Sport

Promotion-chasing Saffrons aim to go up on high in Wicklow

Kevin Niblock is rated '50-50' to feature against Wicklow after picking up an injury against Waterford
Kevin Niblock is rated '50-50' to feature against Wicklow after picking up an injury against Waterford Kevin Niblock is rated '50-50' to feature against Wicklow after picking up an injury against Waterford

Allianz National Football League Division Four: Wicklow v Antrim


(Sunday, 3pm, Aughrim)

ANTRIM are hoping all their injury concerns will be cleared up ahead of Sunday’s National League clash with Wicklow, when the Saffrons could seal promotion to Division Three.

Niall McKeever, Ryan Murray, Kevin Niblock and Sean McVeigh were all considered doubts going into the game against the Garden County, but at least three of the four are expected to feature tomorrow – with a decision on Niblock’s involvement being left until the last minute.

The Antrim captain left Corrigan Park on a stretcher after 50 minutes of the win over Waterford last time out after shipping a huge hit from Stephen Prendergast. The Deise half-back was also forced off as a result of the collision. Antrim joint manager Gearoid Adams confirmed the St Gall’s forward is “50-50” for the trip to Aughrim, but was more upbeat about the other three players.

A quad tear kept Niall McKeever out of the Waterford game, and Adams and fellow manager Frank Fitzsimons planned to run the rule over the big Portglenone man at training on Friday night. Murray trained well on Wednesday night and “should be good to go” while Sean McVeigh has recovered from a shoulder injury to force his way into the reckoning.

One more win would be enough for Antrim to secure promotion from Division Four, three years after they slipped into football’s fourth tier. With fellow promotion hopefuls Louth coming to Corrigan Park next week, the Saffrons want to get the job finished as quickly as possible - and Adams was keen to highlight the role the whole squad has played in their push towards Division Three.

He said: “Going into the London game we were carrying a few injuries, and it was the men who came off the bench who made the difference [Antrim won 1-11 to 0-11].

“Mick McCann and big Niall were injured for the Waterford game and those men who came on against London started the next day and made a big contribution. We’ve done a lot of research on every game, and at the beginning of the year the aim was to get out of Division Four - the sooner the better.”

Brian ‘Bam’ Neeson came off the bench against Waterford and scored four points (0-2 frees) and, with Niblock struggling, Neeson - who will play in goals for Carrick Rangers against Glentoran on Saturday - could come into the Antrim forward line.

Andy Watters and Cahair O'Kane run the rule over this weekend's game in Aughrim:

Wicklow come into Sunday’s game in a sorry run of form, having lost three league games on the bounce after wins over Waterford and Leitrim got them off to a perfect start. Last time out, they put 3-14 on the board and still lost heavily, Wexford running riot to score 4-23 and win by 12 points.

Despite their opponents’ poor form, Adams insists the Antrim players won’t be complacent as they know exactly what’s at stake: “We have to get our mindset right,” he said.

“We didn’t have our mindset right for the first half against Leitrim and, although we went in at half-time ahead, we should have been down. Our job, in terms of motivating the boys, should be very limited. The boys should be well up for it.”

With a team, and a panel, on a high after a perfect league campaign to date, it is hard to see past Antrim finishing the job in Aughrim.