ANTRIM host Leitrim on Sunday hoping to build on what has been an encouraging start to the new season.
The opening fixtures saw the Saffrons beat Carlow away and Wexford at home to leave them top of Division Four on scoring difference. St Gall's player Kevin Niblock, back in the harness after a year away, agrees it could hardly have gone much better.
"You couldn’t ask for better, so hopefully now we just keep it going this weekend," said Niblock.
"If you had told us a few weeks ago, at the start of the year, that we would have four points going into the Leitrim game - we would have obviously taken it. We’re in an ideal position now that we have the four points and I think there’s still plenty we can improve on. We know as a group what we have to do to get better."
In the Carlow game, Antrim were clearly the superior team and there was evidence at Netwatch Dr Cullen Park of a side that has been well drilled by managers Frank Fitzsimons and Gearoid Adams. For instance, the ability of the Antrim players to find each other accurately was noteworthy. All of their 1-12 total came from open play, with Michael McCann hitting five points, Conor Murray registering three and Niblock grabbing 1-1.
Then, in a low-scoring encounter with Wexford, a strong first-half showing was effectively enough to seal the points. Even though the home side did not score for 28 minutes in the second period and only a 69th minute Matthew Fitzpatrick goal allowed them to breath easy, Niblock can already see progress.
"We did well in both games," he insisted.
"In both games - we maybe lost our shape a bit in the second-half, so that is one thing we would be hoping to improve on for this weekend, to play for the whole 70 minutes.
"I think we did play better against Wexford than in the Carlow game. [Against Carlow], we were seven points up and the disappointing thing was we let it slip, but it’s been a few years since we’ve went down to Carlow and got a win, so we can’t be too negative about it."
When it is put to Niblock that perhaps the points are more important than the performance at this stage of the season, he again readily concurs: "I think, after the two points, the next important thing is the performance," he said.
"Frank and Gearoid have set out the way they want to play. I don’t think we’re too one-dimensional either, but there is definitely a system in place. And I think they’ve made it clear from day one that to play a part in the system that you have to buy into it and it will require people who can play football and who have the attributes to play in certain roles. That comes with the territory with all football now. So it’s important that we have worked on it early and we’re still getting it, but I think we all know it’s what we have to do to get there."
Sunday's opponents have lost both of their games to date by a single point, to Wexford and Wicklow. With the three week break in football fixtures, Niblock is certain the Ridge county will be a dangerous and fired up proposition.
"I remember a few years ago going down and playing a friendly against Leitrim with a strong enough panel in Baker’s [Liam Bradley] days and getting beaten by quite a few points," recalled Niblock.
"We know the quality that can be there. We know the likes of the players that they have back in, so we know that they will be looking for a reaction because of the start that they’ve had.
"They’ve probably been unlucky in both games and they’re in a situation where they need to start picking up points. And no doubt with that break, they’ve been targeting this game for the last two or three weeks, so we’ll be expecting a reaction, especially in the first 15-or-20 minutes."
Cahair O'Kane and Andy Watters preview Antrim v Leitrim and the rest of the division three and division four games:
