'We have nothing to fear': Herron

Antrim half-forward Michael Herron believes that his side have nothing to fear as they head into Saturday's must-win All-Ireland SHC qualifier against Galway.

Herron is reassured that all of the pressure seems to be on Ger Loughnane's Tribesmen after the Galway manager blasted them for poor performances in their two recent qualifiers, despite accounting for Laois in their first round clash.

"It doesn't get any easier but nobody gives us a chance," Herron said ahead of the trip to Salthill's Pearse Stadium.

"All of the pressure is going to be on Galway. At least we gave ourselves a chance (of reaching the All-Ireland quarter-finals) by beating Laois last weekend. There would have been nothing worse than going down to Galway with nothing to play for. It would have been a long journey."

Antrim are hoping to chalk up their second win in qualifier Group 1A this weekend, having beaten Laois by 1-23 to 1-13 in Belfast last Saturday.

Lamh Dhearg clubman Herron believes that Loughnane and the Galway players, along with their supporters, should underestimate this Antrim team at their peril.

"We were well beaten by them in the league this year. Their own supporters and the team will be expecting an easy game but it's up to us to try and prevent that from happening," he explained.

"We beat them at home in the league last year and we are going to need a similar type of performance if we are going to do what Clare did to them last weekend."

Herron knows that the Saffrons will have to show plenty of intent, right from the throw-in, if they are to come away with the right result.

"We have to put real pressure on the ball and not let the Cloonans or the Hayes get running at our the full-back line and leave it exposed.

"We have to put real pressure on and get in their faces and just try and get in amongst them from the very start and make it difficult for them."

The 22-year-old student feels that Clare, their Group 1A rivals, have not been given the credit they deserve this season and that Galway's loss to the Banner men last weekend was not a major shock.

"A lot of people aren't giving Clare the respect they deserve. I think that they have come back a much stronger team since the Cork game and Clare did exactly what they wanted to do at the weekend.

"They closed the pitch in and they really got in amongst them. Clare are a really physical side and outside of Kilkenny I don't think there is a more physical team in the country," Herron added.

"They are very strong in the air and we saw how they bombarded Galway with high balls in the first half and they have big strong forwards."

However, Herron is expecting Galway to come out with all guns blazing this Saturday.

"Galway will obviously be looking for a backlash against us this weekend, especially early on. I would think they will be going for goals and trying to take any hope or heart we have away from us."

Herron feels that teams like Antrim and Laois can be real challengers for All-Ireland success but that the system has to work in their favour.

"Really the Ulster championship - and this is no disrespect to the teams in Ulster - there is no competition for us trying to prepare for the games. We are trying to make the grade at All-Ireland level and we're just not prepared for it on the back of an Ulster championship.

"By moving into Leinster or Munster, I think it would give us better games and more competition because really the Ulster championship nowadays is null and void," he conceded.

"I don't know what anybody is gaining out of it these days because it is just no competition and it is not really preparing us for the games you are going to have further down the line against the likes of Clare, Laois and Galway. You need a higher standard."