Allianz National Football League Division Three: Offaly v Antrim (tomorrow, O'Connor Park, 3pm)
By Andy Watters
ANTRIM’S challenging start to life in Division Three continues with a trip to O'Connor Park, Tullamore.
After coming up short despite an encouraging first half showing in their opener against Tipperary last Sunday, the Saffrons take on an Offaly outfit also desperate for points following their loss to Longford.
Antrim led Tipp, All-Ireland semi-finalists last year, 0-7 to 0-5 at half-time in Thurles and might have won the game if Stephen Beatty had converted a goal chance.
His shot was well saved however and a black card to Ryan Murray undermined a Saffron effort which joint manager Gearoid Adams described as “the most positive defeat” he’d been involved in during his time with the county.
“We went to Tipperary and performed well so hopefully we can do it again and up our performance and come away with the two points,” he said.
“Losing to Tipp was probably the most positive defeat I’ve been involved in with Antrim. Obviously we didn’t go down there to get beat, but we were leading for most of the game and even when they got the first goal we showed great resolve to come back.
“It was a really good performance up to the last 10 minutes and it has given us a platform to build on.”
Meanwhile, after a late Longford goal derailed his side at Glennon Bros Pearse Park, Offaly manager Pat Flanagan called for the Faithful County to “get in top gear” for Antrim’s visit.
“You look at Louth beating Laois and Armagh drawing with Sligo, it is a very tough division,” he said.
“I thought Laois would beat Louth, but Louth gave a massive performance. Armagh were favourites and Sligo got a point.
“You will get those results in League football. It is up to us to take it one game at a time, get in top gear and see where it gets us.”
Antrim won’t finalise their team until tomorrow but it would be a surprise if CJ McGourty is named in the starting line-up despite his four points (two from play) as a substitute last Sunday. Whatever the line-up, Adams is well aware that Antrim need to get some points on the board.
“If we come away with no points after two games the good performances are all for nothing,” he said.
“If we come away with two points out of four that’s different, then the good performance in Tipperary has been a stepping stone. So it’s important that we go down there and go up a level which I think we’re capable of.
“No disrespect to any team but I was saying to the boys: ‘If we got Offaly in the championship we’d be looking forward to it’.
“But they’re a good team – they had more Championship games than us last year and they’ll be looking to bounce back after losing last week.”
Antrim will have Ruairi McCann available for tomorrow’s clash. The Creggan clubman featured in the Dr McKenna Cup but has been out with a rib injury.
However, Kevin O’Boyle, Niall Delargy, Sean McVeigh, Mark Sweeney and Kevin Niblock will all miss out but could be available for round three of the League on February 26 when Antrim host Sligo at Corrigan Park while Tomas McCann will be with his wife at the birth of their child.
These sides met in Division Four two years ago and Offaly ran out six-points winners while Antrim won the previous meeting by nine points back in 2012.
Neither side has form behind them, between them they have won one out of eight games played this year and the sole win came when Offaly trounced IT Carlow 5-18 to 0-4 in their O’Byrne Cup opener. There may not be much between them, but with Antrim understrength, Offaly get the nod to see them off on home soil.
