DERRY manager Damian McErlain has described Antrim as the “unluckiest team” in Division Four this year.
McErlain highlighted their one-point victory over the Saffrons at Corrigan Park on the first day of the NFL season as a key moment in Derry’s impressive ascent to Division Three.
A well-worked 70th minute point from Slaughtneil’s Padraig Cassidy saw Derry squeeze past Antrim in a game where the hosts were desperately unlucky not to get a share of the spoils.
Derry embarked on an unbeaten run in Division Four that culminated in a four-point win over Leitrim in last weekend’s League decider.
Antrim, however, suffered another setback away to Wexford (1-10 to 0-9) when they could easily have got something out of the game, and there was more misfortune the following week against Leitrim when they lost by a point.
In all, Antrim suffered three one-point defeats in a campaign they were expected to push for promotion but lost sight of runaway opponents Derry and Leitrim after three rounds of games.
“For me, Antrim were the most unlucky side in the division,” said McErlain.
“They’re a good side and really dominated Leitrim in Leitrim and just didn’t win. So, for us to go to Corrigan Park and win was important. The fact that we were fit to craft a score at the end of that match, we worked it really well for a fisted point, showed that we had that bit of quality. That’s what it’s about - doing it in those times. That was a tough day.”
While Lenny Harbinson’s Antrim squad ponders another year in Division Four, they have the daunting task of facing the winners of the Ulster preliminary round tie between Tyrone and Derry on May 25.
Meanwhile, McErlain expects Tyrone will have taken note of Shane McGuigan’s excellent display in Saturday’s Division Four final where he scored 0-6 and won the man-of-the-match award.
“Tyrone is not going to let him do what he wants,” said the Derry manager.
“Shane will have that challenge to come now. They will pick out our scorers. To be fair, there have been different scorers on different days and we’ll need that the next day. Shane is a top class forward, he’s going into a top class environment now against Tyrone in Omagh and we’ll have to see how he goes with that.”
