DESPITE watching his side fight back from the brink to snatch a draw on Saturday, Antrim manager Darren Gleeson says their display was well below standard and warned they must improve if they want to reach the Joe McDonagh Cup final.
The Saffrons did appear to be a little off at the weekend and failed to reach the heights of previous weeks, but this was perhaps down to the pressure exerted by Carlow whose work-rate and intensity forced errors.
Still, Antrim were guilty of taking the wrong option on too many occasions as they shot from unfavourable positions in the second half particularly that saw the wides tally hit 15.
Maybe the exertions of the prior games against Kerry and Westmeath caught up a little as they did appear a little mentally fatigued but regardless, the Portroe man says the standards set were not matched on the day and he challenged his players to get back up to speed before they host Kerry in what could prove to be a do-or-die clash on Saturday week.
“There is a bit of a reality check there too,” said Gleeson, despite being happy with a point.“Everything was going along, but we’got a bit of a mental reset there.
"What I’m happy with is that they stayed there to the end. They are a gutsy group but hit wides that were unforgivable. We were shooting from outside areas we don't normally shoot from; panicking on the back foot, but fair play to Carlow as they are the people who did that to us and put us in the position to do that.
“They set-up brilliantly, especially in the second half. I thought we hurled well in the first half and to be fair, we missed a few chances, but still went about what we were trying to do.“In the second half for 20-25 minutes, that's not what we're looking to put out on the field but showed a bit of guts in the end and the lads stayed at it.”
Meetings between Carlow and Antrim have been consistently close-run and hard-fought affairs in the recent past so there was nothing surprising at how Saturday's game progressed.
The Barrowsiders have been playing Division One hurling for the past two years and having won the inaugural McDonagh Cup in 2018, got a shot at the Leinster Championship last year so have been operating at a higher level.
This told on Saturday and Gleeson reiterated that his team were going up against a group of players who were always going to test them to the limit.
“We were delaying the ball and not putting it into the areas where we are meant to,” he added.“It wasn’t pretty but when we did get it inside, we were dangerous.
“Look, that’s a serious Carlow team and I said this last weekend: coming down here to try and get anything..."
”They won the Joe McDonagh two years ago, played in the Leinster Championship, a Division One team - they have that hardness and were going in here with everything to lose because they’re one of the favourites for the competition and we are in the middle pack.”
Carlow were hugely disappointed they didn't manage to see the game out having led by four in stoppage time, but perhaps retreated too deep and invited the late pressure that saw Antrim grab 1-1.
At the final whistle, Colm Bonnar and his players appeared to be furious with referee Cathal McAllister as they believed he played longer than was needed and were not awarded a couple of frees when Antrim were scrapping to gain possession.
“Four points up and with time up on the clock, Antrim engineered a couple of goals,” reflected Bonnar.
“I know our lads were going crazy over it as we felt there were a couple of 50-50 balls at the end that if we got a free, it would have taken the pressure off and put more on Antrim.
“You have to give Antrim credit as they kept going when they were forcing the game, but very disappointed at the end although it would have been worse had we been two points up and they got a goal to win.
“But yeah, we’re hugely impressed with Antrim having watched their display against Kerry and their display against Westmeath.
“I was just hoping we could compete, coming in cold in our first game, so that will be a huge benefit to us in terms of trying to get to the intensity.”
Saturday's result alongside Kerry’s victory in Westmeath means The Kingdom sit on top of the group with Antrim one point behind.
Carlow will have their second game this weekend when they travel to Meath and the Barrowsiders will be fully expected to claim the points and move level with Antrim on three points as the round robin stage hits the half-way point.
Bonnar agrees that there is a long way to go to decide who will qualify for the final, but paid tribute two how his side performed on Saturday in what was their first game since March when being defeated by Westmeath in a League relegation playoff.
“It's all to play for,” he insists.
"I hear Kerry beat Westmeath and we have to go down to Kerry and Westmeath, so they are big games.
“I don't know what Antrim have left, but the fact they have three points out of four leaves them in the driving seat and we can't afford a slip-up.
“But I have to say, you have to commend the Carlow lads. The display in the second half, they really went at it and forced Antrim at the end to lob ball. Normally, that doesn't work out but it worked out for them today.
“I just hope we get enough points on the board and this won't count in the long run.”
For Antrim, it is a well-earned weekend off as three bruising encounters in as many weeks did appear to leave them a little jaded.
They will regroup and get ready for the Kerry clash that could see them book a place in the final should they win and results go their way elsewhere.
Gleeson notes that Kerry will be a much different prospect that the League final given that players from county champions Kilmoyley have returned to the panel having been absent three weeks ago, so complacency should not come into it for his team.
“Three weeks in a row but in fairness to Brendan Murphy who looks after the S&C and Mark Quinn the physio, they have done a fantastic job that our boys are able to see it out after three heavy games in-a-row ageing Kerry, Westmeath and Carlow,” he said.
“We’ve Kerry coming again in two weeks' time after a big win against Westmeath so they won't be simple.
“They have three Kilmoyley lads coming back in so it will be interesting to see how they went so that's a big challenge coming down the line.”
With the Joe McDonagh Cup final taking place as the curtain-raiser to the MacCarthy Cup final, the opportunity to appear on All-Ireland final day is one that players from all teams are desperate to secure.
Antrim are no different and the good news his that a number of players who have been missing in recent weeks due to injury will likely filter back for the two remaining games.
There was no lack of fight or hunger on Saturday against Carlow, just the performance was a little off so Gleeson is hopeful the return of some players will bolster his squad ahead of the crunch game against Kerry.
“We want to be there (final) and have two chances to get that ticket,” said Gleeson.
“We have Kerry at home, which is massive, and then a tough one down in Meath. There’s never anything handy given down there, so this is a reset for our boys. We dug it out and there is spirit in this group.
“It’s a pity the people don't have the opportunity to follow them at the minute because there is serious spirit in that group with a lot of leaders.
“We’ll get stronger again. We’ll have Eoin O'Neill, Michael Bradley, the two Johnstons and Neil McManus to come back in there. If we get everyone available for selection there, hopefully we'll make something happen the next day.”
