Antrim boss hails McMahon

ANTRIM manager Andy McEntee said it has been a “good call” to add Tyrone’s All-Ireland winning defender Justin McMahon to his management team.

McEntee is now in his second year as the Saffron boss and is hoping they can learn from some of their shortfalls of 2023 to make a serious big to gain promotion from Division Three.

McMahon, a five-time Ulster winner and an All-Star, played 110 times for Tyrone before stepping away from the inter-county season at the end of the 2017 season.

The Omagh man was Antrim’s masseur last season in a backroom team that also includes clubmate Jason McAnulla who is the team physio.

“I got chatting to him and felt a guy with his experience can do more than rub legs,” McEntee said of McMahon’s pathway into the management team.

“He has started working with the lads and it has been a good call. I admired him from a distance. He has come in and has got a great way with him and he has massive experience to share with the guys.”

McMahon also has experience of playing in the International Rules series. Alongside current Tyrone selector and brother Joe, they were tasked with keeping tabs on the ‘Twin Towers’ Tommy Walsh and Kieran Donaghy in the 2008 All-Ireland final.

Antrim finished in midtable in the league last season before bowing out at the hands of Meath in the Tailteann Cup in a game they could’ve got something out.

“If we can learn from last year and be physically a little better prepared than this time last year we give ourselves every chance,” McEntee summed up of what he can take from his first season at the helm.

“I think with any team, it takes two or possibly three years to really get to know your players. I would like to think we have made a lot of progress in one year in finding out about players.”