Leinster Senior Hurling Championship quarter-final

Antrim v Dublin

Saturday, Páirc Tailteann, 3pm

By Niall McCoy

IT’S been a season to remember for the Antrim hurlers, but just how far can those ambitions stretch?

Darren Gleeson’s side were tipped by some (cough, cough, Dónal Óg Cusack) to struggle when moving up to Division One but ask Clare, who Antrim defeated, how much they seemed to be struggling. Ask Wexford who simply couldn’t shake them off at Corrigan Park when the sides played out a thrilling draw.

Added to that was a commendable performance in Nowlan Park against Kilkenny and a win over Laois when a few men were rested.

The one match that they did find the going a bit too tough was in round three away to Dublin, the side they meet this Saturday at Páirc Tailteann in the Leinster Championship quarter-final.

Eight points separated the sides but, in truth, if anything that was flattering to the Ulster standard-bearers.

Antrim went direct early doors and got some joy, mostly through the combative Domhnall Nugent, but Dublin, as top teams do, found a way to solve that problem in play and the Saffron opportunities dried up considerably after a bright opening quarter.

Was Gleeson playing possum? It’s unlikely. Dublin are a fine team and Antrim were coming off the back of two games which demanded massive, massive effort – Clare and Kilkenny.

That said, the Tipperary native will be expecting a much more competitive fixture in Navan compared to that league meeting.

Páirc Tailteann may not be the longest pitch in the world, but it is very wide and Antrim have shown throughout the season that they do give up opportunities in and around their full-back line. Only Clare failed to raise a flag against them in their five league games, and they needed a late Ryan Elliott stop to deny the Banner a major.

Dublin finished behind Antrim in the table and some of their concessions were worrying for manager Mattie Kenny. Clare took them for a ridiculous 0-34. Wexford hit 0-25 the last time out. Even in their two wins over Antrim and Laois they conceded 1-18 and 1-19 respectively.

With 1-55, Donal Burke was the top scorer in Division One this year and he will ruthlessly punish any fouling by the Antrim defenders. Discipline is going to be so important here.

This isn’t knock-out, with the loser of Wexford and Laois next in line should Antrim fail here. That will not cross their minds though, and a match with Galway for the winner is very much a possibility. They are just still a bit green compared to Dublin when it comes to top-level hurling though, and the Leinster men should get through – albeit not as comfortably as they did in the league.

Verdict: Dublin