DENIED by Down’s late comeback in Newry, resilient Antrim bounced back in Tipperary last weekend and can force their way into the Division Three promotion mix on home soil on Saturday.
After posting an impressive 1-19 in Thurles to record their first win under Andy McEntee’s management, the Saffrons now need to double-down when they host Fermanagh at Corrigan Park.
An in-form Erne county side that has already accounted for Longford and Down and lost by just a point against Offaly in round two will be a formidable nut to crack.
“It’s a huge challenge for us,” said Antrim boss McEntee.
“Fermanagh have been up and down between Division Two and Three over the years and they have a good system and they’re very committed. They seem to be in good shape and it’s going to be a hell of a battle.
“In a seven-match League, every game is huge. You get two points and it can propel you up the table and, if you don’t get anything, you could be looking at going to the other end very, very quickly. That’s the nature of the League and it adds to the excitement of it.
“So Saturday would be a huge two points for us and if Fermanagh win they’ll have six points after four games and they’re going to be up near the top. The prize for both teams is pretty substantial.”
McEntee has his fingers crossed that Lamh Dhearg forward Ryan Murray, who was withdrawn after half-an-hour last weekend, is fit for Saturday. Murray has been in fine form this season and had increased his season’s scoring tally to seven points (0-3, 0-2 and 0-2) before he was taken off.
“We’ve racked up decent mileage over the last few weeks so we’ll just have to wait and see how the bodies are,” said McEntee.
Even without Murray, Antrim registered 11 second half points against Tipp, bringing their total to 3-49 over three games. That leaves them as fourth highest scorers in the country with 57 points just behind Division Four frontrunners Leitrim (63) and Laois (58) and Division Three rivals Down (60).
“We racked up a reasonable score in Tipp but we also left a fair bit behind us so there’s a bit of improvement to do on that front,” said McEntee.
“It was a decent scoreline but we missed a penalty and there were numerous other scoring opportunities as well. We’re doing something right but we’re not fully there yet.
“Defensively we’re conceding more than I’d like. It’s a work in progress and Saturday’s game with Fermanagh is likely to be a physical encounter and we’ll need to be disciplined. Fermanagh racked up a big score against Longford and they got the goal at the end against Down. So we’re going to have to be better defensively.”
Including the McKenna Cup, Antrim had gone four competitive games without a win before that landslide victory against Tipperary. Bouncing back from a last-minute loss to Down showed the spirit in this Saffron side.
“There’s no doubt that there’s heart in this team,” said McEntee.
“The guys have done a lot of work and they are determined to continue it. It was great to get the first win, it’s all about results.
“We felt we could have got something out of the Offaly game and we should have got something out of the Down game but ultimately we didn’t so everybody feels under a bit of pressure in situations like that when you’re looking to get your first win.”
