It's 'my generation'
Thursday, 14 January 2010
Antrim boss Liam Bradley will look to get one over his native Derry this weekend.
DERRY travel to Casement Park on Sunday to take on neighbours Antrim in the second round of the Dr. McKenna Cup and it will be a strange situation for the Bradley family.
Father Liam manages Antrim while sons Paddy and Eoin play for Derry. To further complicate the situation it is doing the rounds that Liam has taken over as manager of his club Glenullin for whom the sons play.
Due to the weather the teams have had very little match practice but Derry probably have had the better preparation in that they have got in a challenge game and have been able to train on indoor 3G pitches.
The Dr. McKenna Cup is all about experiments and there will be plenty in this game but Derry look to have the greater options. Antrim will be minus the seven players from the St. Gall's club who are preparing for the All Ireland semi final next month against the winners of Munster champions Kilmurry Ibrickine and British champions Tirconaill Gaels of London.
Derry have had a few retirements, while the experienced Ballinderry duo of Niall McCusker and Enda Muldoon are heading off to do charity work in Africa.
Both managers will be more concerned with performances rather than results. The McKenna Cup is all about finding a few more players for the championship and the league now seems to have become an extension to the McKenna Cup as it is now another avenue for managers to run the rule over new faces.
Its nineteen years since Antrim beat Derry at senior level and normally it would be a routine victory for the Derry men but Liam Bradley has instilled a new pride and belief in the Glensmen and they would love to get one over on the boys from the other side of the River Bann.
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