24 May 2010
Antrim made further progress yesterday, as is all but inevitable, given their increased but limited experience against top level opposition. There is no shortcut to experience and the best ‘will’ in the world won’t have it otherwise but some of the individual displays by Antrim in Casement Park, against Tyrone, were an indication of how far they have come in senior football.
We started slow, some players in awe perhaps, to the evidence of skill and greater experience, demonstrated by Tyrone, who bounced into action. We made a few unforced errors and were severely punished for the same; such errors could easily have been explained by nerves, on a very big occasion and to our cost virtually all mistakes were all too quickly converted by an alert and opportunistic Tyrone but there ends the lesson and the bad news.
Antrim, errors notwithstanding, had a good day out, in terms of adding to their accumulation of knowledge and experience of championship football. Antrim players were match fit to a man and some of the individual ‘best ever’ performances were awesome and as good as will be seen in any championship game this year. Again and again, the crowd roared approval for a spirited Antrim fight back, against all the odds; a lesser team would have laid down. This was a display of dogged courage with some outstanding tenacity, against that of greater experience and skill.
Supporters turned out in big numbers yesterday; of course they were disappointed with the result and results count and all that but all can see the root and branch reform that has and is taking root in Antrim senior football. We have a team of lads who are supremely fit, tenacious and spirited. We have some exceptional talent and with more experience of the ring we have a force to be reckoned with. You don’t win three all Irelands with luck and you don’t topple a team who have achieved so much, unless you are exceptional,
And what about the referee – you decide – I hope that others revisit this incident, and I don’t need to spell out which, but a score under such circumstances was devastating and had it not been for the steeled determination and magnificent character of Antrim players they would have lain down. To their eternal credit they fought like lions to the final whistle. Some of the decisions were marginal but we won’t go there. On the day we did not have sufficient fire power and ring experience but once again we learned a lot and we are ever so close to the finished article.
Finally, the return to the fold of Kevin Mc Gourty is to be warmly welcomed. He is without doubt a gifted athlete and competent Gaelic footballer. The introduction was done in a quiet dignified manner, without out the undesirable accompaniment of pre-match hyping or media mischief and the evidence is again incontrovertible that he ‘belongs,’ as a team player. We need the honed skills of both Mc Gourty’s. What we don’t need is the attendant media exploitation or mischief making. On behalf of Antrim Gaa, I think it appropriate to record our thanks and appreciation for all the support yesterday; it was a magnificent sight. The best is yet to come.
Lawrence Smyth county PRO.
