Davy Fitzgerald: Underdogs Antrim must rise to challenge of avoiding drop to Joe McDonagh Cup

Belfast Telegraph

24-05-2025

It's not unfamiliar territory for the Saffrons, who needed a last-day win against Westmeath in Mullingar to stay up in 2023, and the same last year at home to Carlow.
But the form guide has not been as good this time around as Antrim are yet to pick up a point in their previous four games and each of those losses has been by double digits.
Equally worrying is their failure to breach the 20-point barrier in attack to date, which leaves them needing to produce a considerably better display against The Faithful or else their stint in the top tier comes to an end.
Offaly are also yet to pick up anything from their previous outings, but they went oh-so-close to grabbing victory in Wexford, which could have really put Antrim in a bind.
They were also just three points short against Dublin, with Antrim losing by 11 and 15 points respectively to the same opposition, so with home advantage and a 15-point League win already recorded against Davy Fitzgerald's side earlier this season, it highlights the size of the task facing the Ulstermen.
'We have to rise to the challenge,' said 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.'
In fairness, the Antrim attack has been ravaged by absentees during the Championship, but on the plus side, Keelan Molloy is named amongst the subs, having missed out against Galway and Dublin.
James McNaughton, suspended for last week's trip west, is also named on the bench, but it would be a major surprise if the Loughgiel man doesn't start.
Indeed, it will be a day for rolling the dice as there are no more chances after Sunday and the experience of such occasions is an area which may well stand to Antrim.
They are up against an Offaly side that has made huge strides over the past couple of years with a talented crop of Under-20s claiming the All-Ireland title last season and then in the League, winning promotion to Division 1A.
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.
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.