Donnelly expecting tough test when Antrim come to town

Down Senior Football Assistant Manager Mickey Donnelly is expecting a tough test from Antrim in this Saturday’s Ulster Championship quarter-final, believing that their meeting in the league last season is probably a truer reflection of their capabilities as opposed to the Antrim side on show in Corrigan Park for this year’s league campaign, that Down won with relative ease.

“It’s difficult to get a bit of a steer on Antrim,” Donnelly told the Newry Reporter at the Ulster Championship launch.

“We played Antrim in Newry last year and I think there were 11 changes between that team and the team that played in Corrigan Park,”

Last year, Conor Laverty’s men were heading for a defeat were it not for a late rally that saw them through by the skin of their teeth.

“They were really, really good against us last year in Newry and we were extremely fortunate to get a result. The best team probably lost that night. Then we went to play in Corrigan Park this year off the back of both teams having won their first two games. I suppose ultimately that was a depleted Antrim team. Rory McCann came back yesterday [for their final round fixture against Wicklow], Peter Healy hasn’t been playing, Ryan Murray hasn’t been playing. Eunan Walsh only came back yesterday, Adam Loughran. They were missing an awful lot of top quality players. We’re under no illusions that we’re going to play a very different Antrim team on Saturday night.”

Down of course come into the game with the boost of promotion but Antrim had a boost too defeating Wicklow in the last game to ensure survival in Division 3.

“That was a pressure environment too. It was a massive game and they ground it out,” said Donnelly.

“Even with the whole groundswell at Casement, Antrim is going to come with confidence and we’re very aware, that an Antrim team with their chest out an playing well is a massive handful and that’s what we’re preparing ourselves for.”

​And remembering the huge swell of support for the Mournemen against Donegal in Pairc Esler for the Ulster quarter-final last year is something Donnelly cannot underestimate in terms of urging Down over the line.

“It’s fantastic. I would argue we probably didn’t get enough credit for that result last year. I think we played really, really well. Jim [McGuinness] has come in and probably given Donegal a wee bit of oxygen again but ultimately it was still a lot of the same players, so that was a good performance. We had huge support that day. We had the Minors before it and we look forward to something similar against Antrim.”

​Laverty has players to come back in too, as well as a recent new addition in Newry AFC and Under 20 Northern Ireland International soccer ace John McGovern who put in some minutes on the field in the last two games.

“John’s soccer season is coming to an end over the next few weeks and he’ll be able to focus solely on the Gaelic, so we’ll be delighted,” said Donnelly.

“Conor had John at under 20 level and he was an exceptional under-20 and we’re hoping he can transfer that into senior.

McGovern replaced Ryan Johnston in the starting line-up in the league final defeat to Westmeath. Johnston picked up a knock in training that week and Laverty said he didn’t want to risk him ahead of the Ulster Championship opener. There are other injured players expected to make a return in the coming weeks as well, including Clonduff’s Barry O’Hagan who came on as a sub late on against Westmeath.

​“I suppose Barry is the big one,” said Donnelly.

“It’s testament to our medical team that most of our players have been available over the last few games and the big games. Caolan [Mooney] picked up a bit of a hamstring niggle and has been out . Barry is in the latter stages of his ACL and has been out (O’Hagan came back in as a sub in the league final). Shealan [Johnston] has been out.”

Donnelly said he hoped to have Shealan back training in the past few weeks and feels that the trio would be a huge boost for the team.

“What Shealan and Caolan and Barry would give us is experience, talent, that wining mindset and the more players we can have like that around the group the better.”

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