Johnny McIntosh: DISCIPLINE WILL BE KEY

IT was an unfortunate start to the league for Antrim, especially coming off what was a very strong performance against Wexford. Antrim totally outplayed Wexford from start to finish, and yet still found themselves coming away disappointed. Ultimately, indiscipline proved costly – and if we’re being honest, that has been a recurring trait of Antrim teams under Davy Fitzgerald.

People will rightly point to Davy Fitz’ as a passionate manager, and that passion can be a huge strength, but there are times when it needs to be reined in. Too often it’s been indiscipline that has let Antrim down at key moments. We saw it last year against Offaly when Antrim had a man sent off early, and again against Wexford, where both teams lost a player. While some of the refereeing felt harsh, the reality is that indiscipline still cost the Saffrons.

That decisive 21-yard free was originally awarded from around 40 yards out and then moved forward due to indiscipline. That was hugely disappointing. Antrim had done the hard work. Conor Johnston returned – which was great to see – and he marked his comeback with a goal that put Antrim three points ahead in injury time. At that stage, you genuinely thought it was going to be a brilliant start to the league.

Despite the setback, I still think Antrim should be safe. However, with two teams going up and two going down, it’s going to be tight. The Clare game is at home this weekend, weather permitting, because getting a pitch could be a challenge – and they looked very strong against Dublin. You’d be surprised if Antrim took anything from that game, and suddenly you could be looking at two losses from two games.

Antrim still have Kildare away and Carlow at home, but you really don’t want to be in a position where you’re relying on beating Down away in the final round to survive. That’s a dangerous place to be. Overall, it feels like it’s going to be a difficult season.

Turning to Down, they suffered a 10-point defeat away to Carlow, and it underlines just how big the step up from Division Two to Division 1B really is. It’s great for Down hurling to be competing at this level, it’s a genuine positive, but the transition is tough. They’re now facing teams like Clare, Dublin and Wexford every week, and those are serious tests.

Down will realistically be targeting games against teams like Kildare and Antrim if they’re hoping to pick up their four points. That makes those fixtures particularly intriguing, but it’s still a huge challenge. Promotion followed by immediate relegation doesn’t really help developing counties, especially in a system where two go down every year.

On paper – and I stress that this is on paper – you would expect the two promoted teams, Kildare and Down, to be the ones under the most pressure. Kildare have already beaten Antrim, so nothing is inevitable, but you do wonder whether the current promotion and relegation structure actually benefits these counties. Ideally, you want regular exposure to teams like Dublin, Clare and Wexford to raise standards, but the system makes sustained progress difficult.

Derry also face a tough campaign. They won the McGurk Cup and looked strong, but a heavy league defeat to Kerry showed how challenging things remain. They’ve introduced some new players and strengthened slightly, but they still don’t have their best 15 available consistently, which makes life very difficult. Player availability continues to be a major issue for Derry hurling.

There’s also the question of transfers. Some see them as beneficial, others as problematic. Derry have brought in players such as Rossa’s full-back Joe Mulholland while Christy McNaughton lines out at full-forward.

It’s worth asking whether reliance on exiled players is really a positive sign for Derry hurling and It raises questions about long-term commitment and development within the county.

After a busy opening weekend, only two Ulster teams managed to pick up wins.

Antrim really should have finished the job against Wexford, Donegal are making good strides were full value for their victory over Tyrone, and in Division Four, Cavan got the better of Warwickshire.

There’s another full round of fixtures ahead this weekend – and let’s hope it brings a happier story for Ulster hurling across the board.