Leinster Senior Hurling Championship, Round Five
Offaly v Antrim (Tullamore, Sunday, 2pm, live on GAA+)
 
NOTHING short of victory will do for Antrim in Tullamore on Sunday as they and Offaly battle it out for survival in the Leinster Senior Hurling Championship.

It’s the third-straight year the Saffrons head into the final game needing a result to beat the drop back to the Joe McDonagh Cup, so this is far from unfamiliar territory.

Two years ago, they produced the goods against Westmeath in Mullingar and same again against Carlow at Corrigan Park in 2024, but this time around, they go into the do-or-die battle with nothing on the board.

Same story for Offaly who came so close to a victory on Wexford last weekend, which could have left Antrim not just needing a win, but looking for Wexford to take something against Kilkenny on Sunday as their inferior scoring difference could well have put them in a real bind this week.

As it was, a late Lee Chin goal saw Wexford snatch a win which ended their relegation worries, but owing to other results, they will be unable to advance past the provincial stage. Therefore, it leaves Offaly and Antrim to fight it out this weekend.

For the Saffrons, they will hope to have some of their injuries clear although out of Keelan Molloy, Conor Johnston, Seaan Elliott and Niall McKenna, just Molloy is named on the 26 and on the bench, while James McNaughton suspended for last week's game against Galway, is also named on the bench. Yet, it would be a shock if he weren't a late change to the starting team.

“We have to rise to the challenge,” said Antrim manager Davy Fitzgerald.

“Will we be the underdogs? Yeah, I think Offaly have improved immensely, I think they’re definitely a better team. We can play. We just haven’t done it as much as we should have in this championship.

“Please God, we might get one or two of the injuries back. That would be a big plus for us.”

Fitzgerald was speaking after watching his side taken apart by Galway in Salthill at the weekend.

For 30 minutes, Antrim were right in that game, trailing by three having passed up a host of scoring opportunities which can suck the life out of a team, but late blitz from the hosts gave them a healthy lead at the break and then a red card for Declan McCloskey just before the half made their task even more difficult. The second period saw Galway romp clear as Antrim again fell away, which has been an issue this season.

That is a huge area of concern as Fitzgerald agreed, “we have to get over that” when moments go against his team.

Certainly, this week they must roll with the punches because it is highly unlikely they will get everything their own way against an Offaly team which has made significant strides over the past two years.

A talented crop of young players brought the All-Ireland U20 title back to the midlands last year and earlier this season, they won promotion from Division 1B in the league.
Along the way, they claimed a 15-point win over Antrim in Tullamore, so the size of the task this weekend is clear.

Although Adam Screeney has been missing, plenty of others have led the charge this season with Dan Ravenhill, Killian Sampson, Brian Duignan and Charlie Mitchell all producing the goods and in that League game, they were able to cut Antrim open time and again.

Shoring up the defence is therefore crucial for Antrim this week, while also finding a way to build a winning tally as they have yet to break the 20-point barrier in any of their championship games to date.

Offaly may also be without anything to show from their opening games, but they have been more competitive in their games against Dublin and Wexford where they lost by three, while Antrim were 15 and 11 points off the same teams.

That shows Offaly’s form guide is a bit better, but come  pm, none of it will matter as it will come down to which of the teams can stand up and handle the pressure of the situation.

Already, Antrim have saved their skin in the League with a massive display against Laois, saving them from the drop and that level of performance will be needed again this week.
Relegation back to the Joe McDonagh grade would represent a major blow, so the objective is to put all that’s gone before to one side and attack this game on its own merits.

“We looked at this game as one that we have to step up to,” Fitzgerald said.

“They beat us by 15 points in the league. I think Offaly are definitely a better team than they were last year, the year before, I think they’ll work them way harder. They’ve come along, but we’ll have a good chat now, and I’ll be hoping that we’ll be a lot different team next Sunday.

“I know these Antrim boys are just better. We’ve seen flickers of it at times, it’s not good enough, and that’s my responsibility, and I’m just not happy with that.

“Let’s see where we go after this. It’s going to be a tough one, but I think Offaly are a really decent team. Let’s see where we go and what the story is.”

OFFALY: Mark Troy; Ben Conneely, Ciaran Burke, James Mahon; Ross Ravenhill, Donal Shirley, Jason Sampson; Cathal King, Colin Spain; Killian Sampson, Daniel Bourke, Oisin Kelly; Dan Ravenhill, Charlie Mitchell, Brian Duignan.

Subs: Liam Hoare, Sam Bourke, Eoghan Cahill, Brecon Kavanagh, Jack Clancy, Eoin Burke, Padraig Cantwell, David King, DJ McLoughlin, Ben Miller, David Nally.

ANTRIM: Ryan Elliott; Stephen Rooney, Paddy Burke, Niall O'Connor; Conall Bohill, Joe Maskey, Conor Boyd; Gerard Walsh, Eoghan Campbell; Ryan McCambridge, Nigel Elliott, Scott Walsh; Joseph McLaughlin, Eoin O'Neill, Cormac McKeown.

Subs: Ruairi McCormick, Eoin McFerran, Ryan McGarry, Rory McCloskey, Sean McKay, Paul Boyle, James McNaughton, Aodhan McGarry, Keelan Molloy, Fred McCurry, Jack McCloskey.