Cargin sweating on Kevin O’Boyle fitness ahead of Creggan semi-final clash 

The former Antrim captain has missed Cargin’s last two games, including their stunning quarter-final rout of Aghagallon, and is a major doubt for their forthcoming derby meeting with Creggan

Cargin’s progress to the last four of the Antrim SFC has been seamless, but their injury woes could be the biggest hurdle to them completing a four-a-in-a-row.

The Toome men eased past Aghagallon on Friday night at Dunsilly and will play local rivals Creggan in the semi-finals. The sides met in the 2018 and 2020 county finals with Erin’s Own winning on both occasions while the Kickhams were Antrim champions in 2021.

With Jamie Gribbin already ruled out for the season and Pat Shivers still sidelined after suffering a broken arm earlier in the summer, manager Ronan Devlin has a fresh injury concern with veteran defender Kevin O’Boyle nursing a hamstring injury.

The former Antrim captain is due to have the injury assessed this week after sitting out the recent wins over Dunloy and Aghagallon and Devlin admits he is a major doubt for the semi-finals.

“He’s definitely doubtful,” stated Devlin.

“I actually thought he’d be back for the last game, truthfully. He wasn’t ready for this game and he wasn’t even on the panel there. We’ll have to just wait and see.

“You talk about experienced men – he’s the one who just helps us calm it a wee bit. Where he’ll be ready to play in two weeks? I haven’t a clue.”

Devlin also stressed that he wouldn’t risk Shivers in the semi-final unless he was back to full fitness.

“I suppose every week he (Shivers) gets closer. But a broken bone has to heal.

“I wouldn’t take any chances with it. To be honest, if Pat isn’t ready in two weeks, he’ll not play. I don’t want to risk him.

“At the minute he’s chomping at the bit and he’s dying to get playing, but we’ll have to go on the advice we get.”

After their facile win over St Mary’s, which proved to be Pete McGrath’s final game in charge, Devlin warned his players not to get carried away despite an impressive quarter-final showing.

“Believe it or not we’ll find something to pick at. To be honest, we’ll just forget about it and move on. I told them before the aim was to win,” added the Cargin boss.

“Whether you learn anything from it, I don’t know. Sometimes those ones give you a wee bit of a false dawn.”

Cargin and Creggan will meet in one semi-final on the weekend of September 28-29 with last season’s beaten finalists Portglenone facing Dunloy in the other semi-final.