SUNDAY’S 1.00pm junior decider sees neighbours Antrim and Derry go head-to-head for the title which Antrim last won in 2022 and Derry in 2018.
Antrim will start the game as red-hot favourites and rightly so. They are the only unbeaten team in the country.
In the National League group phase, they won seven games in a row. In the league semi-final against Leitrim, captain Bronagh Devlin led by example scoring 2-3 to help set up a final meeting with Fermanagh. In the final, which was played in Clones, Devlin was in fine form again, top scoring with four points to help her side to a two-point win.
The Saffron’s carried their league form into the Ulster championship. Their first-round robin game saw them account for Derry 4-12 to 1-5, the first of the goals coming from Therese Mellon after just 14 seconds.
Their second Ulster game was against London. No-one knew what to expect as it was London’s first time in the Ulster championship. Antrim, however, were ruthless and won the game 4-21 to 0-2, with Maria O Niell contributing 1-9. That victory was their 11th straight win.
It has been a tough year for Derry so far. Their league campaign didn’t go as well as they expected with only one win, a 5-15 to 0-4 hammering of Kilkenny. They did get to within four points of Sligo but also suffered a 4-14 to 2-6 defeat against today’s opposition.
In the Ulster round robin series, they also lost heavily to Antrim. However, in their last game they defeated London 4-17 to 0-9. That win will give the Oak Leafer’s some confidence ahead of Sunday’s big game.
Former captain Joanne Corr will marshal the defence while current captain Annie Crozier will operate in midfield. Up front there will be a reliance on Aine Mc Allister for scores. The two-time Ulster PPS All Star should give the Antrim defence a lot to think about.
VERDICT: 2025 has come too early for this Derry side. Antrim should win and keep their unbeaten run going, ahead of the All-Ireland series.
