ANTRIM u-20 manager Hugh McGettigan has bemoaned the nature of this year’s Ulster competition.
He says that the limited time allowed for coaching his players has made the job of preparing a team for a provincial knockout very difficult.
“Every manager is pulling their hair out, or those with any hair left. It is just an atrocious season for the u-20s the way it is developed.
“The squad we have put out we have not seen together. We have put together a jigsaw puzzle that we have not seen in one place.
“The way things have worked out it is a tremendously difficult season for everyone.”
McGettigan said that Antrim had started training before Christmas. He said there was a great interest, but the lockdown at Christmas meant that all their preparations had to stop.
It was a disappointing development for Antrim who had reached the semi-finals of last year’s tournament. They beat Derry in the quarter-finals but then lost to Tyrone though they did give them a good game.
McGettigan said that the u-20 players on his team are playing Friday night club reserve matches, senior matches on Sunday, and the u-20s play on Saturday and Monday. The busy schedule for players means that it has been hard for them to come together.
Some good players that have potential for big careers include Luke Mulholland, Conor Stewart and Cargin’s Pat Shivers.
Some of those players, like Luke Mulholland have been playing with the senior players. He has been an underage player for Antrim for five years.
McGettigan said that the intercounty management have been taking a keen interest in the u-20 team.
“The goal for this team is to get as many of these players into senior set up as possible.
“Last year we sent up about ten players from the u-20 squad. Some of them made the breakthrough this year, some of them are still on the squad and others have yet to make the step up.
“That’s our aim to push a few more up to that level.”
McGettigan said that Stephen O’Neill has been in to take a session with the team.
“He believes that the link is important and obviously he has key areas that he wants them to improve on and it is up to us to push them in that direction.”
A good way to do that would be to get a result against Fermanagh on Friday night at Brewster Park. That would certainly put a shine on the ‘atrocious’ season.
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