Football

Pundit Watch: Championship coverage starts with whimper

Oisin McConville (above) and Mark Sidebottom (below) were pitchside for the BBC on Sunday  
Oisin McConville (above) and Mark Sidebottom (below) were pitchside for the BBC on Sunday   Oisin McConville (above) and Mark Sidebottom (below) were pitchside for the BBC on Sunday  

STAY at home Ulster Championship football fans had to wait until 7pm to see the opening round clash between Fermanagh and Antrim at Brewster Park on Sunday.

By that time, Pete McGrath’s men, who were comfortable winners, were probably ice-bathed, fed, watered and debriefed. They can now look forward to a meeting with neighbours Donegal in the first round, while Antrim, who didn’t score from play until the 48th minute of the contest, have much to ponder.

Pundit wise, we were in the safe hands of Mark Sidebottom and, he informed us, his “sidekick for the summer”, Oisin McConville. Now, punditry, as we all know is a dicey business. And nowhere is it more dicey than pre-game.

McConville has developed into a first class analyst. With a playing career few can match and a solid term the other side of the line as Crossmaglen boss, he has superb credentials. His armchair contributions or, in this case, standing on the Brewster Park pitch contributions are always cogent, informed and worth listening to. But boy, was he off the mark before this very poor contest threw-in.

Sidebottom supplied the cue: “Ulster - it is still the most competitive province of them all.”

McConville and, I suppose in fairness none of us would have replied any differently, opined: “In many years, this is the spiciest of the Ulster Championships that we’ve had - we’ve got all nine teams operating in the top three divisions.

"We’ve got a Tyrone team rejuvenated, a Donegal team and a Monaghan team who have been there over the last number of years. But this is the one I am looking forward to most - this Antrim-Fermanagh game..." seriously, Oisin?

"Both of these teams are very,very evenly matched - coming off the back of good league campaigns and, I think the thing this year Mark is, any team in Ulster can take a big scalp."

Of course, none of what then happened - Antrim largely outclassed by their more clinical opponents, makes McConville any less of a pundit. It merely highlights that trying to read football matches has, and always will be, a minefield.

At the conclusion of the action, the two lads stood side-by-side on the lonely Brewster Park sod for a somewhat truncated and downbeat analysis. Sidebottom concluded that Tomas Corrigan, who finished with 0-9 including two quick-fire beauties from sideline balls, had just "had one of those days".

It wasn't hard for McConville to agree - indeed, Corrigan's place kicking was one of the few quality aspects of what was a drab, stuttering affair. There seemed very little else for them to say to say - the Ulster Championship had hardly started auspiciously from a quality of play point of view.

Next week is the meeting of Derry and Tyrone at Celtic Park. Sidebottom was firing it up: "It is Derry taking on Tyrone and you can see it live here on the BBC," he enthused.

"That is the Championship, live of course, next Sunday on the BBC," he almost beseeched.

His sense of relief was palpable. Pundit Watch feels the same.