Tipp clash a chance for Antrim to bounce back, insists Mcbride

LONG-SERVING Antrim player Patrick Mcbride is exhorting his team to go into Sunday’s eagerly-awaited Tailteann Cup game against Tipperary at Corrigan Park (2.00pm) armed with a positive approach.

Mcbride, who has fulfilled several roles for the Saffrons down through the years, is anxious to see the team create a significant impact in the competition and makes no bones about what he feels can on occasions prove a barrier to progress.

“When we hear it said to us that we can maybe put it up to opponents, this can be annoying,” insists Mcbride. “When you hear language like that before matches it’s not exactly uplifting. The truth of the matter is that we are going out to win a match on Sunday, that’s the long and the short of it.”

Last year Antrim made headway in the competition only to be knocked out by eventual winners Meath at the Semi-final stage (216 to 2-14).

Now they are keen to make further progress in a competition that is gaining in status. The benefit of having home advantage against a Tipperary side that won only one of their six matches in Division Four of the Allianz League is being viewed as a considerable bonus as Antrim prepare to build on their enterprising display against Down in the Ulster Championship.

And it’s doubtful if anyone is keener than the lion-hearted Mcbride to see the side come out on top in this one.

“We could have won that game against Down but it wasn’t to be,” muses Mcbride. “When we go out we like to have a crack at our opponents which is what our manager Andy Mcentee wants us to do. We were unfortunate against Down but we are now getting a big chance on Sunday to show what we are capable of.”

“Sometimes when you have everyone back behind the ball you think you have a safety blanket but you need to have people up front. It’s important, too, that we go forward in numbers of and make the most of the scoring chances that come our way.”

“Against Down, they had more men supporting the ball carrier and they benefitted from that. We missed chances as the match progressed but we have to take learnings from that.”

Manager Mcentee is particularly keen to see his side avail of scoring opportunities on Sunday.

“We did not quite manage to do that against Down. Every time we trimmed Down’s lead to three points we coughed up a relatively easy scoring chance at the other end. This is something that we must try very hard to avoid if we can on Sunday in this game against Tipperary,” points out Mcentee.