Joe McDonagh Cup Round Two
Down v Antrim
Sunday, Ballycran, 2pm

By Michael McMullan

IT’S a case of one out and one in for Antrim’s walking wounded ahead of Sunday’s Ulster derby with Down in Ballycran.
Keelan Molloy was replaced at half-time in Antrim’s 3-22 to 2-24 win over the Faithful County with an injury, but fellow hamstring victim James McNaughton returned and chipped in with a point of the Saffron’s total.
“He (Molloy) is going to be a few weeks, the physio said there…it looks significant,” revealed Gleeson after the game.
The Antrim boss Gleeson said Neil McManus did “a good session” on the morning of the game and hopes the Cushendall man will “be an option” this weekend,
There was some talk last week of the Down game being moved from the spiritual home in Ballycran t Páirc Esler. It was something the Antrim manager found suggested to him, but immediately dismissed it.
“That’s Down’s home field the same as Corrigan Park is for us, we are delighted to go there. It is going to be a great spectacle and I hope it will bring a big crowd next Sunday,” Gleeson firmly stressed.
“It’s a great way to be for Ulster hurling. It’s not long ago they were talking about everyone joining together to make the one team. There are two teams with a win in the Joe McDonagh, so the answer is there.”
Saturday’s game was another dramatic afternoon in Corrigan, with the same decided in stoppage time. Antrim led by seven points with 57 minutes on the clock before 14-man Offaly hit two goals – including a 70^th minute equaliser – and looked to have the killer momentum to win the game until Eoghan Campbell made the winning goal for Conor Johnston.
“He (Campbell) made a big play to get it through,” beamed the Antrim boss. “Conor Johnston was ice-cold all day. There were a couple of times we didn’t get them (goal)…Conor realised the goal wasn’t on and took the point
“That’s a marvellous return (2-2) from Conor. I thought he put in a huge quality of work to get himself back from one or two really bad injuries and it was a big day here for him at his own club.”
Gleeson was speaking on the pitch after the game, with a number of the home crowd were posing for photographs with fans. The atmosphere was a mixture of joy and relief. With the Down game played earlier and the result widely known, there was an anticipation of the round two meeting.
“It was drama,” Gleeson said of the frantic finale to the Saturday’s win.  “That’s championship hurling and it would’ve been a sickener to have come out of here beaten.
“Coming away with two points…it’s a crazy competition. Your home wins are massive and you take it Down went below and got a scalp in Kerry, that’s massive. If Offaly had done that here today, it would’ve turned the whole competition upside down.”
Gleeson spoke how playing with the win was “a hindrance” and was satisfied at how his side “opened up” in the second-half.
Ahead of the Down game, one of the areas for concern was how easily Offaly worked their puck-outs and could always hit back with a score.
“We didn’t have the benefit of the score for very long, that’s the disappointing thing, to look at how we set up after a score…we’re switching off in those situations,” Gleeson outline and felt the concession of both goals came from “silly” mistakes.
“They’ll (Offaly) be disappointed going down the road. It was a poor performance but a morale-boosting victory for us.”

READ MORE – Antrim leave it late to see off Offaly. Click here…