James McNaughton has hit out at Davy Fitzgerald’s detractors after he brought the curtain down on his Antrim hurling tenure last Saturday.

The much-travelled Sixmilebridge native stepped down after a difficult second season at the helm culminated in the Saffrons retaining their Joe McDonagh Cup status.

“The man's been up for the past two years and put his heart and soul into it,” the experienced Antrim forward told BBC NI after the final round win over Carlow.

“It hasn't worked out how we'd have liked with some of the performances, but a lot comes down to the players as well.

“He took a lot of flak and it wasn't right a lot of the time, so it's good to get a good performance out for him because there is hard work put in and I don't care what people say, but he's brought us on a bit.

“When he first came up, we thought it was going to be a lot different. There was a lot of optimism, it just didn't work out but I've a lot of time for him and always will.”

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