LGFA All-Ireland Intermediate Championship Group 4
Antrim v Longford (Sunday, 2pm, Toome)
 
THE knockout stages of the LGFA All-Ireland Intermediate Championship beckon for Antrim who know they will find themselves in a quarter-final should they avoid a heavy defeat against Longford in Toome on Sunday.

Emma Kelly’s side scored a statement win in their opener against Westmeath a fortnight back and with the Lake County bouncing back to score a 17-point victory over Longford at the weekend, Sunday’s visitors must not just beat the Saffrons, but do it by double digits to get themselves into the top two of Group 4 on scoring difference.

That is a scenario that Antrim will be determined to avoid having been on such a fine run that has also seen them crowned Division 4 and Ulster Intermediate champions this year.

In fact, defeat of any kind is not what the Antrim boss is keen to consider as there is the opportunity to top the group and head into the knockout stages with a spring in the step.

“We’re just planning to go out and get a win under our belt,” said Kelly.

“Myself and Kayla (Trainor, assistant) will have the calculations done later on, but that’s not something we’ll mention to the girls. Some might have it done in their head, but they’d know better than to say it to me as it’s a game to win.

“I watched Longford and Westmeath and to be fair to Longford, they were in it for long stages but just their final pass didn’t help them.

“It’s going to be a tough enough game as they have to win and win well to quality, so the pressure is on them. We still want to go and win and top the group to keep he confidence going. That’s how we will look at it.”

Making the step-up from Junior to Intermediate was something of an unknown, but Antrim’s provincial success and opening win over a Westmeath team that was at Senior level last year has proven the air is not too thin.

With so many teams around the same level at both grades, it was always going to be a battle to get promoted and then stay there, but Antrim can be more than happy with how things have worked out over the past 12 months.

“The belief is in the girls not that they are able to compete,” the Antrim boss continued.

“It just shows too that getting out of Junior is really tough to do, but then it’s about trying to stay up as all the teams are pretty even.

“Down and Sligo are now at Junior and it will be tough for them to get back up, but if they were playing Intermediate this year they would still be close. It’s really just about getting out of Junior and into Intermediate.”

The step-up has not proved an issue for Antrim who will have lofty ambitions for the rest of the campaign given how well they have been performing and that ru is all the more impressive given an eye-watering injury list.

On that front, there is a little bit of better news in that Theresa Mellon is back in full training, although this Sunday may come just a game too soon for the St Brigid’s clubwoman, while Aine Devlin is also close to a return and Niamh McIntosh is continuing to be monitored after picking up a nasty ankle injury.

Antrim manager Emma Kelly
2Gallery

Antrim manager Emma Kelly

A look at the form guide in the competition would lead most to conclude that Antrim have shown enough to see them approach this week as favourites, but that doesn’t guarantee anything against an opposition battling for their Championship survival.

It will require another big performance from Antrim who have been further boosted by Orlaith Prenter picking up May’s Croke Park/LGFA Player of the Month award for her scoring exploits, but it will need all hands on deck to maintain their impressive run.

“Westmeath had a couple of girls missing but if you look at our injury list, you would go ‘really?’ and a lot of people will look at that and write us off because of the calibre of player we are missing,” Kelly reflected.

“The quality of the girls coming into replace is just as good and they have stepped up.

“The confidence and belief is there - they’re just going at it, flying fit and know each other’s game now.

“We’ve more of a settled squad so when somebody players, the rest know their strengths, weaknesses and they all help each other out. In the past, you didn’t know who was tuning up or doing what, so now it’s just trying to keep the squad injury free which is easier said than done.”