RAVAGED in the past by player withdrawals after their Ulster Championship campaign expired, the Antrim senior football squad has been strengthened ahead of their All-Ireland Qualifier opener against Sligo this weekend.
Following Antrim’s 16-point defeat to Donegal in last month’s provincial clash, joint managers Frank Fitzsimons and Gearoid Adams have retained everyone and added Ryan and Conor Murray and Eoin Gallagher for their trip to the Yeats County on Saturday.
“Everybody is available,” said Adams, who confirmed key forward Matthew Fitzpatrick is fit again after an ankle problem.
“That was one of the things we talked about after the Donegal game – sticking together.
“It’s still a young squad. I think the players realise that this is our Championship now and there’s all to play for.”
Adams admitted to having watched Antrim’s heavy loss to Donegal more than 10 times, but the St John’s man feels there were plenty of positives from the Ballybofey encounter.
“Watching the game back, there was a remark made by Marty Clarke in commentary who said that we turned Donegal over four times and we got four scores.
“That was obviously what you’re looking for. Then we had four or five scoring chances after that and two of them were goal chances. We hit the post, we put the ball into the ‘keeper’s hands…”
In their next attack after Fitzpatrick had narrowly missed the Donegal goals, Jamie Brennan swept the ball to Antrim’s net for the home side.
“The difference was whenever Donegal had their opportunities they didn’t miss,” said Adams.
“That’s the difference between a top four or five team and ourselves. We had chances to be ahead at half-time – I’m not saying Donegal wouldn’t have produced the same second half – but it would have given us a hell of a lot of confidence for that second half.
“Losing ‘Fitzy’ [Matthew Fitzpatrick] at that stage was a big blow to us.”
He added: “We know when we’re playing well when our turnover count is high but the other thing we are trying to improve on is our percentage of scores in relation to the attacks we have.
“That’s when we need our sharp-shooters. It’s also when our decision-making has to come into play.
“That transition between defence and attack, which was brilliant in the first 20 minutes against Donegal, we need to work on and improve it.”
Given the youthful nature of the current Antrim team it was no surprise it took them a while to recover from Brennan’s major towards the end of the first half.
Since that game 25 days ago, both Antrim managers have stressed the importance of the team coping better if and when they concede major scores.
“OWhen we concede a goal sometimes the boys’ heads drop. That’s something that has to be rectified. If we concede a major score against Sligo, we still play on; we still go to the wire.”
Antrim recorded a narrow victory over Niall Carew’s Sligo team in a Division Three encounter [0-11 to 1-7] at Corrigan Park on February 26.
“I think from a mental point of view we beat Sligo earlier in the year – I know it was only in the League – but we know what to expect.
“We’re going in with no fear; we’re not going to disrespect Sligo as it was only a one-point game at the end.
“We know it’s going to be tight in Markievicz Park. We watched them against Mayo [Connacht Championship] and they gave a good performance against them. I think it’ll go down to the wire so our boys would need to be up for it.
“We realise Sligo have some top class forwards so we need to be focused.”
Meanwhile, Adams says he’s not sold on talk of a ‘B’ Championship down the line.
Many observers feel it is time to create a tiered Championship rather than persist with the current format.
Last week, Adams’s former Antrim team-mate Kevin Brady says it’s time for a Championship re-jig because of the increasing number of landslide victories in the early throes of the provincials.
“Antrim won the 'B' Championship in ’99 and the Tommy Murphy Cup in 2008. Joe Quinn [Antrim backroom team member] made a funny comment in training the other night. He said: ‘Any time Antrim have won something it’s been abandoned the following year!’
“I know back in the day that winning the Tommy Murphy Cup was a tremendous achievement for Kevin [Brady] but I also know that he would have taken an Ulster Championship victory over it.
“I understand why people are talking about this now but I’d be cautious about it.
“I’d have to see the proposals. I don’t want to see another Tommy Murphy or another All-Ireland ‘B’.
A PE teacher and GAA coach at St Louis, Ballymena Grammar School, Adams added: “We’ve moved to ‘A’ hurling at St Louis; we’re playing ‘B’ football but I would go to ‘A’ in the morning if we were to win a McLarnon.
“But I think it’s deeper rooted than just changing the competitions. You also have to look at infrastructure and finance.
“I’m still waiting for the money to be pumped into the primary schools in west Belfast and north Belfast. It still hasn’t happened to the level that it should.”
