Neal McAuley has bemoaned the lack of hurling coaching that's being done in Belfast.

As the struggling Antrim hurlers' season hangs in the balance - they could be relegated to the Christy Ring Cup if they lose to Carlow on Sunday - experienced defender McAuley has pleaded with the GAA to promote hurling better in Ireland's second biggest urban centre.

"I know the senior team is the shop window. But the work needs to be done at underage. There is point being top heavy," the Dunloy clubman said in the Irish News.

"You need to have the proper structures in place. There are no coaches in schools. There is no communication. There is no liaising between schools and the county board.

"We have one or two development coaches. I know it's well documented, but in Belfast, which is Ireland's second city, some of the kids have never seen a hurl or a ball, but they will be able to tell you who scored in some soccer match in Italy last night."

Antrim's losses to Kerry, Laois and Westmeath so far this season haven't come as any great surprise to McAuley.

"How many of these people who have these opinions about Antrim hurling have actually seen the work that has gone in any of these counties like Carlow and Westmeath and Laois?" he asks.

"They can't measure the progress that has been made in those counties because they don't know. When you are playing against them, and you see the work that is going on, you realise the progress they are making.

"Those three or four teams have all come up to a level and they are improving the whole time. We just aren't improving at the same rate."

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