15 July 2012
Our preview of this match concluded, “It is tight – and very close to call, but there is an air of belief about our squad and I think we’ll have a keen interest in the draw for Round 3.”
Well, as we all know by now the victory over Galway which was always within reach came to pass, with probably the best Championship team display we have seen from an Antrim side in a very long time. The exact details of the game are recalled in newspaper reports and online outlets but what they may not fully capture is the degree to which Antrim bossed the first half in particular.
Going in one point behind at 0.4 to 0.5 was hard to stomach after we had enjoyed the lions share of possession, but the old failings of balls dropped short or hit wide looked like they might come back to haunt Antrim and despite the large crowd Bradley could be heard venting his frustrations.
But maybe it took the first half to set up the second; our players now knew they had the measurement of the Galway players, they knew the game plan was effective and they knew they had the wind at their backs in the second half. And what a second half!
Michael McCann’s two long range points set the tone for the third quarter and this was when the saffrons set the platform for success. It was inevitable that Galway would enjoy their own period of dominance but when they applied the pressure they found a defence which stood tall and declared as a unit – from Chris Kerr outwards – ‘tribesmen shalt not pass’. On two occasions Kerr stopped two efforts which looked nailed on three pointers.
As we fell behind on the 70th minute mark it was hard to avoid the old ‘here we go again’ feeling, but come the hour come the married man and Tomas McCann scored a huge equalizer. I was mentally settling for injury time when the just introduced Deaghlan O’Hagan (you know, the tough tackling defender and man marker??!!) collected the ball from what over time will become a 50 yard distance, (or was it 60?) and what a point he scored! It was magnificent.
Man of the match? No such thing for Antrim yesterday – there were 19 of them. The sheer effort, work rate and determination not to lose was a joy to witness. The tackling from the Johnstons, the running of Tomas, Conor Murray, Sweeney and James Loughrey, the hunting down by Tony Scuillion, the tackling, blocking and effort of Kevin O’Boyle, Crozier and Healey, the points and fielding of Michael McCann and Aodhan…..the list goes on. This is a bloody good Antrim team, supremely conditioned and very well organised. In the past our footballers may have been let down by a lack of self-belief. That failing should now be led to rest, just as Galway’s all Ireland ambitions bit the dust in Casement.
So what happens next? The draw will be made on Monday morning and we will be lined up against one of Kerry, Tyrone, Kildare, Laois, Leitrim, Limerick or Tipperary. Take your pick – why should we fear any one of them? The one thing we will keep the fingers crossed for will be another home draw.
This team can end its summer in Croke Park, one way or another. Get on board, don’t miss the next instalment of the saffron summer 2012!
