JOHNNY MCINTOSH: Players deserve to have more breathing space

Dunloy are back on top of Antrim hurling, and that is the most significant thing to take from Sunday’s Senior Championship final against Cushendall.

It was a good game, without any major incidents or controversy, and ultimately Dunloy were worthy winners. Cushendall will probably be disappointed with the way they performed, but there was no denying the quality of Dunloy’s display. They were exceptionally well set up and, from the very start of their campaign, you could see they were a team on a mission.

In truth, I thought Dunloy were the best team in Antrim for much of the year. They had already beaten Cushendall in the group stages before repeating the trick in the final. This was not a sudden upturn in form; it was the culmination of a season in which they had consistently looked like the strongest side in the county.

I would not necessarily describe the victory as comfortable, but Dunloy moved into a six-point lead early in the second half and, although Cushendall managed to eat into that advantage, they never really got closer than four points.

From a neutral perspective, Dunloy always seemed to have a bit of breathing space. They had a buffer to work with and, even when Cushendall threatened to make things interesting, there was a sense that Dunloy were in control.

It is another significant achievement for a club that continues to demonstrate its strength across the board. Dunloy are a formidable dual club. They won the senior football championship last year and added the camogie title this year, their first in a long time.

There is a perception that football has sometimes been a distraction for Dunloy. They reached a county football final a few years ago and lost the hurling championship, before eventually winning the football title last year. Perhaps it is no coincidence that, having been knocked out of this year’s football championship at the semi-final stage, they had an additional three or four weeks to concentrate on their hurling.

Whatever the reason, they have timed their run to perfection and are now back at the top of Antrim hurling.

However, while Dunloy deserve enormous credit, their success also brings up a wider issue around the scheduling of county championships.

If I had my way, county finals would be played considerably earlier in the year. Look at Waterford, where I think the county final was played eight or nine weeks ago. That has not done Ballygunner any harm, given their continued success at provincial and All-Ireland level.

Of course, it is important to remember that the Antrim senior final was originally scheduled for a week earlier but had to be postponed because of the terrible weather. That was unfortunate, and nobody could have done much about it.

But I would look at the timing of these games slightly differently. If I were a player, I would much rather have the county final played in mid-August, or even late August. You could then enjoy the occasion, take a week off and subsequently build towards the Ulster campaign.

That is not the situation facing Dunloy now. They have played their county final at the beginning of November, enjoyed the celebrations over the last couple of days, but will already be back training as they prepare for their Ulster semi-final against Portaferry on Sunday week.

There is very little downtime. The season just keeps going.

Compare that with the situation in Waterford. Ballygunner’s players have had the opportunity to enjoy their county success, take a break and then return with a clear focus on preparing for a Munster campaign. Their county final was eight or nine weeks ago, and it has certainly not hindered their ambitions.

I think we sometimes forget the demands we are placing on players when we put these schedules together. It becomes relentless.

A number of Dunloy’s players could be asked to play on November 14, potentially again the following week, and perhaps right through until early December. Then there is a short break for Christmas before the county season starts all over again.

It is a cycle that goes round and round, with very little opportunity for players to properly switch off.

The intermediate championship has provided another example of the problems with the calendar. The bad weather meant the intermediate final could not be played, creating a particularly awkward situation.

Having won the Ulster championship a couple of years ago, Carey Faughs are unable to progress into the competition again within the five-year period. That meant Cushendun were always going to represent Antrim in Ulster, and they have already played Lavey despite the Antrim intermediate final not yet having taken place.

It is another example of why we need to look seriously at moving these major county finals forward.

I would be looking to bring the entire championship calendar back by at least a month. The pitches are generally in better condition, the weather is warmer and the conditions are far more suited to hurling.

Why does the senior championship need to run from July 25 until the beginning of November? There are only eight teams involved. Even allowing for the group stages, there must be a way of making the competition more streamlined and getting it completed earlier.

From a player’s perspective, I think there would be a real appreciation for that. They want to compete, they want to win championships and they want to represent their county, but they also need an opportunity to enjoy their achievements and take a proper break.

Overall, though, it has been a good championship in Antrim, and Dunloy’s return to the summit is a fitting outcome.

If I were to be particularly bold, I would suggest that this could be Portaferry’s year in Ulster.

In fact, if they do not win it this year, I wonder whether it might be some time before they get another opportunity quite like this.

They are an exceptionally good side, with some of the best forwards in Ulster. They have a hugely talented group of attackers and are also very strong defensively. They have arguably let two or three excellent opportunities pass them by in recent seasons, so they will be determined to make this one count.

That is why Dunloy should be under no illusions about the challenge ahead.

This will not be a straightforward Ulster semi-final. Dunloy have come through an emotionally demanding championship campaign and will understandably have enjoyed the celebrations of the last few days. Portaferry, meanwhile, have had more time to prepare specifically for this fixture.

It will be fascinating to see how the two teams match up, but Dunloy will need to be very careful. Portaferry are a serious outfit, and if Dunloy are to turn their Antrim success into an Ulster run, they will need to be every bit as good as they were on Sunday.

They are back on top in Antrim. The next challenge is proving they can make an impact beyond it.