Since the Antrim Senior Hurling Championship adopted its current format in 2021 it has always featured an element of shadow boxing, at least among the top teams.
Three teams qualifying from groups of four reduced the jeopardy at play, although the carrot of finishing on top of your group – straight passage to a semi-final – did provide some incentive for genuine title contenders to bare their teeth early on.
The first two years the carrot proved a ticket to the eventual final, with Dunloy and Rossa squaring off in 2021 after topping their groups unbeaten and Dunloy and Cushendall doing the same the following season.
Last year Loughgiel bucked the trend after finishing second in their group to Cushendall, going on to beat St John’s in the quarter-final before stunning Dunloy in the last four with a comprehensive victory.
The 11th hour withdrawal of last year’s intermediate champions Creggan means just seven teams will begin the chase for the Volunteer Cup this season with one group nothing but shadow boxing.
With quarter-finals still in place, no team will be eliminated from Group One, with Ballycastle, St Enda’s and last year’s beaten finalists Loughgiel already in the knockout stages before a sliotar is struck.
The only team to drop out will be from Group Two where defending champions Cushendall, the winners of the previous four titles Dunloy, and west Belfast representatives Rossa and St John’s will scrap to avoid bottom spot.
The bookies have the city pair as joint-favourites to fill that position and their Corrigan Park meeting on the last weekend of the group stage will be a tasty one, whatever way previous results go.
Cushendall host Dunloy at the same time on Saturday, September 7, while Ballycastle make the trip to Loughgiel for the final match in Group One the following day.
Dunloy are at home to St John’s in the opening match of the competition on Saturday, with Cushendall facing Rossa in Belfast the following day. Group One’s only match this weekend sees Loughgiel travel to Glengormley to face St Enda’s on Sunday.
Quarter-finals are slated for a fortnight after that with the semi-finals on Sunday, October 6 and the decider on Sunday, October 20.
