Today's win by the Antrim hurlers over a Wexford side which travelled north on the back of a great win in Waterford last week is another huge step forward for a young Antrim side under Dominic McKinley and Sambo McNaughton.
Antrim were under huge pressure having lost to Dublin last week in their first round national hurling league match and badly needed a result if they are to stay up in Division One of the league.
Antrim’s next three matches are against Waterford, Kilkenny and Cork and they go in to those games more in hope than any great expectation that they will gain any more points.
However, today’s defeat of another Leinster hurling side, can only boost the northerners’ self belief and add strength to Sambo McNaughton’s call for Antrim to be allowed to compete in the Leinster hurling championship where outside Kilkenny Antrim would not be out of their depth.
McNaighton has argued that his side can only benefit from playing at better level of hurling than in the now meaningless Ulster championship.
Today’s victory was achieved too without the Dunloy contingent who are in training for their All-Ireland club semi final when they take on their nemesis Birr at Clones next Sunday.
Antrim hurling has had its share of false dawns in the past but there is a buzz about this young side and although it’s not expected to make the breakthrough this season its Walsh Cup triumph has raised expectation in a county starved of success.
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