Loughgiel Shamrocks will be looking to build on their strong start to the Antrim Hurling Championship when they travel to Ballycastle on Sunday.
Hugh McCann’s side got off to a winning start against St Enda’s in the group opener and will be expected to triumph over Ballycastle, who lost by 15 points against Cushendall.
However, Shamrocks captain Declan McCloskey has warned against complacency this weekend.
“They have quick, sharp, and very accurate forwards, and a good solid defence,” he said.
“We can’t look any further ahead than Ballycastle at the minute because if we try to do that, they’ll give us a stern test and could very easily turn the game on its head.
“But at the same time, we have every confidence in ourselves that if we turn up and play to our strengths, we should hopefully be able to get over the line.”
Loughgiel didn’t have it all their own way two weeks ago away to St Enda’s, as they led by just three points with 10 minutes to go.
But they had enough in the tank to go on and win by seven points, and McCloskey says that they were pleased with the result.
“Any time we play St Enda’s – home or away – it’s never easy,” he said.
“They’re a physical and well-drilled team, who have always had the ability to put it up to us. Even though we had the game under control in the second half, St Enda’s kept coming back at us, but we were glad to get through it, because it wasn’t easy by any stretch.”
The Shamrocks are the Antrim Senior Hurling Championship's most decorated club with 20 titles, but haven’t scaled the mountain since 2016.
In the six years since they have won it, Dunloy have captured five titles, with Cushendall getting in on the act in 2018.
Consequently, Dunloy and Cushendall have set the benchmark, and it is now up to Loughgiel to reach their level, and McCloskey believes that Loughgiel are getting closer to doing so.
“Every year that you go into the Championship, you have to have the belief that you can go all the way,” said McCloskey.
“I definitely think that we’re closer to doing that this year than we have been in the last couple of years.
“Dunloy have been the benchmark, and Cushendall aren’t too far behind them, and that’s the level that we need to get to – or above it - to have a chance of getting any further.”
The Shamrocks have already lifted silverware, as they won the Division 1A title with just one defeat in 15 games.
Players such as Darragh and Pearse Patterson, Jack McCloskey, Ronan McCollum and Aidan McGarry – all of whom featured in the Antrim U20 squad this year – were crucial in helping the club to capture the league title.
Now that they’re back at full strength, Declan McCloskey believes that those same young players can provide competition for places, as the club looks to go from strength to strength.
“Winning the league was a good start to the year,” he said.
“We had lost our county stars for the majority of it, but we got a lot of new blood and new faces in the team, which definitely helped.
“A lot of them are pushing very hard to get in the team. If they’re not starting, a lot of them are very close to doing so. They’re showing their hand and trying to get onto the team.
“The strength in depth that we have now is probably as good as it has been in the last few years. We probably still need to get stronger again, but we’re working towards that.
“I think that there is a wee bit more in us yet.”
