BACK under the lights with the roar of the crowd ringing in the ears is exactly where players want to be when it comes to the National League and Antrim’s Eoghan McCabe said it was extra-special on Saturday night as Antrim defeated Fermanagh at Brewster Park.
After a year playing in front of paltry crowds at best due to the pandemic, there was a sense the GAA world was back to normal as the Saffrons triumphed in Enniskillen to mark their return to Division Three in the best manner.
Two points are already in the bag, but this Antrim squad is an ambitious group and this campaign is certainly not about survival in the third tier, put pushing on again and mounting a promotion charge.
“It’s brilliant - a massive experience,” said the St Gall’s defender who played a starring role in Saturday’s win.
“Last year we played the Division Four games and they were all close battles, but there was no crowd there and that takes away from it a bit.
“Getting back into it now, (we need) big performances because we want to move onto bigger things, so every game is going to be massive for us to reach those standards.”
McCabe was involved in an intriguing duel with Fermanagh’s sharpshooter, Sean Quigley and as the game wore on, he dominated this battle at the edge of the square
Quigley was limited to scores from placed balls, although one did come from a mark he did brilliantly to win, but as the hosts chased big scores, the Antrim defence held form and emerged with possession time and again.
Many felt this game would go to the wire and that appeared it would be the case until Kevin Small’s goal in the 58th minute proved decisive as Antrim romped home in the closing stages.
“It was always going to be a tough one for us coming up here,” McCabe suggested.
“Fermanagh played in Division Two and Division Three over the past couple of years, whereas we have been stuck at the bottom. We knew coming here it was going to be a big challenge, but we were confident with the work we had done.
“Some of the football we have been playing, we’re feeling good about it, so we came confident to get a win, but knew it would be a battle.
“A tough encounter, plenty of scrappiness there, but once we got ahead,we started to kick into gear.”
“Fermanagh played in Division Two and Division Three over the past couple of years, whereas we have been stuck at the bottom. We knew coming here it was going to be a big challenge, but we were confident with the work we had done
McCabe was first invited onto the semi panel back in 2019, but admits he didn’t feel he was up to the rigours of the inter-county game and opted to step back until the tie was right.
The invite came again last year and this time he felt he was in a better place to make a contribution and once he got the chance to play, didn’t look back.
One bad performance can mean going the back of the queue with other players vying for a starting berth and that conception has helped lift the standards across the board.
“Once I got the call to come onto the panel last year, I grabbed it with both hands,” the 22-year-old confirmed.
“Last year I was on the bench for a while and then broke onto the team, so you just want to do what you can to stay in the team.
“Me and James McAuley would be good mates, but we are pushing for each other’s place. Last week he said to me ‘this is the first game we’re starting together’ so it’s been good competition.
Eoghan McCabe shadows Sean Quigley
“Paddy McCormick can come in there and there are a load of boys who can play in the same position, so it’s really helpful for the squad and everyone knows it’s nothing personal of you are taking their place.
“The pressure is on you to perform and that’s a good thing as you have to go out and deliver.”
In the past, St Gall’s had a large representation on the county panel, but times have changes with the balance of power in the county having switched to the South West.
While Sean Kelly forms part of the management team, McCabe is the only playing member from the Milltown Row club but is hopeful that can change as the more players who are operating at that level will undoubtedly feed back into the club.
“I’ve got to play with the likes of ‘Kell’ (Sean Kelly), Terry O’Neill and boys who are coming close to the end of their career, so it’s up to the new waver to push on,” he accepts.
“If we can get as many boys on the county panel, playing at higher level and bringing that back to the club, it lifts the club again and that’s a big motivating factor for us.”
