Joe McDonagh Cup Round Four
Meath v Antrim
Sunday, Páirc Tailteann, 1pm

By Shaun Casey

VICTORY this weekend for Antrim will secure their place in the Joe McDonagh Cup final with one game still to play against Kerry.

They last won the competition just two years ago, defeating the Kingdom in the final, and will hope to get back to that stage once again this season.

They face a Meath side that have failed to pick up a single point and head into the game having lost all three of their outings.

Antrim on the other hand are the only team in the competition yet to drop any points, and have won all their games to date.

They shaded an absorbing opening round against Offaly by one point while they dominated Down in the following game, winning convincingly.

Antrim did get a bit of a scare the last day out and just about did enough to get over Carlow, with one goal to spare in the end.

The Saffrons trailed by two as the game entered the final ten minutes but launched a scoring spree to win the game, hitting six of the final seven-points, to keep their unbeaten run intact.

Both Conal Cunning and Neil McManus rattled the net for Darren Gleeson’s side, who have hit more goals than any other team.

They have a chance to extend that record on Sunday as Meath have conceded 12 goals in three games.

Key attacker McManus was forced off through injury against Carlow however, but the two-week break will have come at the right time.

Antrim and Meath squared off in round five of the 2020 Joe McDonagh Cup, played in the same venue as Sunday’s clash, and Antrim won easily in the end by 17 points.

This week may not be as plain sailing, but Antrim should have enough to get one over the Royals and advance to the showpiece.