Ulster Minor Championship Round 1

Monaghan v Antrim

Friday, Inniskeen, 8pm

By Shaun Casey

FRIDAY’S first-round encounter has already started off on a friendly note. Monaghan agreed to move the fixture, originally penned in for Saturday, to accommodate Antrim’s dual players, who compete in the Leinster Hurling Championship on Saturday.

Saffron boss Paul McErlean says his side are “grateful” that the Farney men agreed to reschedule the game.

“We’re very grateful to Monaghan GAA for changing the fixture to the Friday because the Antrim minor hurling team are playing in the Leinster Championship on the Saturday. We asked them, and they changed the game and we’re very grateful to them for that.”

Antrim suffered a difficult and under-whelming league campaign, losing all four of their games, including a 5-16 to 1-11 defeat to Monaghan. However McErlean, in his first year in charge, believes his side have taken some learnings from their outings.

“We had a very tough league campaign, we were well beaten in three out of the four games, pretty unlucky against Down.

“I don’t think the scoreline really reflected the closeness of the game and arguably that was probably the case with all of the matches.

“It was difficult, and it shows the very high standard that there is. We’ve been very well prepared, we’ve worked very hard, we’ve played challenge games outside of Ulster, so we didn’t feel as if we were going in in that bad of shape.

“I think we’ve learned a lot of lessons. I think we’ve now pulled the squad together properly like so many of the teams, we were suffering because of the extension of the school season and getting access to our best players, some of whom went all the way to the Hogan Cup.

“We’re going into the championship positively. Monaghan are a very good team but we’re a good team too. We’ll have to play a fantastic game to win but it’s possible and that’s certainly the frame of mind we’re going into it with.”

It’s just over two weeks since these sides last clashed in the final round of the league campaign. McErlean suggests that both sides had one eye on the championship and that league result won’t count for much come Friday.

“I suspect both teams were pretty cagey in that game. We’re not reading too much into it, they’re certainly big and physically strong.

“They move the ball really, really well. We know some of them. I’ve been watching college games all year but who knows.

“I’m not reading too much into it, and I suspect Mark (Counihan), the Monaghan manager, isn’t reading too much into it either.

“Anybody can really judge what’s going to happen in a championship based off what’s happened in a league match. We’re under no illusions, they’re a very strong team and we’re approaching the game very positively. Championship’s championship. Inniskeen’s a good pitch and we’re looking forward to it.”