Christy Ring final: Antrim v Meath (today, Croke Park, 5.30pm)
THE last thing Antrim have been in this season’s Christy Ring series is convincing. And yet the bookmakers make them virtually unbackable at 1/6 against rank outsiders Meath in today’s decider at Croke Park.
Apart from their opening 35 minutes against Kildare, Antrim have been patchy.
Some observers might argue that describing their Ring performances as patchy is being generous.
They allowed Kildare back into the game in the second half, although the Saffrons never looked like losing the tie.
For 50 minutes in Dunloy, Roscommon punched above their weight before Nigel Elliott and Conor Carson grabbed second half majors to sink the brave challenge of the Connacht men.
In their semi-final against Down, they were desperately poor in the first half and only saved themselves with a 10-minute purple patch just after half-time that yielded 1-6.
It could so easily have been Down travelling to Dublin today and not Antrim had Chrissy O’Connell not pulled off a brilliant save to deny Conor Mageean a stoppage-time goal.
But, if your glass is half full, then Antrim have won games despite playing poorly for long stretches.
They’ve passed the stress tests in Dunloy and Loughgiel and their substitutes were particularly impressive in their semi-final.
Interim boss Dominic ‘Woody’ McKinley believes there is major improvement required – indeed, up to “70 or 80 per cent” in some players – if they are to take care of a fearless Meath team who are playing in their first Christy Ring final in their history after falling at the semi-final hurdle three years running between 2012 to 2014.
There’s a quiet sense of anticipation among the Antrim panel that they can produce not the complete performance today but a more consistent one across the two periods of 35 minutes.
Conor Carson, one of the better performers for Antrim in the Christy Ring, cautioned: “I haven’t played in too many finals at any grade where it’s lovely, free-flowing, expansive hurling. It will be a real workmanlike effort to get past Meath.”
Carson also revealed that last Sunday morning’s training session was the toughest he’s endured all year. Since their narrow escape against Down, there has been plenty of repentance among the Antrim players.
“The players weren’t happy, particularly the Down match, and some players have apologised for their performances,” said McKinley.
“They need to make sure it doesn’t happen again. But inside them all we know there’s a player there. If they bring the player that we know is there we’ll be in with a serious shout of winning the game.
“Irrespective of what people might say, Antrim still have good players.”
From a defensive perspective, Antrim need to make sizeable improvements as Down’s rotating attack caused them all sorts of trouble two weeks ago.
Conor Woods and Danny Toner were uncontainable and for a period in the second half Caolan Taggart tagged on three points from play.
And after attending Meath’s semi-final win over 14-man Kildare in Newbridge the following day, McKinley, Terence McNaughton, Gary O’Kane and Neal Peden will have a new-found respect for this afternoon’s opposing attack.
In Gavin McGowan, Neil Heffernan and James Toher, Meath have the quality finishers to cause maximum damage to the Antrim backs.
Toher is a brilliant free-taker and chips in with his fair share of scores from play, Heffernan is a handy full-forward but arguably the pick of the Royal bunch is McGowan who has bagged 4-6 in the competition already. He will take some minding at Croke today.
But so too will Ciaran Clarke – unquestionably the best player in this year’s Christy Ring – who has accounted for over half of his side’s scoring tally (2-33).
With Belfast man and highly respected hurling coach Mickey McCullough assisting in Meath, there won’t be much Royal boss Martin Ennis won’t know about where Antrim’s greatest threats lie.
“We’re under no illusions that Meath will probably target some of our players to try and stop them playing,” said ‘Woody’.
“But if they do that it gives an opportunity to other players to step up. The Conor Johnstons of this world, the Niall McKennas, the James Connollys, these are all good players.”
Meath, who were playing a grade lower than Antrim in this season’s NHL, suffered losses to Armagh and Mayo but, as Toher insisted earlier this week, Meath are “hard ground hurlers”.
So too are Antrim. If the Antrim defence are switched on from the start and they work on their diagonal deliveries to Clarke and Conor Johnston, they should have enough to win their second Christy Ring title and gain promotion back to next season’s Leinster SHC round robin series.
Despite the odds and the evidence to date, it won't be a breeze for the Ulstermen.
