By Niall Gartland

THE Antrim senior camogs have already secured progression to the All-Ireland Intermediate Championship semi-finals, but tenacious defender Clare McKillop says they’re keen on wrapping up the group stages with a win.

With wins against Derry and Kerry under their belts, Antrim can in theory afford to play it safe in Saturday’s round three match against Down at Ballycran.

But Loughgiel star McKillop, who was named Gaelic Life Camogie Club Player of the Year back in March, sees no point in taking a backwards step against Down, who they recently defeated in the Ulster final on a scoreline of 2-11 to 0-11.

“So far, it’s been going very well. We won the first two matches, which was the aim, to get directly into the semi-final. I suppose we’ve one more match to play, but we’ll still want to win it and top the group.

“We know each other inside out at this stage. It’s good. You play them so often and we know each other well, but it’s never an easy match. We know what to expect.”

McKillop is a hugely accomplished defender who doesn’t give an inch in her on-field battles. Asked what she expects from the Down forward unit, she said: “There’s a lot of girls coming through in Down – there are a lot of new names. We played them in the Ulster final and they have a lot of strength and speed up front. No matter who you’re up against, you know you’re not going to have an easy day.”

The Saffrons surged to a resounding 2-16 to 0-9 victory against Kerry on their last day out. They laid the platform for victory with a blistering start, surging into a 2-4 to no score lead, and McKillop says that was all part of the plan.

“Going into the Kerry game, we knew they were going to be a hard team to beat. We got a really good start in the first five or six minutes, which set the tone for us. The focus had been on getting a good start and then trying to build on that. From then on it was very tight, but we were able to hold out. The aim was getting that good start and building a lead.”

McKillop is also hugely encouraged by the many talented younger camogs coming through the ranks of the Saffron County. Their U23s won the All-Ireland title in May, and a number of those players are already starring at senior county level like Éobha McAllister and Katie Molloy.

“Absolutely, there have been a lot of young girls coming through over the last couple of years and a few are now starting on the team. It’s really helping to build Antrim camogie. That U23 success has definitely helped the senior squad. On top of that, it’s good to have the experience there as well, so it’s a good mix at the minute.”