By Kieran Lynch

GLENRAVEL’S preparations for their Ulster Junior Hurling Championship clash with Craobh Rua have been hindered by Covid-19, injuries and the weather.

Having had a long nine-week break between their win in the Antrim County final and their last outing against Naomh Colum Cille, one might expect the Con Magee’s to be glad of a two-week turnaround, but manager Ciaran McKernan feels the short break is more of a hindrance than a help.

“To be honest, it’s a lot worse for us, because we’ve had a Covid outbreak in the camp, and two of my management team have been isolating,” explained McKernan.

“One of the lads is back on Thursday, and the other lad is back on Saturday, because luckily enough, they isolated right away, because we didn’t want to take any chances.

“And we have injuries – some our lads played in an u-20 county football final last week, plus our own injuries from the week before, in our quarter-final game.

“There are one or two lads who aren’t going to make it now.

“Ideally, I’d have taken the nine-week layoff this time!”

Another factor which every team must contend with at this time of the year is the weather, and the cold, wet and windy conditions of Storm Barra have also affected Glenravel’s preparations.

“Our training schedule was disrupted; we were supposed to go out tonight (Tuesday night) on our own pitch. But because of the weather, we tried to get indoors booked, but love nor money we couldn’t get nowhere tonight indoors, so we’ve lost a night’s training.”

Not only have the Antrim club felt the brunt Storm Barra, but they also encountered Storm Arwen in their last outing, and McKernan feels there’s no way to prepare for mother nature.

“You can’t really prepare for that, because the lads go out to train and they’re cold, I’m cold on the sideline, they’re making mistakes because their hands are cold,” McKernan conceded.

“Hopefully the weather is not as bad, in our last one in Ballycastle there, we played in the other storm.

“It was horrible conditions, but the lads went out and did the best that they could.”

Looking ahead to this weekend’s clash with Craobh Rua, scouting the Armagh Junior champions has come with problems of its own, but McKernan has seen enough of the Camlough side to know the danger that they pose.

“I’ve seen a few highlights of their last game; they look very strong all over the pitch, but to be honest, we don’t know much about them.”

However, unfamiliarity won’t lead to a lack of respect.

“We’ll give them the utmost respect,” declared McKernan.

“The days of an Armagh team fearing an Antrim team are gone, and we don’t look down upon any other county whatsoever. I’ve too much experience down through the years to not give people respect.”

At this stage of the season, when the provincial championships pit together unfamiliar opposition, anything can happen, and McKernan believes that the Junior Championship is there to be won by all of the remaining teams, and it’s an opportunity for lesser-known players to make their mark.

“Each game can be anybody’s, that’s the way I look at it – a few mistakes can cost you.

“It looks like we’ll have to go to our bench on Saturday, and some lad could get his name in the headlines here. That’s what we have the panel for.”