ANTRIM manager Elaine Dowds brushed off suggestions that the team were too complacent going into the second half of their Division Two semi-final with Cork at the weekend as they prepare a second successive Division Two final when they take on Wexford this Saturday evening in Croke Park.
Having gone in at the break of 2-10 to 0-4, the Saffrons were forced to repel a determined Cork fightback in the second period.
“No, I don’t think we were complacent," said Dowds.
"There was a very strong breeze there that we had used well in the first half and we knew we would have to face that breeze when we went out.
“We planned to get a score or two early in the second half to knock their confidence. Instead they got some early scores, we missed a couple of chances. We maybe should have won a couple of frees in scoring range, but didn’t get them and the more scores they got, the more we were under pressure.”
The manager admitted that her team was unsettled at times.
“They were coming at us all guns blazing. They had to, and our defence was under a lot of pressure. Our decision making at times could have been better, but this was our first real challenge since winning the All-Ireland and we found out a few things about ourselves today.”
The teacher in Cross & Passion was looking more at the lessons to be learned from the game than dwelling on the fact that they were outscored by 1-7 to 0-1 over the second half.
“Last year we played Cork in a group game in the intermediate championship and they beat us. But it was probably the day that won us the All-Ireland because it forced us to look at ourselves and over the next month we worked hard and we were a completely different team in Croke Park.
“On Sunday we took a wee while to settle but I thought we were excellent in the opening half – how we used possession and how we found Róisín (McCormick) up front. She was on fire. I don’t think you will see two better finishes than the two goals she scored.
“But you have to remember that we are a different team than the one that went to Croke Park last September. We were injury-free then and that meant that we had a strong bench.
“Going into the game on Sunday we were without Maeve Kelly and Caitrin Dobbin because of injury as well as Maeve Connolly who has retired from the county.
“Then we lost Chloe (Drain) about 20 minutes in. So maybe people should be focussed on how resilient we were to see out the game and get into the final rather than how we were outscored over the last half-hour.
“Yes, we have to look at things that went wrong in the second half, things that didn’t work for us. But Cork again might well have made us look at things differently and helped us prepare for the rest of the season.”
On Sunday, Dowds had to miss the Ulster minor final in Derry where the Saffrons retained their provincial title with an emphatic win over the home side.
“That was a fantastic result for the county. I wasn’t surprised at all as I have seen the talent coming through at club and school level and I saw the minor semi-final last week.
“There is a lot of talent coming forward to senior level and it is important that they come into an Antrim team that is playing in the senior championship and Division One of the league.
“We are back into a league final and that is where we wanted to be when we started our first match in Kerry. We will monitor injuries through the week, assess where we are. But it is great to be able to look forward to another final in Croke Park.”
