Healy eyes final after 'dark months' of injury hell

Tailteann Cup semi-finals

Venue: Croke Park, Dublin Date: Sunday, 23 June Throw-in: Antrim v Laois (14:00 BST) & Down v Sligo (16:00 BST)

Coverage: Live text commentaries, reports & reaction on BBC Sport website & app.

Peter Healy had heard stories from his peers about the long, dark road back after a serious injury. But up until last year, he never fully grasped just how difficult it was to stay positive while staring down the barrel of an extended spell on the sidelines.

Last year, Healy lined out at Croke Park for the biggest game of his Antrim career. It was a Tailteann Cup semi-final against Meath. The afternoon ended in misery for Antrim, but for captain Healy, the pain came much sooner.

With 15 minutes on the clock, Healy - who started at full-back - was hurt and couldn't continue. Replaced by Gerard Walsh, he ensured the double agony of a fresh injury while watching his team-mates fall to the Royals by two points.

It proved to be Healy's last appearance in the Saffron jersey for nearly a year. Already nursing a stress fracture in his foot, he had hernia repair surgery last summer. Then, with his foot having failed to heal, he had two screws put into a navicular bone in October.

The journey back was a physical and mental struggle, but after a series of setbacks, he returned with a late cameo in the Tailteann Cup preliminary quarter-final win over London at Corrigan Park a fortnight ago.

"There were a few dark, dark months thinking of possibly not getting back to football at all," the St Enda's club-man tells BBC Sport NI.

'You don't understand it until you've had it'

"But to get back in, especially at this time of year when there's an opportunity to get to Croke Park is a bonus. I missed the dark, wet period of winter and now we're going to Croke Park.

"You hear people talking about it [long injury lay-offs]. But as an athlete, you really don't understand it until you've had it. When all you do is play football and it's taken away from you, it is tough. There were a lot of ups and downs over the 11 months.

"Before that, I was quite lucky with injuries. I'd never really had anything more than three or four weeks so it was a right shock."

Healy's return continued with an impactful appearance off the bench in last week's quarter-final win over Fermanagh, scoring two point as Andy McEntee's side came from seven back to edge a tight Ulster derby at Brewster Park.

The 27-year-old defender, who featured in his club's memorable run to the 2019 All-Ireland Intermediate final, says the win over the Ernemen showed Antrim's "character" but he knows it will take another courageous display to beat Laois and set up a Tailteann Cup decider against Down or Sligo.

"It's a huge chance for us," says joint-captain Healy, who works as an actuary in Dublin.

"For a lot of lads who have come in and done well this season, it'll be their first time on the Croke Park pitch. There's always a huge buzz around Croke."

Missing out on last year's final left a bad taste in Antrim's mouths, and having gone through the toughest spell of his career, redemption is clearly at the forefront of Healy's mind.

"We want to right the wrongs from last year. Playing at Croke Park is an occasion and it could be easy to get overawed by it.

"We did quite well last year and I think the experience of being there last year and having suffered will stand by us this weekend. I don't think there's any nerves really. We've nothing to lose, getting this far. That's the mentality we have."

Tailteann Cup team news

Healy is again named on the bench in an Antrim side showing one change from the win over Fermanagh. Niall Burns is named to start at right half-back in place of James McDonnell. Burns was named at five for the trip to Fermanagh only for McDonnell to be drafted in as a late change.

Antrim: Michael Byrne; Declan Lynch, Eunan Walsh, Kavan Keenan; Niall Burns, Joseph Finnegan, Dermot McAleese; Patrick McAleer, Cathal Hynds; Colm McLarnon, Patrick McBride, Ruairi McCann; Ryan McQuillan, Ruairi McCann, Marc Jordan.

Subs: Luke Mulholland, Calum Higgins, Conhuir Johnston, Conor Hand, Daniel McNichol, Dominic McEnhill, Eoin Hynds, James McDonnell, Liam McLarnon, Pat Shivers, Peter Healy.

Laois: Killian Roche; James Kelly, Kieran Lillis, Mark Timmons; Séamus Lacey, Brian Byrne, Simon Fingleton; Damon Larkin, Conor Heffernan; Mark Barry, Evan O'Carroll, Kevin Swayne; Rioghan Murphy, Niall Dunne, Paul Kingston.

Subs: Conor Brown, Eoin Buggie, Ciarán Burke, Niall Corbet, Brian Daly, Mikie Dempsey, Ben Dempsey, Shaun Fitzpatrick, Jack Lacey, Eoin Lowry, Aaron McEvoy.

For last year's beaten finalists Down, Liam Kerr is named to start in the full-forward line. Johnny Flynn, Danny Magill, Ryan Johnston are all named to start, although that trio were replaced before throw-in in Down's quarter-final win over Wicklow.

Down: John O'Hare; Peter Fegan, Ryan McEvoy, Pierce Laverty; Miceal Rooney, Daniel Guinness, Shealan Johnston; Jonny Flynn, Odhran Murdock; Danny Magill, James Guinness, Ryan Johnston; Liam Kerr, Pat Havern, Conor McCrickard.

Subs: Kevin Anderson, Finn McElroy, Paddy McCarthy, Ryan Magill, Ceilum Doherty, Caolan Mooney, Oisin Savage, Shane Annett, John McGovern, Gareth McKibben, Eamonn Brown.

Sligo: Aidan Devaney; Evan Lyons, Eddie McGuinness, Paul McNamara; Brian Cox, Darragh Cummins, Nathan Mullen; Paul Kilcoyne, Canice Mulligan; Cian Lally, Alan McLoughlin, Seán Carrabine; Mikey Gordon, Patrick O'Connor, Niall Murphy.

Subs: Daniel Lyons, David Quinn, Donal Conlon, Eoghan Smith, Jack Lavin, Keelan Cawley, Lee Deignan, Luke Casserly, Mark Walsh, Pat Spillane, Peter Laffey.