Relegation not an option for Ballycastle

Ballycastle's Cormac Donnelly

AFTER a year of slumming it in division two, Ballycastle are determined to avoid relegation this season, that’s the opinion of the new management team.

Michael McShane has taken over at the helm of the McQuillan’s senior hurlers and has drafted in former Derry footballer Joe Cassidy as his trainer.

They have had a decent start to their campaign in McShane’s opinion, having won one and drawn one, and this weekend they take on the might of the Down county champions Ballycran who lost a Tain Club Hurling league final to Ruairi Ogs Cushendall at the weekend.

McShane said that his team’s start to the season has been hampered by a bad run of luck in terms of injuries.

“We have had to play our first three games without nine to ten starters. We have had to take a lot of younger players and give them a start. But we have been pleased with them,” said McShane.

Among those missing are county stars Cormac Donnelly and Kevin Barry McShane, both of whom were injured while playing for Antrim. The rest are either ruled out because of injury, or are waiting for the results of scans.

“We are trying to work out what the problem is, but if this sort of problem is going to happen, then it is better to happen now, at the start of the season, rather than at the serious end of the season.

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