Antrim lose O'Neill to Crues

It looks like highly-rated goalkeeper Sean O'Neill has played his last match this year for the Antrim senior footballers.

O'Neill is under contract with Irish League soccer club Crusaders and was given permission by their manager Stephen Baxter to play for Antrim last weekend.

He helped the Saffrons record a 0-16 to 1-7 first round qualifier win over Westmeath, but will miss the second round clash with Carlow on Saturday, July 9.

That game is just five days before Crusaders' probable Europa League second qualifying round tie against Fulham.

"Once we won the game against Westmeath I knew right away there would be an issue with the next round of the qualifiers," O'Neill told the Irish News.

"The game against Carlow is close to our first game against Fulham in the Europa League and if push comes to shove, my priority is Crusaders.

"Crusaders pay my wages and they would be entitled to tell me whether or not I play for Antrim. I was grateful to Stephen Baxter for allowing me to play against Westmeath - he understood how important that game was to me and how important it was for me to be available for my county."

O'Neill and Chris Kerr shared the number 1 jersey during Antrim's Allianz Football League campaign. However, Kerr has since left the panel.

Saffrons boss Liam Bradley decided to drop experienced net minders Sean McGreevy and John Finucane before the start of the season, so O'Neill's absence leaves them exposed in that area.

Antrim's minor goalkeeper Tiernan Hughes, who is 17 and untried at senior level, was on the bench for last Saturday's victory over Westmeath.