Antrim’s prospects of progressing to the next round of the Tailteann Cup have suffered a body blow following a wrath of injuries and withdrawals ahead of Saturday’s trip to Leitrim.
The Saffrons bowed out of the Ulster Championship following a 13-point loss to Cavan in Corrigan Park last month.
Prior to that game, Antrim lost the services of their first-choice goalkeeper Oisin Kerr and regular full-back Ricky Johnston.
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Enda McGinley is also now without Marty Johnston, Ricky’s brother, Tomas McCann, Eunan Walsh and Ronan Boyle - all of whom have stepped away from the squad for various reasons.
In a further blow to the Saffrons, Michael McCann is currently sidelined through injury as is defender James McAuley.
Both Johnston and Walsh were unused substitutes against Cavan, but the McCann siblings both started.
Tomas was replaced at half-time while Michael was sent off following a second yellow card in the second half.
The Antrim boss has drafted in a number of U20s to bolster his squad ahead of Saturday’s Tailteann Cup first round tie.
Speaking at the launch of the new competition last week, Antrim midfielder Conor Stewart says the turnover of players in the squad is disappointing.
“I think sometimes if you get a disappointing result, it’s easy them for boys to walk," said Stewart.
“It’s easier for the Dublins and the Kerrys winning All-Irelands and keeping commitment levels so high.
“Playing for Antrim, the commitment levels are so high and sometimes the rewards....you’re playing really for one big day a year. Hopefully something like this (the Tailteann Cup) can reduce that turnover of players.”
The Ballymena native says that a core group of players need to stick together in order for the Saffrons to bridge the strength and conditioning gap that was ruthlessly exposed by the Breffnimen in Belfast.
“It’s not a two or three-month process. It’s not going to be done in one off-season," said Stewart.
“It’s probably a three, four, five-year process Strength and Conditioning wise, we know that.
“The boys said it after the Cavan game, Stevie O’Neill told us that it was a long process, but the set-up is there for us so if the boys stick at it, the core group, that’s probably the main thing. We need to stick together for those three, four, five years.
“The turnover of players has probably been too high in Antrim the last number of years. If we can all stick together we can see where we get then.”
Despite some of the criticisms of the competition, Stewart believes it represents a good opportunity for the Saffrons to get back to Croke Park.
“We’re in a nothing to lose situation,” he added.
“We’re just going to go at it. Everyone is in the same boat in the competition – they've lost a game to get here.
“We’re just going to go out, try and play a bit of football and see where we get.
“I think if you win one or two games, you’ve a bit of momentum built up and you never know, you could end up in Croke Park. I think that’s a good place to be.”
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