By Michael McMullan

ANTRIM manager Mark Doran is hoping for a greater return from the attacking side of their game when Carlow visit Portglenone on Sunday.

Doran will also spend this week checking on injuries to ensure they put their best football forward on the opening day of the league.

Nobody was risked in the McKenna Cup unless they were 100 per cent fit. They are planning without key defenders Peter Healey and Ronan Boyle who are on the injured list.

It will be Doran’s first league game at the helm after bowing out of the McKenna Cup following defeats at the hands of Derry and Donegal.

“Over the last five or six weeks, we’ve done a lot of work on certain teams and probably the most was on Carlow with it being the first game,” Doran told Gaelic Life of their analysis.

“I know from Division Three (in his time with Wicklow) that it was a dog fight, and I imagine Division Four will be nothing different.”

Doran has been impressed with Carlow and the strides made under Joe Murphy, referencing their three wins to lift the O’Byrne Shield.

“We have had a good look at them but the biggest result that sticks out for me was that win last year in Brewster Park when they beat Fermanagh,” Doran added, with their 3-18 tally jumping out at him.

“They have as good a forward line as there is Division Four. It will be a tough ask but it is our first game and you just have to try and hit the ground running.”

Antrim’s defeats to Derry and Donegal were quite similar, 40 minutes of lasting the pace, defending well, before being reeled in.

It comprised half of what he hopes the Saffrons can offer this weekend.

“Defensively we did look very sound and were hard to break down but, unfortunately, there is no point in doing it for 40 minutes.

“The McKenna Cup is 60 minutes but we are into the league and it is 70 minutes.

“Carlow’s attack has been good and they’ve racked up big scores. We have done a lot of work in recent weeks on our defensive shape.

“The game is 50 per cent with the ball and 50 per cent without the ball, so when we have the ball, we have to be really good,” Doran summed up of this week’s focus.

“That was the most disappointing thing about the two McKenna Cup games. We didn’t do enough damage at the other end of the field.

“Not scoring against Derry for 30 minutes was a big, big downer. We hope to put that right on Sunday. We have been doing a lot of work in the last few weeks, so I am hoping we’ll have a better return from our forward line from the two McKenna Cup games.”