ANTRIM’S ladies have it all to do at Musgrave Park on Sunday (1pm) if they are to advance into the quarter-finals of the LGFA All-Ireland Intermediate Championship.
Last weekend, the Saffrons had a difficult afternoon in Roscommon as they fell to a 5-11 to 0-4 defeat in their opening Group Three game, a result that sees the Rossies into the last eight.
Missing out on the playoffs also comes with an added forfeit if dropping into the relegation playoffs, but to ensure they avoid that, they must win by 13 points on Sunday as scoring difference would come into play with all three teams in the group level.
It’s a tall order for Antrim who have had a difficult season, missing many of last year’s team so have had to thrust many newcomers into the squad.
Those players have had to learn on their feet and unsurprisingly, some of those lessons have been harsh including that championship opener at the weekend.
Roscommon were also looking to bounce back from their opening game loss at Wexford and that they did, leading 1-7 to 0-1 at the break with Lauren Shanagher netting the goal as an Aoife Taggart point was Antrim’s sole score of that first period.
Aisling Hanly scored a brace of goals while Niamh Feeney and Aoife Gavin also raised the green flag in the second half for the home side, while Antrim had to settle for points from Caitlin Taggart, Emma Ferran and Taggart on a day in which injuries were sustained by Lara Dahunsi and Ana Mulholland.
Manager, Emma Kelly will be hoping the pair recover ahead of Sunday as Antrim are in need of not just a win, but an emphatic one.
