National Hurling League Division 2A

Offaly v Antrim

Sunday, Bord na Mona O’Connor Park, 2pm

By Dan O’Muirigh

IT’S been a good start to life under Darren Gleeson for the Antrim hurlers. The former Tipperary goalkeeper has presided over a team that has claimed four victories from four games – four results that were very rarely in doubt.

Newly-promoted Wicklow were defeated 0-20 to 0-11 in Arklow, before a 4-19 to 0-7 thrashing of Mayo. Meath were next in the firing line, whose lengthy trip to Portglenone ended with a 24-point defeat. Next up Kerry, where the Saffrons secured an impressive 2-20 to 2-14 win.

Antrim now sit top of Division 2A with eight points, ahead of Kerry who also have eight points from their five games. Offaly are third with six points and need a win to qualify for next weekend’s league final. Barring a 37-point drubbing this weekend, the Saffrons will also book their spot in the decider.

With that in mind, it would be easy to sit back and relax against Offaly. That won’t be the case at all, insists corner-back Stephen Rooney.

“People are saying ‘You don’t have to win it’, but I can tell you, our ambitions are to win every single game this year to build momentum. We don’t want to take one step back,” he said.

“We do believe we are better than every team we are going to play this year and that belief has come from setting our standards high. We played Tipperary (Fr Reid Trophy) and we drew with them and we should have won. Our standards are set very high this year. We’re only looking forward.”

Much of this attitude can be attributed to the impact that Gleeson has had on these current crop of players. Continuing on from his role in assisting Neal Peden last year, the Tipp native has been able to get the best out of his adopted county to date.

“He definitely does bring a professional edge to it, things have stepped up and he’s definitely at the forefront of that,” Rooney revealed. “If we do sacrifice a lot this year, at the end of it we will definitely have trophies.

“With the panel of players that he has, there’s no reason why we shouldn’t because it’s a very, very strong, competitive team. There are lads busting for a place and there are definitely improvements this year. The levels of intensity are unbelievable.”

The current county schedule and the commitment it demands has certainly emerged as one of the GAA’s most contentious issues. However, Rooney, now into his fifth season on the panel, is embracing the step-up.

“It’s nearly full-time everyday. You go to work but in the back of your mind you’re always thinking about it. When you’re having your lunch you’re thinking about it. ‘What am I eating? Am I hydrating? What’s training going to be like tonight?’

“That’s probably something that we’ve lacked the last couple of years, those small, tiny percentages that make a big difference when you add them all up.

“Every single lad who is training five days a week is doing it because they love doing it.”

One of the key factors in Antrim’s campaign to date is the team’s strength in depth, which has created a potent mix of quality, character and competition for places.

“This is probably the first time we’ve had the best crop of players that Antrim have to offer,” Rooney added.

“Having such a strong panel makes a good breeding ground. Every single person wants to get their opportunity. It doesn’t matter who it is in the 33-man panel, once you get an opportunity the lads are chomping at the bit because you can only play 15 players.

“For example, Conor McCann, our captain and a workhorse for us, wasn’t playing at the weekend but he was influential. He spoke before the match and was a leader off the pitch, encouraging others. Having guys like that around the team is key for us.”

By Sunday evening, Antrim will know whether or not they will contest the Division 2A final for a chance return to Division One in 2021, fulfilling an early season ambition and heading back to where the county needs to be, according to the St Paul’s clubman.

“Our first aim of the year is to get promoted. We don’t want to be playing in Division 2A, that’s not where Antrim should be.

“We need to be up. We’ve proved ourselves so far but we have to win at the weekend, we have to win the final to get promoted. Then we’ll reset and we’ll have a very good go at the Joe McDonagh this year and our aims will be to win that as well.”

With this attitude and the county’s current run of form, it would be wise to place your stake on Antrim this weekend as they travel to the midlands on Sunday in search of a fifth consecutive victory.

comment@gaeliclife.com