ANTRIM hurling manager Darren Gleeson says he will sit back and think about what is next in the wake of Saturday's defeat to Laois that resulted in his side returning to the Joe McDonagh Cup for 2022.
After a hugely encouraging Division One campaign, the Saffrons heading into the Leinster Championship full of optimism but were well beaten by Dublin a fortnight ago.
Yes, the Dubs went onto defeat Galway and in doing so, put the Antrim's defeat in a little context, but Gleeson's charges were unable to bounce back how they had hoped to against the O'Moore men who came flying out of the blocks and gave them a mountain to climb.
Despite a spirited revival in the third quarter, Antrim just couldn't maintain the momentum as Laois found the answers to send them back to the Championship's second tier.
Much work will need to be done to not only return, but ensure they can hit the ground running the next time and that will require work right across the board according to Gleeson.
"There are positive parts to it (season), but you need to be in Liam MacCarthy and Division One - that was the goal," insisted the Tipperary native.
"There is no such thing as 'let's try to be optimistic about it'. If Antrim are going to make the strides forward, whether that is with the group that I have put together or whether it's with new people to try and take it on, the structures underneath need to improve drastically.
"There is no guarantee of anything. It's difficult to make decisions after that, so we'll just have to reflect and see how we go forward."
Keelan Molloy dejected after the game
It took Antrim six years to return to the Liam MacCarthy Cup, so exiting after just 140 minutes due to the snakes and ladders system that is Championship hurling is particularly galling.
There is no doubt the McDonagh Cup is an excellent competition, but as proven this year, it is not the preparation required to hit the ground running against seasoned teams. That takes time and an adjustment period, something that isn't afforded to teams who hope to push on.
Pre-Covid, the Leinster and Munster Championships had been restructured from knockout to a round robin system that would have given Antrim five games this year, but defeat to Dublin who are in next week's Leinster final and Laois who were All-Ireland quarter-finalists just two years ago means they have to start all over again.
"It is harsh," he agreed.
"Two games... we were blown away the last day and found our feet too late in that game. You need so much practice against the top teams. You think you are going down to play a challenge match against these teams, but you are playing against the second or third string.
"The only way that teams like Antrim, Laois, Offaly, Carlow, Kerry or Westmeath are going to improve is by playing against the top teams consistently.
"How we get that structure, I don't know. It's easy for me to say it's the wrong system, but if we won it (game) would it be the right system? I still don't think it would be.
"Antrim and Laois need to be playing at the highest level all the time. The up and down nature of it is no good to them."
He continued: "The cynics will say that if you're not good enough then you shouldn't be up there. Rome wasn't built in a day, it's a process - maybe two, three or four years - at that level.
"Wexford not too long ago were hanging in to stay in Division One and they got their time to settle and the team to grow. Look where they are at now - one of the top teams in the country."
Gleeson looks on in the final moments of Saturday's game
One bit of consolation for Antrim is that they will play Division One in the League next year and get exposure to some top teams including Kilkenny and Tipperary.
The late start to this season due to the pandemic left little time for preparation, but should next year return to a sense of normality, it will give Antrim fans some mouthwatering fixtures to look forward to.
Just what structure the McDonagh Cup takes is yet to be decided with this year's competition seeing the six-team group split into two, meaning teams were guaranteed just two games.
As Antrim's players and management exited Parnell Park on Saturday, it was difficult to think about what next year will bring and the challenge to force their way back into Leinster.
Either way, those who pulled on the jersey and gave the county something to be proud of with some big results and performances will know just what is required if they do manage to get back into the MacCarthy Cup picture.
It was a big ask for Antrim to start beating seasoned teams at this level as the speed, intensity and physicality required to succeed at this level can only be developed and not taught, so the goal will be to bounce back and not lose the positive momentum built over the past couple of seasons.
"Hopefully next year it will be the normal structure of February, March and a bit of April (for the League) then you go back down into an absolute dogfight (in the McDonagh Cup)," Gleeson added.
"You saw how the Joe McDonagh was structured this year...if you lost a game you were nearly out.
"Last year it was five games but this year teams were only getting two games. I don't have the answers, it's just raw at the minute.
"We aren't searching for solace, we're searching to be a top team and to be competitive. That didn't happen today so I don't think there is any solace in that.
"It (challenging at the top) doesn't happen overnight. It's a process and it's going to have to be looked at now because we're not where we want to be coming out today.
