11 April 2013
Antrim captain Neil McManus is facing into the weekend’s crucial relegation play off in a positive frame of mind, and determined to stay up.
“We are very focussed on Sunday, staying up is so important to the development of the team and the squad. Our squad is now very young, with the so called older guys only in their mid 20s. I think we have held our own in most games and we have learned a lot playing against Limerick, Dublin, Offaly, Wexford and Carlow. That’s the company we need to be keeping if Antrim is to improve as a hurling county. We don’t want to be in Division 2.
“This will be the most important game we will play this year. That’s how we are looking at it.”
Is the nature of the defeat against Offaly and the decisions of the referee still on the minds of the squad going into Sunday?
“Not at all. We were very disappointed the last day out but at the same time we know we played well. Right now we are totally focussed on Sunday and looking forward to this game.
Ourselves and Carlow always play close games, 50 / 50 games. This season they beat us heavily in the Walsh Cup and then we won well in the league. But Sunday will be different again. It is a neutral venue, we will hopefully have big support there, and we hope to come out on the right side of the result. There is confidence in the squad, we have prepared well and there is belief in the squad that we can win it.
“The support we get is a help, every shout of encouragement from the stand or the sideline helps drive us on. We will be doing our very best.”
