Davy Fitzgerald hits back at Sambo: 'I thought he would show a bit more class than that'
Antrim fiercely battled with 14 men in their final Leinster SHC game of the year but came up short in a five-point loss to Offaly that confirmed their relegation to the Joe McDonagh Cup.
It could have been over before it started, with Niall O'Connor receiving a red card in the sixth minute after an incident with man of the match Charlie Mitchell.
But Antrim almost equalled Offaly's second-half performance 1-05 to 1-06, which was a poor return for the hosts, who had the wind, and an extra man in their favour.
Saffrons manager Davy Fitzgerald praised his side's second-half performance with 14 men and believes the win could have been theirs with the full complement on the pitch.
"I'm heartbroken that we didn't get the victory. Could we have got it with 14? We actually could. We weren't 100 miles away," Fitzgerald told RTÉ Sport.
In a week that saw Antrim, and Fitzgerald, making headlines for comments on officiating in his side's 28-point hammering by Galway last week, the Clare man suggested that some subsequent criticism was 'unjustified' and that his side are playing better than the headlines may suggest.
"The most important thing for me was that we played for 70 minutes. We were getting a lot of stick during the week and it's a bit unjustified.
"I did an interview with Noel Connors before the game and he's one of the only ones that copped that we had actually played well for patches of the Leinster Championship.
"We were playing well for 25-30 minutes, then we were going to sleep. Today I thought we played well for the 70."
Offaly 3-15 Antrim 1-16 highlights
One of those critics this week was Antrim legend Sambo McNaughton. In an interview with The Irish Independent McNaughton stated that he felt some of Fitzgerald's comments in interviews were "just plain stupid".
Fitzgerald hit back at McNaughton today, and says he thought the ex-Saffrons' player's comments lacked "class".
"He's entitled to his opinion. He was in management himself. Maybe he didn't have a great record in that.
"I thought he'd show a bit more class than that.
"Sambo can talk a lot of times and off he goes, but the direction I'm showing today is what we're thinking."
With Antrim due to compete in the Joe McDonagh in 2026, thoughts now turn to whether Fitzgerald will remain a part of the setup.
The Clare native agreed a two-year term until 2026 but while he says it's too early to make a decision he does admit he needs a break.
"I think I need a bit of time. I finished with Waterford last year, and I've said this a thousand times. I finished and I was done.
"I knew in my time in Waterford, I was struggling at the end of it.
"I want a bit of time to enjoy time with my family and that. As I said last year... I love my hurling and I'll always love it.
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