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Antrim aiming for first win as they take on Galway in Walsh Cup

14/1/2023  Antrims  manager   Darren  Gleeson   Picture  Seamus  Loughran
14/1/2023 Antrims manager Darren Gleeson Picture Seamus Loughran 14/1/2023 Antrims manager Darren Gleeson Picture Seamus Loughran

With the National Hurling League just around the corner, Antrim will be aiming to get another competitive game under their belts in the final round of the Walsh Cup this weekend. It’ll be the third outing in the Leinster preseason competition for the Saffron’s, who have yet to get off the mark in 2023.

Last year’s Joe McDonagh Cup winners face an unbeaten Galway side today, who have already qualified for the final. Henry Shefflin’s men have been in fine form this early in the season, seeing off Westmeath by 17-points and getting past Dublin with nine to spare.

Antrim’s recent run outs haven’t proved as successful, and they’ve tasted two defeats in their two encounters against the Dubs and Westmeath. Of course, Darren Gleeson’s men have to be given some leeway.

They have been without the Dunloy contingent, including 2022 Joe McDonagh Cup All-Stars Ryan Elliot, Keelan Molloy and Conal Cunning, who are plotting the downfall of Kilkenny’s Ballyhale Shamrock’s in this weekend’s All-Ireland Club Hurling Championship final.

Antrim have also been minus a number of injured personnel in the form of Conor McCann, Ciaran Clarke, Conor Johnston and Domhnall Nugent, who have all missed the last two games.

Their first-round defeat to Dublin was quality entertainment for this time of year. Michael Donoghue’s side, playing on home turf in Parnell Park, edged a five-goal thriller, with seven-points the difference between the sides in the end, 3-26 to 2-22.

The hosts threatened to run away with it early on, but a Rian McMullan goal narrowed the gap to two points at the interval. Niall McKenna added a second three-pointer for the Saffron’s after the turnaround, while James McNaughton and Neil McManus chipped in with four points apiece.

Newcomers Paul Boyle (0-2), Caolan McKernan (0-1) and Enda Og McGarry (0-1) helped themselves to scores, but ultimately it was the Dubs who came out on top.

Their second-round clash with Westmeath, which saw them play the last twenty minutes with 14 men after Conall Bohill had been sent to the line, wasn’t as high scoring and again ended in defeat.

It was nip and tuck throughout the opening half, with both sides struggling to deal with a difficult crossfield wind, and the teams headed into the changing rooms all square at the break, 0-7 apiece. Westmeath got on top in the second half and saw out a narrow 0-15 to 0-13 victory.

Antrim begin their league campaign with a home tie against Kilkenny in two weeks’ time, so another good performance this weekend will fill them with confidence ahead of that crucial clash.