Barrowsiders, but McCrory hopes to see the quartet back for another crack.
He added: “The players have huge respect for the four boys, massive respect.
“They took over at a time when a lot of people were walking away and didn’t want anything to do with it, and the players appreciate that. They steadied the ship.
“I’d love to see them back again because what they bring is honesty, no crap, and that’s what Antrim hurling needs.”
As McNaughton acknowledged, the nature of Saturday’s defeat – conceding five goals, four from free-scoring James Doyle – was difficult to take.
McCrory admitted that Carlow had played with more drive and desire than Antrim, but insisted that one performance shouldn’t cast a cloud over what was an otherwise decent campaign for the Saffrons.
“We had a bad day, but it’s been a good year,” he said.
“Carlow basically did to us what we had planned to do to them - they opened us up and took their chances. Maybe they had a wee bit more hunger.
“We got the better of them a few times this year and maybe there were using that as a driving force because they were getting on a lot of breaking ball and just had that bit of killer instinct we were lacking.
“It’s hard to take, but it’s a bad performance in what I still reflect on as a good year. I still think we’ve created something inside the camp which hasn’t been there for the past four or five years, we’ve got a tight group and we’ve got boys committing to playing for the county again.
“Hopefully now there’s a wee bit of a carrot there, we’re back in Division One next year, a few more boys could join the panel that would strengthen us.
“It’s really disappointing to lose but, in a few weeks time, we’ll reflect on it as a positive year for Antrim hurling.”
