THIS weekend sees Antrim's senior hurlers return to Division 1B action after a two-week hiatus following their heavy defeat to Dublin at Corrigan Park.
Saturday's fixture with fellow Ulster side and Division 1B strugglers, Down, will be a huge battle given the potential ramifications for relegation should Antrim lose to the Pairc Estler side.
Antrim head into the game in fifth spot, just ahead of both Carlow and Down but only just keeping their heads afloat due to the head-to-head advantage over Carlow and the score difference with Down.
The tie is a must-win for either side, given it would likely send the other down as the hosts would hold the head-to-head advantage over the Saffrons and Carlow would hold the same advantage over Down to relegate Antrim.
Speaking to Belfast Media after the Dublin game, Antrim star Gerard Walsh believes that despite the defeat the Saffrons will be eager to put things right against Down.
"We did some great things today, but a lot of silly mistakes cost us in key moments, but now the game is over we have time until the next one to really reflect and put the work in with the management team in training.
"Dublin were always going to be a tough side to overcome, we competed for large parts but the real test is on the next one with Down now. We have to respect them and make sure we give it our all as we know as a group what can happen if the result does not go in our favour, and relegation is out of the question for us," reflected the Rossa star.
Walsh touched on the victory over Carlow and believes Antrim need to start fast as the home crowd will no doubt be giving Down an extra edge on Saturday evening.
"It's an away game which always has an extra edge when you're the home side. You're sort of the pantomime villain and especially when both teams need to win we really need to up our game and prove why we deserve to compete at this level.
"We've had quite a few of these games now where we need to win to keep ourselves out of the relegation scrap and Saturday will be no different, we just need to get rid of the nerves early on and play our own game."
WHERE IS THE MATCH AND HOW CAN I GET TICKETS?
The game will be played at 5:00PM (17:00) on Saturday evening in Newry at the home of Down GAA's Pairc Estler.
This game is a TICKET ONLY game which can still be purchased on the Ticketmaster website right up to 30 minutes before throw-in on Saturday.
Prices start at £18 for concessions with U16's also required to have a ticket upon arrival which is priced at £5.
IS THERE A STREAM FOR THE GAME?
Alternatively, those with access to the BBC IPlayer can avail of a livestream on Saturday evening with GAA+ also offering a livestream service for those across the border keen to keep their eye on the Division 1B battle.
