All-Ireland SHC Preliminary round: Antrim v Laois
(Saturday, 2.30pm, Parnell Park, Live on GAAGO)
ANTRIM’S hurlers travel to Parnell Park, Dublin on Saturday for a make-or-break clash with Laois in a bid to prolong their Championship campaign and avoid relegation to the Joe McDonagh Cup.
Put simply, the stakes couldn’t be any higher for both counties. It was only last December, during the GAA’s winter Championship, when Antrim booked their return to the Liam MacCarthy Cup with their nail-biting victory over Kerry in the Joe McDonagh final in Croke Park.
To drop back to the second tier again so quickly would represent a body blow to Darren Gleeson’s side.
The Saffrons also gained promotion to Division One following a memorable 2020 season and they more than held their own in Division One, Group B this term.
A two-point win over Clare in round win in Corrigan Park signalled Antrim were ready to mix it with hurling’s elite, although back-to-back defeats on the road to Kilkenny and Dublin checked their momentum.
Yet, Antrim regained themselves with Keelan Molloy’s superb point sealing a draw against Wexford in Belfast before the Saffrons ended their League campaign with a 2-23 to 1-22 win over Laois.
Antrim's Gerard Walsh and Ross King of Laois battle for possession during last month's League clash between the sides at Corrigan Park 
Antrim arrived at Navan to take on Dublin last month seemingly ready and willing to take the next step in their development and claim an overdue Championship win in the MacCarthy Cup.
However, Antrim were halted in the tracks as Dublin underlined their own Championship credentials with an awesome display of power and pace.
Sometimes winning margins can flatter the winning team, but Antrim were perhaps flattered by their eight-point League defeat in Parnell Park back in May when Ryan Elliott made a series of brilliant saves throughout.
There was nothing flattering about Dublin’s 3-31 to 0-22 win at Páirc Tailteann, however and Gleeson’s post-match comments reflected a sombre afternoon for Antrim.
“We’ve been saying it all along and it’s not trying to play things down, that’s a serious high level when you’re going into Liam MacCarthy,” stated Gleeson.
“Joe McDonagh last year was a nice level, it suited us maybe, the pace of play. The League was another step up, we handled it at times, but that’s the level you need to get to and we never got there today.
“Our ball handling wasn’t at the level it needed to be. It was way off, our speed of thought, planting the feet to strike. . . you get away with that at a certain level, you don’t get away with that at Liam MacCarthy.
“The boys have to experience that. When was the last time an Antrim team experienced that level of intensity in a Championship setting?
“The learnings were there. It wasn’t for the want of planning for it, just execution didn’t happen today.”
On the same afternoon as Dublin routed Antrim, Laois also suffered a wide-margin defeat when Wexford claimed a 5-31 to 1-23 win over the O’Moore County in Nowlan Park.
Perhaps last weekend’s Championship results will offer a fresh perspective for both Antrim and Laois as their Championship conquerors played their part in a remarkable double-header at Headquarters.
Dublin caused the shock of the Championship so far when they defeated Galway 1-18 to 1-14 before Wexford and Kilkenny played out a bona fide classic which went to extra-time.
Brian Cody’s men emerged 2-37 to 2-29 winners over Davy Fitzgerald’s side and Wexford will look to plot their path back to Croke Park via the Qualifiers in the coming weeks.
Of course, Antrim or Laois will continue in the Qualifier series with Saturday’s winner set to face Waterford, Clare or Cork in round one next weekend.
When the sides met in the final round of the League last month, Antrim were always assured of their place in the top tier for next season with Seamus Plunkett’s side set to face Westmeath in the Division One relegation play-off.
Laois were trailing by nine points at one stage in Corrigan Park, but fought back gamely and the Saffrons needed late goals from Eoghan Campbell and Niall McCormack to claim a four-point win as PJ Scully had bagged a major for the Leinster outfit in the closing stages.
Gleeson had rested a few of his key players following a taxing run of high intensity games and Antrim had enough in reserve to record a first win over Laois since 2015.
The bookies have installed Antrim as 4/9 favourites for Saturday’s game with Laois rated as 2/1 shots, but there is likely to be little more than a few points between the sides.
Antrim will be without the services of Ryan McGarry after he was sent off late in the Dublin game for a wild swipe with the hurl while Saffron skipper Conor McCann could be in line to start having replaced Seann Elliott in the first half of the Dublin defeat.
Laois are already guaranteed another outing in 2021 when they face Westmeath in the Division One relegation play-off and Antrim should have enough strength-in-depth to prolong their season with a narrow win to progress to the next stage of the Qualifiers and avoid a swift return to the Joe McDonagh Cup.
