ANTRIM team boss Frank Fitzsimons would be the “happiest man in Ireland” if one of his absent stars would come back.
It is an Ulster Council press night in Donegal Town, and proud Saffron man Fitzsimons is fielding predictable suggestions about “absent stars.”
Outstanding Cargin midfielder Michael McCann joined his brother Tomas in the departure lounge recently along with Kevin Niblock and Brian Neeson.
McCann cited work commitments as the reason for his departure.
But straight-talking Fitzsimons makes no bones about his attitude to the departure of his talented midfielder.
“I would love to have him back in the morning and Mick knows that the door is always open,'' he said.
“You would never close the door on a player like that.
“I would be the happiest man in Ireland if Mick McCann turned up for training.”
Fitzsimons admitted that Antrim’s priority to get out of Division Four was missed.
“We came up short but we will have to get our heads together and focus on the Championship,” he said.
And he claimed that Ulster championship opponents Fermanagh are “probably the most improved team in Ulster.”
“There is no doubt about that and we will be going in as underdogs and rightly so but they still have to respect us.”
Fermanagh boss Peter McGrath has firmly targeted the match against Fermanagh as the one he would most like to win.
“It’s all right saying that when you have moved up a division'' said Fitzsimons.
“It is a very important game for Pete but it is a massive game for us as well.
“It can turn our season around.''
And he bristled at the suggestion that taking the Antrim job was a bit of a “poisoned chalice.”
“It was never a poisoned chalice for me. “I am an Antrim man through and through and it is an honour for me to manage this team,#'' he added.
“I have been watching the talent coming through this past few years and there is a lot of hard work going on in Antrim.
“There is a lot of people out there knocking us, but some day it is going to happen.”
Meanwhile Fermanagh’s versatile star Paul McCusker is hoping that Fermanagh can make a much better case for the defence against the Saffrons in Brewster Park.
Last year Antrim shaded a shootout in the sun where Kevin Niblock and Brian Neeson hit 2-9 between them.
But both are also absent which should add to the Ernesiders chances.
“Last year was very disappointing for us,'' said McCusker.
“Hopefully we will be a bit tighter this year and it will not be as high-scoring and we can come out on the right side of the result.
“Last year we conceded quite an amount of scores and that is something we have been working on. Every team is the same.”
The Ernesiders had a very good National League campaign but came up short against a physical Armagh side in the final.
“It did not end the way we would have liked in Croke Park but the most important thing is that we learn from that experience and bring it forward to the championship'' he added.
“Armagh are a very physical team and it was very good preparation for us.
“Hopefully it will stand to us.
“We were a bit naïve when then lost the man and needed to be a bit more sound defensively and then we kicked ourselves out of it up front.
“We hit a lot of stupid wides.
“We are a young team but we need to be performing on the big stage.”
And while Antrim are minus some notable performers McCusker said that Fermanagh will need to be aware of a rejuvenated C J McGourty and Co.
The 26-year-old is now facing into his fourth campaign with the Ernesiders and the wing-forward has popped up with some vital scores.
“Peter McGrath has made us go out and express ourselves,'' he continued.
“He is a brilliant speaker and makes you want to pull on the jersey every time and play for him.”
But McGrath has a much fuller squad to motivate than Fitzsimons and that could be the difference between the sides on May 31.
