Ulster Senior Championship final: Down v Antrim (Saturday 12.30pm in Edendork)
“THERE won’t be much between the sides on Saturday,” maintains Antrim captain Lucia McNaughton ahead of the third successive Ulster final between the Saffrons and Down.
“Before last year’s final we had played them in an opening league game and then the league final itself and there wasn’t much between us at the end of any of those games. Those three games all took place inside two months. We won the league game, but then lost the two finals.
“That was annoying at the time. But when Down then stayed up in the senior championship and this year stayed in Division One of the league, it gives us a bit of confidence too that we are good enough to tackle the top teams.”
The last game the Saffrons had was in Croke Park three weeks ago when they lost out in the Division Two final once again, this time to Wexford.
“We got off to a bad start in that game for sure and you just can’t afford to do that against a team that has played senior championship. But there were positives to be gained all the same,” maintains the north Antrim based physiotherapist.
“We responded well after the first 20 minutes and, despite playing with just 14 players, the last 40 minutes were very good from our point of view.
“I suppose when you get beaten you take a more detailed look at the game. In the semi-final we hung on against Cork and still won. We didn’t really have too much time to look at what happened in that game because the final was the following Saturday. But we have looked at both games in detail since.
“When you do that, you can see some things that were good and other things that need to improve because, once you move up to senior championship in a couple of weeks, teams will be more clinical.”
The three weeks break since the league final gave the panel time to review their strengths and weaknesses. It has also helped deal with injuries that were carried through the league campaign. But there was also a couple of nights out that were long overdue.
“Well we had Chloe Drain’s wedding on Easter Tuesday and then the county Gala night where we celebrated our All-Ireland win and also the minors winning their All-Ireland. Both events were very enjoyable.
“Last year with Covid and everything, we didn’t even get the Cup home until four or five weeks after the final and over the winter we couldn’t get a celebration night organised. That needed to happen because the only pictures we had with the cup as a group were after the game in Croke Park.
“We hadn’t any family photographs nor nights out together. It was a long time happening. But we can now finally draw a line under last year.”
McNaughton is one of the few Antrim players who hold an Ulster senior medal from an unexpected 47th title for the Saffrons in 2016.
The county team wasn’t going too well that year and were intending to withdraw from competitions around June time. Loughgiel offered to fulfil their All-Ireland and Ulster championship fixtures. One Cushendall player, Orlagh O’Hara, stayed on and there was a pleasant surprise in store.
“Yes, we kind of stepped in as we needed some good hard games in preparation for the club championship. It wasn’t about winning anything. But we caught Derry in the Ulster final and won with a late goal and I think that is Antrim’s only title for more than a decade.
“They’re not that easy to come by. The Ulster championship is just so competitive. Look at last Sunday’s semi-final. Derry almost knocked Down out and that is the problem with Derry, you don’t really know what to expect from them.
“There is nothing between us and Down either. We just need to get over the line in a final against them. Hopefully that happens on Saturday.”
