DOWN may be playing at "our level", but they still fancy their chances of overcoming old rivals Antrim and taking another step towards elevation.
The victors in this Saturday's Christy Ring Cup semi-final in Loughgiel will be one win away from participating in the Leinster SHC qualifying process next year. Down manager Michael Johnston, an Antrim man himself, believes the Saffrons should be at a higher grade, but that won't stop him trying to beat opponents who have his sons Ciaran and Conor among their ranks.
"We're playing in a competition that is our competition, it's our level. Antrim are probably playing in a competition that's not our level. All we can do is prepare our team to perform as best we can."
Despite that difference in expectations, he insists: "There's absolutely no inferiority complex for Down playing Antrim.
"They play those lads week in, week out at club level [in the Antrim league]. They know them inside-out. It's about who really brings their A game on Saturday… We have a bit of momentum going in, but there are no surprises here… It'll boil down to who can produce a performance on the day."
The St John's man could be opposing his sons, although both have had recent injuries - defender Conor sat out the win over Roscommon, while midfielder Ciaran was stretchered off before half-time with a nasty gash to an ankle.
"On the personal front, there's craic around the house - but coming closer to Saturday, there'll be less and less joking and more focus on the lads organising themselves and myself getting ready. That's only a sideshow - the big thing for me is preparing the Down team and getting the Down lads ready for a performance."
Down have bounced back very well from losing the Division 2A final - and promotion - to Armagh, then being beating in their Christy Ring opener at home to London. Despite a depleted panel, they defeated Derry at Owenbeg, then impressively disposed of Roscommon in the quarter-finals, winning by seven points after Antrim had beaten the westerners by five.
"We made a few mistakes against London, in terms of how we were putting the ball out the field and our shape, but we rectified those against Derry and certainly pushed on against Roscommon," says Johnston.
They could conceivably end up below Armagh (and Antrim) in the league next year but above them in the Championship structure, but Johnston rejected any such talk.
"We're not trying to be forward-thinking in that respect - we're looking solely at the game on Saturday. If we can progress on, we'll know that at half-five [on Saturday]. If we haven't, we'll know that we're competing in a competition that is our standard."
Down have definitely been getting stronger, in numbers and in fitness - Conor Mageean faced Derry with a broken hand, while Conor O'Prey had hamstring trouble, among other injuries that day.
"We have strength on the bench, we can put out 20 players now," said Johnston.
That's even though key defender Caolan Bailie is still suspended, although he would be available if his county reach the June 4 final, while Steven Dineen remains out, but Michael McCullagh and Paul Sheehan could come back into contention.
Half-forward Aaron O'Prey will be absent this Saturday "due to other commitments which we knew about - he's the best man at a wedding, we couldn't expect him to miss that. But we've nearly our full hand to pick from".
Time to take it to another level.
