By Michael McMullan

THE last time Antrim were in Division Two was 2011 when their only victory wasn’t enough to keep the Saffrons from beating drop.

Nine Paddy Cunningham points helped them to victory against Meath, who were under the watch of Seamus McEnaney.

Fast-forward to now and it’s another former Royal manager, Andy McEntee, who will lead Antrim into another promotion bid with the aim of again reaching the second tier.

It’s McEntee’s third season as Antrim boss. Of the 27 league and championship games, there was a draw at the hands of Sligo in last season’s Tailteann Cup. The rest are split evenly between victory and defeat. 13 wins and 13 defeats.

There were a few games they let slip from the jaws of victory. They will look back at the closing stages of their semi-final defeat to Meath in the Tailteann Cup.

There were shoots of hope but they came up short and Saffron fans will be hoping for a more consistent return when their league campaign kicks into gear later this month.

The first year under McEntee began with performances that should have yielded more and a home win over Cavan highlighting what they were capable of.

Last year, they were out of the traps with two early wins before failing to translate it into a meaningful promotion push.

with Down and Westmeath the top dogs. They’ll face Fermanagh and Kildare who dropped down from Division Two last season.

The latter have a new management team in place and will be craving the bounce that often comes from a change of direction.

There is also a Clare team under Peter Keane who had many of their key men returning and it will be the Banner who visit Corrigan Park on the league’s first weekend.

Antrim face the trip to Ederney to take on Fermanagh before a third-round trip to an Offaly team with Mickey Harte in their dugout.

The fixture computer has laid a tough opening to Antrim’s season and they’ll have to step into battle with former skipper Declan Lynch who retired at the end of 2024.

There is also the conundrum of the new rule enhancements to get their heads around.

One of the changes is the kick-out needing to travel outside the 40-metre arc, closing the door on any poke to a defender with the hope of creating an overlap.

In that regard, Antrim are well placed with Michael Byrne’s progression into an excellent goalkeeper with a low-trajectory, mid-range, kick-out in his locker.

It gives them a chance to launch attacks quicker.

With Lynch retired and Peter Healy again unfortunate with injury, Kavan Keenan will be an important cog in their defence alongside Eunan Walsh.

Keenan had a brilliant first season that saw him named in the Tailteann Cup team of the year and shook off injury to help his club All-Saints to the Antrim Intermediate title.

It will be about getting balance with Dermot McAleese, Joe Finnegan and Marc Jordan among the options in the half-back department.

It will be interesting to see where the Saffrons deploy Jordan, a versatile player who always delivers a consistent performance.

Another plus is Conor Stewart’s return from injury having already blossomed since making a breakthrough at county level.

With Cathal Hynds and Colm McLarnon injured, getting a partner for Stewart is where much of Antrim’s focus must lie.

Along with Byrne’s kicking variation, it’s the midfield zone where the imprint of a game is made.

Paddy McAleer has joined Lynch in retirement and will be a loss on two fronts. There is his midfield offering but a 2-4 tally in the Ulster Club blockbuster with Derrylaughan could’ve made him a perfect fit alongside Aghagallon’s Ruairí McCann up front.

As one door closes, another will open and promising Cargin front man Conhuir Johnston could get the chance to translate club form into the Saffron jersey.

Ryan Murray and Patrick Finnegan are also back from ACL injuries. Also in the mix are Dominic McEnhill, Paddy McBride and Ryan McQuillan, the latter two Antrim’s joint top scorers from play last season. McQuillan nabbed 1-2 for Queen’s last weekend in the Sigerson Cup.

It will be interesting to see what attacking axis McEntee primes for battle. The two-point scoring arc will offer teams a chance to add to their scoring tally. Also, if opponents defend further out, it could leave more space for the inside men and Ruairí McCann’s eye for goal.

There has been a revamp of the management team. John McCloskey and Darren O’Neill have stepped away with Justin McMahon moving up to take a role as McEntee’s number two.

Away from the senior ranks and more long-term, the recent strategic plan is every bit as important as anything that happens with the county seniors.

In recent seasons, the minor and u-20 teams have suffered chastening defeats. The county lacks a consistent challenger in the MacRory or MacLarnon Cup competitions like many of Ulster’s leading lights.

Under McEntee, the players raised their own money to fund a second pre-season trip to Portugal. The ambition for raising the standards is there.

The fact Michael McShane has assembled an impressive u-20 hurling management team says a lot of how the county want to build on top of what Davy Fitzgerald squeezes out of the senior group.

The age-old debate is how Antrim use the population base in Belfast. There is also the ongoing saga with Casement Park lying dormant.

Any long-term group needs time but it needs the right foundations in place.

That’s why the current senior team’s focus has to be on climbing as far up the Division Three ladder as possible. Results and performances will bring more through the turnstiles.

Think back to 2009 and Antrim’s Ulster final appearance, it generated both excitement and interest.

The Clare, Offaly and Fermanagh games represent a test to get their teeth into.

In terms of the championship, if the Tailteann Cup is the hand they are dealt, then they just need to throw everything at it.

If they are ambitious, they won’t want to be in it. They’ll want the All-Ireland series but if tier two is their path, then there is no reason they can’t win it.

The first half of the league will paint a more accurate picture of what Antrim’s season will look like.

NFL TARGET

With Kildare coming down from Division Two, Antrim will need a consistent level of performance to get points on the board if they are to seriously challenge for promotion. The target has to be a push towards the top half to give them a shot of making the climb to the second tier.

SFC TARGET

IT’S difficult to make a case for an Ulster title given their track record in recent seasons. Should they find themselves in the Tailteann Cup, Antrim – as a group – must again commit everything they have to win it.