Cork come to Belfast next weekend, but the victorious Saffrons will savour their victory first
THE scenes at full time in Croke Park could not have been more contrasting than 2020 as Antrim regained the Joe McDonagh Cup in yesterday's breathless final at Croke Park.
Despite never trailing and being ahead for virtually the entire game bar a few early seconds, this final was something of a rollercoaster with Antrim storming into a 12-point lead and looking as though they were ready to do a number on Kerry, the Kingdom roared back superbly with Antrim fans nervously counting down the seconds.
However, the Saffrons held their nerve with some huge scores towards the end with the final whistle seeing an outpouring of relief rather than exuberance along the sideline while the big Antrim support in the stands - there was none two years ago - got to savour the moment as they watched an Antrim man lift a cup in the Hogan Stand.
Yes, there will be concern at how Kerry were able to get back into a game Antrim appeared in total command of 25 minutes in, but then finals are for winning and they did just that, showing the mettle and belief to hang on when in the past these situations ended in tears.
"I'm a bit numb to it now because we were so far ahead," said Antrim manager Darren Gleeson in the bowels of the Cusack Stand after.
"You're just going through your mind 'how did we end up like that?' and turning around at the end instead of joyous, you're going 'how did that happen?' Lackadaisical from us at times and some brilliance from Kerry.
"Kerry were relentless and desire is an amazing thing. They had it but then 'Sammy' (Eoin O'Neill) got an amazing point, Niall McKenna chipped in with a point and Domhnall (Nugent) was very unlucky for the disallowed goal that would have made us comfortable, but we got there in the end."
We are the Championsssss 🏆#JoeMcDonaghCup #UppaSaffs pic.twitter.com/2NhpDb3FH7
— Antrim GAA (@AontroimGAA) June 4, 2022
There are many small moments in games that can see momentum swing or moments where the opportunity to regain the upper hand come and go.
There were occasions in the second period where Antrim perhaps got a little too adventurous in attack when the opportunity to knock over points and keep the board ticking would have given Kerry a little less encouragement.
Still, the forwards were in the mood, rattling the net five times and this is not a jaw-dropping stat from this Antrim team that possesses a serious attacking unit that found the net 25 times throughout their six games in the competition.
"We want to play front-foot hurling," Gleeson stressed.
"That's what we've been building for a few years and when you have the pace we have around that section of the field and the stickmen we have, they create goals throughout their natural ability.
"It's a feature where we were comfortable to play four at the back and squeeze up the field. It worked for us for a long time but took a lot out of our legs. I'd say the key focus is to score as much as you can - goals or points - but we got goal-greedy at a stage in the second half when we should have been tapping over points and left three or four chances behind that would have put us 12 or 13 (ahead) so that's something to look at for next week."
Blathnaid, Michael, Irlagh and Aaron Bradley
The victory did not just secure silverware, but a place in next year's Leinster Senior Hurling Championship that hopefully (format tweaking and pandemics permitting) see them get five good games in the round-robin format on top of their Division One League campaign.
It has taken Antrim a long time to get back to this point and the realities of 2021 were a little unkind as the All-Ireland Championship reverted to a knockout format, meaning a game against Dublin that ended in defeat and then straight into a relegation playoff against Laois.
That was 140 minutes of Senior Championship hurling before the snakes and ladders system that is the hurling championships forced Antrim to start again this season, but Gleeson believes the group format will not only suit his team, but help develop them further.
"When we won the Joe McDonagh two years ago, we got thrown in at the deep end because of the Covid rules," he reflected.
"We need four or five matches in Division One hurling and then four or five matches in Leinster hurling to develop ourselves. We lost that opportunity and went into a no-win situation against a hopped Dublin team who were in knockout hurling straight away.
"The comfort of a league would help a team like Antrim and you see how Westmeath developed this year where they were competitive and then got decimated with injuries.
"We have to build depth by playing those five Division One and five Leinster Championship matches."
Darren Gleeson believes next year's ru at Leinster and Division One will be invaluable for Antrim hurling 
In fact, they won't have to wait too long at all to join the race for Liam MacCarthy as Cork are the visitors to Corrigan Park next weekend (day and time TBC) in an All-Ireland Qualifier.
These are the games Antrim want to be in and just days after such a huge victory at Croke Park, the momentum for players and fans will carry over with a spring in the step.
There will be some tired and sore bodies from the win over Kerry, but Gleeson insists they should savour their success and then turn their attention to ambushing the Rebels.
"I think the ultimate test was out there and next week we'll just get the bodies back right," he said of the challenge they faced against Kerry.
"There were lads hanging together coming in so we'll enjoy tonight and might enjoy a bit of tomorrow as well I'd say, but we'll regroup on Monday night and go at it.
"It's important to celebrate victories like that because it's not too often we get them and the last time we couldn't really cut loose and celebrate, but they will tonight."
