By Michael McMullan

CUSHENDALL manager Brian Delargy is glad to see his panel bolstered by returning players as they begin their championship defence later this month.

Despite being league champions last season, the ‘Dall missed the cut in mid-season with their place in the bottom half of the table.

With league hopes gone and little chance of being sucked into a relegation battle, it was all about getting lads games and picking up wins.

They’ve not lost since a May defeat to Rossa and last weekend’s Feis Cup win gave them a platform ahead of the championship.

With teams beating each other in mid-season, it was “hard to tell” how close Cushendall were to staying in the top half but losing their first three games left them playing catchup.

“At the early start of the league, we had a lot of boys injured,” Delargy said, accepting they were going to be without their Antrim senior and u-20 players.

“We just seemed to have a lot of our actual seniors missing that should have been there, so we struggled at the start but we were able to get two teams out, with the help of the juniors.

“In the WhatsApp group there’s 44 players. We haven’t had 30 training this year yet, through one thing or another but I would say that it’ll start coming back here shortly.”

Cushendall’s Feis semi-final win over Dunloy set them up for last weekend’s final with Loughgiel.

Neil McManus hit a late goal with Joseph McLaughlin and Ed McQuillan firing over points as Cushendall finished strong in a 1-24 to 1-16 victory.

“It was good to get another good match and it was good opposition,” Delargy said of last weekend’s Feis final.

“It was hard because both teams missing a few because boys were on holidays. There is no gap in the calendar boys and have to take their holidays, so you’re just going to have boys missing for certain matches but you have to deal with it.”

Now it’s championship mode. Antrim’s SHC is played off in two groups of four with the top team advancing to the semi-finals with second and third into the quarter-finals.

Cushendall face a trip to Rossa for their first game, fixed for Saturday, August 9, with the Belfast side on a high after their recent league win, a first in 30 years. Next up is a game with Carey at a neutral venue before a home game with Loughgiel.

“Us not being a dual club, the schedule kind of suits us as you get your two weeks in between each match,” Delargy said.

“Chris McDonnell has them going well. Any time you’re going to Rossa for a league game or championship, whatever it is, it’s going to be tough, but they seem to be motoring well and we’ll have to be on our ‘A’ game.”

The ‘Dall have no long-term injury concerns with the focus now on putting their best foot forward in their title defence.

“We’re getting the boys back hopefully now,” Delargy concluded. “Neil (McManus) got a half in him (v Loughgiel). Sean McAfee had a full game yesterday and Fergus McCambridge was back, so hopefully we’re getting them back at the right time.”