By Michael McMullan

FRIDAY’S Ulster final date with Down, in Cargin, fits into a busy schedule for Antrim’s camogie team.

The U-23 team have booked their place in Sunday’s All-Ireland semi-final with last weekend’s victory over Wexford.

Since the end of the league, manager Elaine Dowds – who oversees both teams – released whatever senior players needed camogie for club games.

Senior captain and goalkeeper Caitríona Graham was able to get some action outfield for Ahoghill to sharpen the eye.

“I think that’s where Dowdsie (Elaine Dowds) has been good at managing it,” Graham said.

“She knows who needs game time and there’s been girls that haven’t played any club because they’re playing so much with the county and U-23s.”

It takes balance but everyone wins. Clubs have access to players who need games. The U-23s focus on their All-Ireland bid. The senior players get their fitness topped up.

A break in the club season is pending with the exam season just around the corner but balance has been the word.

“We’re straight into the All-Ireland series after the Ulster final, so we’ll be flat out training,” Graham added.

“I think it’s just about managing it as best we can and, at the end of the day, girls want to play matches.

“There’s still been good numbers going to training and that hasn’t suffered as a result of people playing matches which is another positive.”

With so many players eligible for U-23 camogie, it has allowed the management team to find the balance.

It has also been the perfect bridge since the end of the league and getting the preparations honed for their recent Ulster Senior semi-final win over neighbours Derry.

It was a league campaign that yielded victory in Cork and saw Antrim push Galway every inch of the way.

It taught them lessons but the sole victory wasn’t enough to keep them in the top flight for next season.

“We had a good performance against,” Graham recalls. “We probably could have got something from the Galway match as well and it may have been a different story of it staying up.”

After winning the league last year and securing promotion to the top level of camogie, Antrim were learning in the fast lane this season and Graham hopes there are lessons to be taken into the championship.

“We did take a lot of learnings from playing against the top teams and it was a good way to learn in the league,” she said. “We beat Derry and Down this week will be another big challenge.”

As a goalkeeper, Graham can see the entire pattern of the game in front of her.

BALANCING THE BOOKS…Antrim manager Elaine Dowds also takes charge of the county’s U-23 team

In many ways, a goalkeeper is the eyes and ears of any team. They can see runs of a teammate for puck outs, the shape of the opposition attack and if players are popping up free.

From the Antrim point of view. What does learning look like?

“It’s a lot sharper playing the Division One teams and you can’t switch off,” Graham said.

“When I think back to the Tipperary match at the start of the league, we switched off the last five minutes of each half.

“Teams like that, they just punish you so you can’t be switching off at that level and that’s just what we’re hoping to replicate now in championship.”

After losing to Kilkenny in their final game, Antrim’s relegation was sealed. While there was the obvious disappointment, a line was drawn.

Fast forward to now, they’ve Down in their sights and can then begin to focus on a crack at the All-Ireland intermediate title they missed out on last year.

“The U-23s were out maybe a week or so after the Kilkenny game so they were back out straight away and we were back into training then,” Graham said.

“It was probably good to have the switch and focus with the U-23s straight away then that helped us.

“We had a bit of a break then before we played Derry then and the seniors got a few club games in.

“Training was intense then as well because U-23s were still going so that did probably help then to keep it all ticking over.”

It helped Antrim pull away from Derry in the second-half after an evenly contested opening 30 minutes. It all feeds into what Down will bring this weekend and Antrim know the challenge all too well.

“We’ve had always had tough battles with Down in the last few years and there’s never been much between us,” Graham said.

“It’s just all survival now, you can be away playing whoever but whenever you’re playing the likes of Derry, you know that is a physical battle. Down will be no different.

“We know what they’re like and they know what we’re like,” Graham added.

“I don’t think there’s ever really much between these teams and just hopefully we can push on.”

THE LAST LINE…Goalkeeper Caitriona Graham is the Antrim captain