A STRONGER mindset, as well as changed tactics, helped Antrim totally transform their Tailteann Cup tie away to Fermanagh and reach the semi-finals again.
Six points down at half-time in Brewster Park, midfielder Cathal Hynds admitted that Saffron sides of the past might simply have accepted their fate and exited the competition meekly.
On Saturday evening, however, they believed in themselves and the Glenravel man’s late goal sealed a 1-11 to 0-11 victory over the Ernemen.
“No one was that worried at half-time,” insisted Hynds. “Other times I remember coming in and you’d look at each other and there were no answers. This time we just knew to look after the ball better.
“We’d been throwing it away, humping it in. We kicked so many balls in first half with none of them sticking, it was ridiculous. It wasn’t the fault of the boys inside, we were just trying to force it too much.
“We took a step back, showed more composure, stopped trying to force it, and things started to open up.”
Their self-belief had been reinforced by a recent result, the draw they secured against Sligo in their final group game, recalls the Con Magee’s clubman:
“Sure we were down four or five points against Sligo twice and brought that game level to draw it.
“So we were down six at half-time. We turned round and looked at each other, said ‘Right, we’ve been here before…we just need to cut out the silly mistakes’.
“Turnovers were killing us – I think they got seven points first half from turnovers, just bombing up the field. We sorted that bit out, tidied up our game, and started to create chances.”
Manager Andy McEntee made a triple substitution, with Peter Healy, Conor Hand, and Dominic McEnhill all getting on the score-sheet, to the approval of Hynds:
“The bench made a big impact, plenty of energy off the bench, and got over the line. The fresh legs made a big difference.”
Hynds’s older brother Eoin followed that trio of the bench and, as his brother proudly pointed out, “”He got two points, including the last one.”
Antrim appear to have plenty of competition for places, with Hynds noting the desire of one particular player to be involved: “Lots of boys fighting for jerseys. Pete Healy has been out the whole year, those were his first meaningful minutes since last year’s [Tailteann Cup] semi-final, he kicked two great scores. It was a whole team effort all over the pitch.”
Hynds himself returned from an injury absence earlier this year
“I tore my groin so I missed almost all of the League, only got in for the last game. I’ve done lots of work with the strength coach to keep me fit, keep me running. Back now, all going well.”
He certainly was, notably when he rattled in the 68th minute goal that put Antrim ahead for the first time in the match.
Ironically, advice which helped Hynds score came from an Erne County source, albeit one who has been Antrim U20 boss for several seasons:
“It was actually a Fermanagh man, Niall Jackman, who once told me to close my eyes and hit it low, so that’s what I did – I hit it hard and low and it went in, thank God. We were just starting to open them up, it was going well, it was a matter of time.”
There’s not much time until the next match, with Antrim facing Laois in the semi-finals on Sunday in Croke Park, but Hynds is confident that the Saffrons can make it through to the decider:
“We believe on our day that we can take anyone. We were not at the races there against Fermanagh [in the first half]. We didn’t show up, we were all over the place.
“But on our day we can blow anyone out of the water and that’s what we did second half. We turned the screw.”