THE chance to make up for a disappointing display in Armagh is on offer for Antrim's footballers on Sunday as they host Cavan in their second Dr McKenna Cup Group C game in Portglenone (1.30pm).

It was not the start to the year that new bus Andy McEntee would have hoped for, but on Wednesday it wasn't just along the sideline there were new faces as on the field, there were a host of debutants and returning players.

Cathal Hynds, Pádraig Mervyn, Joseph Finnegan, Oisin Lenehan, Conall McGirr, Calum Higgins and Sean O'Neill all saw action in senior inter-county colours for the first time, while Dominic McEnhill, Patrick Finnegan and Jack Dowling returned to the county scene.

As well as some of the fringe players from last year's squad and some of the more established names, it's clear that the new-look Saffrons may take a little while to gel so Wednesday's first proper run-out was always going to be tough against top-class opposition.

McEntee got the first chance to see his team in full inter-county action and there are a couple more to come in for Sunday's game against a Cavan side they will meet again in the League.

"You can see fellas in club action and in training, but until you see them in games like this, you aren't getting a true reflection of them," said McEntee.

"There are a couple of guys who may come in (against Cavan) - not too many more as that's basically what we have. There are a few guys nursing injuries but that's it - another soft one on Sunday!

"The great thing about sport is that there's always next Sunday until you come to the end of the season.

"But there is Sunday to come and I think there will be some guys who would like to show that they have a lot more than what they showed tonight."

Even a huge win for Antrim on Sunday will unlikely be enough to see them advance into the last four of the competition, but righting the wrongs of midweek is the priority with the National League set to begin at the end of the month.

Gaining a little momentum and a confidence booster ahead of the Offaly clash is vital and McEntee insists that will only come should they get the performance right this weekend - unlike Wednesday's game at the Athletic Grounds.

"We have no excuses - they (Armagh) were at it from the word go," he reflected.

"They had energy, obviously wanted it and it was important to them. I wasn't expecting anything different as they have pretty lofty ambitions, so if you don't show up with your game face on against opposition like this, you're going to get a toasting."