13 May 2011
There remains a fair amount of players on the Antrim team for the match V Donegal with memories of 2009 to provide motivation for this weekend. One player new to the squad this year is keeper Sean O’Neill, of Falls Road club, Davitts. Sean says he has thoroughly enjoyed the season so far despite the disappointing set of league results and he is certainly looking forward to Sunday. IN fact he is already looking forward to 2012.
“The league didn’t work out for us but we gained a lot of experience from playing a higher class of team than the lads were used to in Division 3 and 4. We are already determined to get promotion next year back into Division 2 and do ourselves justice up there next time round.”
Sean says that like the rest of the squad he is determined to be playing football long beyond mid May.” When Liam rang to ask me to join the panel I was delighted, maybe a bit surprised too. But I didn’t join the panel and do all this training to go out of the championship after one match. We are travelling to Donegal to win, make no mistake, and I want us to be back in an Ulster Final like the lads were two years ago. I watched those games as an Antrim supporter – I would love to be there as part of the team.”
It is a long time since a Davitts player was named in an Antrim championship team and Sean reckons it has re-ignited interest among his clubmates in the county side. “It's a big thing for our club, for young kids coming up that they can see they can play for Antrim. There will be a big number of Davitts people there that’s for sure!”
