'Woody' relieved to have avoided Rebels
June 22, 2009

Antrim's Dominic McKinley
Antrim joint-manager Dominic 'Woody' McKinley was breathing a huge sigh of relief after his team was paired with Laois in the All-Ireland hurling qualifier draw.
And while he insists the Saffrons can't afford to take anything for granted, he admits it is a far less daunting prospect than facing Cork, who will meet Offaly in the other phase one tie.
"It would have been hard to motivate the players to face Cork," he admitted.
"We are all down after the Dublin match, but there is no doubt that if we can get things going again we can win.
"It has been hard to get the players focused again, we put everything into the basket for the Dublin game. We have to pick it up but it has affected our confidence."
Antrim have had the upper hand in recent meetings with Laois, but a cautious McKinley added: "At the end of the day, it is the championship and we all know that anything can happen."
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