Antrim aim to up the ante and shed tag of gallant losers from the Glens

IT has been the same old story for Antrim hurlers in their annual sojourn to Croker over the past few summers.

Frightening the bigger powers for 50 or 55 minutes before ultimately fading in the final ten minutes, has been the pattern.

Brave and gallant are the most commonly-used adjectives in the reports of All-Ireland quarter-finals involving Antrim.

Captain Colm McGuickan is tired of the tag. Last year, against Wexford, a more clinical streak might have seen the Saffron hurlers’ first victory in Croke Park for 14 years.

Last weekend, Waterford came up to the Glens for a team-building few days and a challenge game. Dinny Cahill’s men almost caused a sensational upset of the Munster champions, eventually losing by a couple of points.

McGuickan believes the match will serve Antrim well.

“It was a good work-out, good preparation,” says the skipper who scored three points in the high-scoring encounter.

“It gave us a guide as to what to expect from Cork this week. A guide as to what pace the game will be played at. In the past, I think that has been a problem. The sheer pace of the game differs so much from the Ulster championship but that challenge game was played at championship intensity.

“We have faded in the last ten minutes in the last two seasons. Against Tipp, we were right in it with 10 minutes to go and we let them pull away.

“Wexford last year was even more disappointing. They were looking for goals with some frees in the second half, that shows how worried they were. If we can find that form again, we will be happy.”

McGuickian insists his team are travelling to Dublin looking for victory and a place in the All-Ireland semi-finals.

“One of the criticisms levelled at us last year was that we had the same 15 as played against Tipperary. This year, a few young fellas like Michael Herron have come into the team. That has been off-set by losing the likes of Conor Cunning in midfield to injury, but we have got a fine blend of experience and youth.

“The whole thing has freshened up. And there is a good spread of clubs within the team, that shows how strong hurling is getting in the county. I think we are fitter this year, too. We played first division hurling all year, and while some of the results mightn’t have gone our way, it certainly helped our fitness levels.”

The eternal problem for Antrim hurlers remains isolation. Like Galway, they have to wait in the shadows. And while Down hurling showed itself to be re-vitalised this year, almost emerging from Ulster in the drawn final, McGuickian definitely feels Leinster and Munster teams enter this stage of the championship with an advantage.

“Galway have the same argument. Down are coming up and they almost beat us in the Ulster final. You are definitely in better shape coming out of Munster or Leinster, simply because you are playing better quality teams.

“We are going down to Croke Park to win. Hopefully, we will be able to perform for the entire 70 minutes and not fade as we have done in the past couple of years.”