SEAN MCVEIGH says he is in search of “redemption” on Sunday as Antrim prepare for their rematch with Ulster Championship conquerors Fermanagh at Brewster Park.
Red-carded in the 31st minute for an elbow on Fermanagh’s Ciaran Flaherty, McVeigh thought his Championship season was over.
But the Saffrons caused a sensation three weeks later by beating Laois in the first round of the All-Ireland Qualifiers to set up another meeting with the Ernemen after they exited the provincial series to Monaghan.
“I never thought it [the Fermanagh game] would be my last game for Antrim,” said McVeigh upon seeing red.
“I certainly wouldn’t finish with Antrim on a note like that. But I did think that it could be my last game for Antrim this season.”
After Antrim’s two-point win over Laois, McVeigh was the happiest man in O’Moore Park as it gave him a chance to right the wrongs of Brewster Park.
“We were seven points down at half-time against Laois and somebody said – I don’t know how true this is – that we were 100/1 at half-time to win the match. I was delighted at the end.
“I knew we were up against it because, in my opinion, Laois would be in the top three in Leinster. I did think this could be a very sad way to end our season.
“The first half the difference was we weren’t clinical and Laois were. We kicked serious wides in the first half and I remember thinking if we kicked half of those over we’d be in this game.
“In the second half, the boys went out to play with a bit of pride. Their thinking was: ‘There is not a chance of us putting in another mediocre performance’.
McVeigh added: “Conor Murray, Ryan Murray, Justy Crozier – they just dragged the team through. It was torture watching it.
“Going from such a low, a real low in Fermanagh – it’s as low as I’ve been after a game – to that height in a few weeks… Now, we’re not getting carried away. We fought back and we were successful.”
Reflecting on his red card at Brewster Park, McVeigh initially felt referee Maurice Deegan was wrong to send him off.
“I went in and I thought I was going to hit the Fermanagh player with my shoulder, and I went in that way, but he slipped.
“At the time I thought I was hard done-by. I rushed home and got to watch it and once I saw it I had no complaints.
“I caught him with the elbow right on the jaw. It was completely accidental but the decision was completely right.
“At the time I was just thinking: ‘I’m missing a Championship match and I know how hard it is to play with 14 men.’
“I was really upset about it, really annoyed. But Maurice Deegan is one of the best referees in the country and I’d no complaints.”
Antrim struggled after McVeigh’s premature departure and went down by eight points. The Saffrons mustered just two points from play at Brewster Park but racked up 2-10 in their win over Laois.
On being paired with Fermanagh again, McVeigh said: “On a personal note, [I thought] a bit of redemption and to try and make up for letting the team down for making that challenge.
“More importantly, is the team taking advantage of getting a second chance.
“We know we didn’t perform anywhere near our ability so we’ve got an opportunity to put that right.”
The Ballymena man also says no-one in the Antrim squad harbours any bad feelings towards the three players who left the panel to play football in Boston for the rest of the summer.
Patrick McBride, Paddy McAleer and Conor Burke, who received offers to play in Boston, consulted senior members of Frank Fitzsimons squad before leaving for America.
McVeigh revealed he spoke at length to his All Saints club-mate Paddy McAleer before the 21-year-old decided to quit the panel.
A school teacher, McVeigh faced a similar scenario in 2009 when he was offered work in London and decided to leave the Antrim panel on the eve of the Championship.
The 2009 season turned out to be Antrim’s most successful season in recent history, with Liam ‘Baker’ Bradley guiding the Saffrons to their first Ulster final in 39 years.
They lost to Tyrone in the provincial decider before pushing Kerry all the way in the Qualifiers a week later.
McVeigh said: “Paddy McAleer is from my own club and he was constantly on the phone to me. I said to him: ‘Paddy it’s your decision.’
“I just said we could get a good run in the Championship and that he will miss out. I told him what happened to me in ’09.
“I went to London [to work] and missed out on Antrim’s run to the Ulster final that year.
“On the other hand, I told him that he’s young and that the three of them will be playing for Antrim for the next 10 years.”
McVeigh added: “I suppose you can only do America once, when you’re young, so I said: ‘If that’s what you want to do, go and enjoy it. Be up front with everybody and let them know. Do it that way.’”
Antrim pulled off the shock of the Championship so far this summer by coming from nine points down to beat Laois in round one of the All-Ireland qualifiers.
Both McAleer and McBride started for the Saffrons in O’Moore Park.
St Gall’s man Burke would have featured but was dropped, alongside CJ McGourty and Kieran McGourty, after the trio played a club hurling game the night before the Laois tie.
McVeigh said the decision by the three Boston-bound players was made easier for the way in which they went about breaking the news to the Antrim management team and squad.
“They’re young lads,” McVeigh said. “They want to go, play football and have a good time. The boys came to training on the Tuesday and they flew out on the Wednesday.
“There was a bit of banter but nobody would harbour any bad feelings towards them.”
While the three departures will undoubtedly hurt Antrim’s prospects of springing another surprise against the Ernemen on Sunday, McVeigh believes the squad can cope without them.
“I think the squad can absorb the losses,” said the 30-year-old.
“We have CJ and Kieran McGourty available. I’ll be available and Ricky Johnston is back again. Although they are going to be missed that’s what a panel is for, isn’t it?”
