08 July 2011
A new challenge - for teams and supporters.
Tomorrow has the potential to be milestone day in the development of our senior teams and for sure the results of games against Carlow and Limerick in football and hurling qualifiers will determine if the season ends this weekend or stretches later into summer.
The scale of the challenge facing each is upward. Tomorrow afternoon at 3pm the footballers of Carlow come to Casement with a championship win under their belts. Before losing to Wexford Carlow beat Louth in one of the key results of the Championship. Remember this is a Louth team reckoned by most to be the true Leinster Champions of 2010, and who this year secured promotion to Div 2 of the National Football league. Carlow will come looking to put their season back on track.
Since the Donegal defeat (which is perhaps due a re appraisal now they have nailed down an Ulster Final appearance) the talk in the Antrim camp has been of forward momentum and a renewed focus. Those two features should help see off Carlow.
Limerick hurled in Div 2 of the league this year and swept away the Antrim challenge at Loughgiel. They put up a hell of a fight before losing to Waterford in Munster this year. Antrim have the benefit this season of having played over the three past weekends, albeit against opposition from a lower tier than the Treatymen. Our hurlers have shown flashes of the kind of hurling they are capable of in the second half of the Laois game and the first half against Wexford. They will travel tomorrow knowing that a big, consistent performance will leave Limerick in no doubt they are in a match.
Tomorrow is also a big challenge for supporters. The CCC in Croke Park has made it very tight for people hoping to see both matches. It is possible and if you are making the immediate journey from Casement to Parnell Park then, fair play to you and remember to arrive safely.
Our teams deserve support. Tomorrow could be special and Antrim fans should be sure to be there where possible to support the Saffrons.
