Antrim boss slams throw-in time

IT takes only a couple of minutes of conversation with joint Antrim senior hurling manager Dominic McKinley for the frustration to break through. The cause? The timing of tomorrow evening’s Ulster SHC semi-final against Derry.

Fumes McKinley: “Would you be happy playing at eight o’clock on a Sunday evening? I don’t know what the reasoning is behind this. They’re playing four hurling matches on the one day (two senior semi-finals, two minor semi-finals); can you imagine sitting through that?

“Where’s the incentive for Ulster hurling? There was a very good launch for the hurling championship this year, and some of the games we’re had already in Ulster have produced their share of shocks. Monaghan beating Donegal was a surprise, then London beating Armagh – that’s been exciting for those teams, but it’s something that should have happened years ago, those games. But, two steps forward, now we’ve taken three steps back.

“It’s total disrespect for the game here. I wanted to see the other semi-final, Down and London, but that’s on at 1.30 – that means I’d have to travel to Belfast, watch that, travel back to north Antrim, go down again for our game in the evening.

“There are genuine hurling people in Ulster just as there are in Munster, Leinster and Connacht, with the same passion for the game — they would like to have seen both of those semi-finals but where’s the incentive for them now? Travel twice to Belfast from Tyrone or Monaghan or Armagh? Whoever goes to the first two matches won’t wait for the second two.

“And it’s not fair on Derry either. They’re (Ulster Council) painting over it, saying it’s so that the Derry supporters at the football (against Donegal in Ballybofey at 4pm) can get up for the match, but I was manager in Derry for two years, and this has nothing at all to do with that. Any hurling supporter in Derry will be at this match, regardless of what else was happening, and Brian McGilligan (Derry manager) would tell you the same thing.”

Given that Antrim are red-hot favourites for this game, which could lead to complacency, the timing of the throw-in doesn’t help in trying to keep the players focused on the job in hand. “Ultimately we’re working for the players, for the hurling people of Antrim. We will be favourites but we have to ignore all that; what’s important is that we focus on the game, that we take the field with a bit of snap in our tackling, go out and do a professional job. One thing, you’ve got to respect people, in championship especially, because if you don’t you can end up with mud on your face, and we do respect Derry. We’ve picked a very strong team, as strong a side as is available to us, and that should send out a message.”

Verdict: Antrim

ANTRIM: R McGarry, A Graffin, J McKeague, S Delargy (capt), C Herron, K McKeegan, J Campbell, K Stewart, M Magill, P Richmond, L Watson, P Shiels, M Herron, C Donnelly, D McNaughton.

DERRY: A Magill, M Craig, C Quinn, C McQuillan, R McCloskey, S Henry, S McCullagh, D Brunton, O McCloskey, P Henry, K Hinphey, SL McGoldrick, P McCloskey, R Convery, G Kelly.