By Michael McMullan

ANDY Merrigan has barely settled into life in the Mournes and the club scene is tiptoeing its way into every crevice across Ulster.

New Aghagallon manager Audi Kelly admits his baptism is a ‘challenging’ one. Last year’s beaten finalists take on St Gall’s as the Antrim league swings into action with the first of five games in a congested 14-day period.

“I am finding it very challenging,” said Kelly, who took over from Kevin Murray. Ironically, Murray has taken over at Tyrone club Moy who Kelly – as part of a join ticket with Gavin McGilly – led to All-Ireland intermediate glory four years ago.

“The fact these leagues are starting on March 6 has really caught me on the hop,” Kelly added.

“I didn’t expect them to be starting until much later. They talk about this split club and county season…the boys didn’t start until early January and after getting to a county final last year, they needed a bit of a break.”

A combination of Covid, inclement weather and other counties not staring their season yet has left Aghagallon limited in terms of getting challenge games. The Derry and Tyrone leagues are still weeks away.

With any potential progress in Ulster League overlapping over the start of the Antrim season, it ‘wasn’t really an option’. They did manage run outs against Down side Clann na Banna and Armagh’s Wolfe Tones.

“All you are doing is giving lads an opportunity to show what they can do,” Kelly points out.

COOL HAND LUKE…Aghagallon’s Luke Mulholland has yet to make an appearance for Antrim this season

While they did reach last year’s county final, Aghagallon had an indifferent league campaign and missed out on the cut after the split midway through the season.

With the rushed start after lockdown, injuries began to creep in and it wasn’t until after the league break – with all the players returning to full fitness – that they began to gain the momentum that took them to county final day.

“I want to build a foundation in the league and that’s all I’d be thinking about,” Kelly stresses.

“From my perspective, coming in new, I’m only getting to know lads at this stage. The fact that we find it hard to get games makes it even more challenging.”

With Creggan holding the title, their neighbours Cargin will be keen to wrestle the Paddy McNamee Cup off them. Throw in Portglenone, Lamh Dhearg and Aghagallon themselves and this year’s championship race has all the hallmarks of a mouth-watering one. Kelly agrees.

With it being organised on a league basis it is competitive, but gone is the opportunity to take out one of the top teams.

“Usually the underdog has one opportunity,” he said. “It’s very rare if they (a favourite) are beat, they are able to get back in the next round and have enough to get them through to the latter stages.”

Another factor in the back of his mind is the lure of players heading across the Atlantic for a summer of football in the sun and the lure of a job and a few pound

“The big challenge ahead for all the clubs is the fact that boys have not been able to get away to America for the last couple of years,” Kelly concluded.

That’s for later. Now, it’s about getting primed for St Gall’s as club scene shoots into action.

READ MORE…A summary of Antrim’s 2021 inter-county season. Click here…