Tonight Antrim sit on top of Division 3, well ahead of the field and in touching distance of promotion to Division 2 of the National Football League. That felt good to type, so I'll do it again. On top of the pile, ready for Division 2 next year and the summer laid out before us. There has never, in the modern era of Gaelic Games, been a better time to be an Antrim supporter. It feels good.
Tonight Louth came to Belfast with hopes of blowing the promotion race wide open by beating Antrim in Casement. They got their answer in a sublime period of 20 minutes or so with which the Saffrons opened up. That period, described by Antrim boss Liam Bradley as champagne football, was the best I have seen from an Antrim team. Antrim powered into a 5 point to no score lead after 10 minutes, with Michael McCann and Kevin Niblock - the most effective of the St Galls quartet who started the game - in dominant form. Louth hit a goal to put an unrealistic look on the scoreboard. That was followed by 2 saffron goals in the space of two minutes from Paddy Cunningham and Justin Crozier. By the 25th minute we led Louth - our nearest rivals in Division 3 - by ten points. The game was over.
The intensity levels reduced in the second half and there was only ever going to be one winner. In all 6 St Galls men saw action with Terry O'Neill, Anto Healy, Sean Kelly and Niblock starting. Niblock had a very effective game until his injury while the two McCanns, Thomas and Michael, along with James Loughrey raised their game way way above Tullamore levels. Justin Crozier was back in the team tonight and was very steady, while Tony Scullion and Healey especally, made big contributions to the win.
Michael Magill has to return from injury and considering the boys left out tonight (Deaghlan O'Hagan may feel hard done by) we surely have the best squad of players representing the county in the living memory.
Mathematically promotion is not certain yet, but Offaly lost tonight which means that only Wexford and Sligo are capable of equalling our ten point haul, and that assumes we don't add to that with victory in Wexford in a fortnight. On tonight's show, I think that's unlikely. It may well come down to points difference but as the table shows, our points difference is unassailable.
Antrim will be in Division 2 next year. That's two promotions in a row, that's a successful Gaelic football team.
No comments:
Post a Comment