Championship semi-final previews
Rathvilly's Jake Elliott squeezes through the tackles of Old Leighlin dup Tadhg O'Neill and Kevin Carpenter when the teams met in the Senior Football League final last May. The teams meet again in the Championship semi-final on Sunday Photo: Pat Ahern
Memories of games over a six-year span where Rathvilly won the county final in 2009 but Old Leighlin came back to take back to back titles the following two seasons. Rathvilly atoned in 2014 and even ten years later players have wonderful memories of those games.
Both sides play an attacking brand of football and Old Leighlin’s approach must surely put years on managers who play a possession game and build ever so slowly from the rear.
Mikey Bambrick has been unstoppable for Old Leighlin and when he gets the ball in hand going forward things happen. The experienced Cathal Coughlan and Seamus Kinsella have been huge for Old Leighlin and the likes of Tadhg Roche, James Dowling, Darragh Fitzgerald and Sean Taylor have fed of them.
They have put up 2-12, 4-17 and 2-16 in their group games.
Rathvilly didn’t top their group but that hardly worried them. They would probably have focussed on the Palatine game which they lost and only scored eight points. 1-12 against a tricky Clonmore opponent and then hammering Bagenalstown Gaels doesn’t tell much about them. The questions will be asked on Sunday. Eric Molloy wears the number three shirt but he might as well be wearing the number 30. He is constantly on the move. Brendan Murphy continues to act as a mobile pillar in midfield. Liam Gavin and Kevin Murphy know where the posts are. The big question is how will they defend against an Old Leighlin side who will hit them on the break?
Old Leighlin
Two little pals. The respect for each other is mutual but Éire Óg have something which Palatine almost fear. Proof of this was in their group game where Palatine were the better side but were unable to push on. Éire Óg could have scored 2-6 in the final quarter but couldn’t find the posts if they had been there all night. At this stage, surely Colm Hulton is going to find his shooting boots? Ross Dunphy has been the Teach Asca’s side best player by a distance this year. Darragh O’Brien in the centre of the attack has provided leadership when players were not performing.
The story circulating from Palatine is that they have lost Tomas Kenny through injury. He is a loss. They will look to Shane O’Neill for scores from play and placed balls. Bryan McMahon is still young but he knows where the posts are and should not be fazed playing against the champions. Finbarr Kavanagh and Jason Kane will have to get on top at midfield if they are to repeat their group victory.
The Teach Asca side would have been surely stunned by their poor performance against Mount Leinster Rangers where they were blessed to survive. They are not a vintage Éire Óg side but they are unlikely to be low-key two weeks in a row.
Éire Óg
St Patricks are in the last four but have not impressed. Is that a good omen for them or are they only playing out time in the competition? Sunday will reveal all. They rely heavily on Jack Kennedy and Brian Byrne.
Kildavin-Clonegal looked really good against Fenagh with Jake Nolan scoring 4-2. That put them right into the reckoning and that form was endorsed when Fenagh knocked out Ballinabranna with a great second half display. Daryl Roberts is a real leader up front for Kildavin-Clonegal while Niall Hickey is a classy and effective midfielder. This is going to be tight.
St Patricks
Everyone knows that Fenagh have the likes of Sean Murphy and Cormac Lomax but Jack Treacy brought his hurling speed to Netwatch Cullen Park on Sunday. Josh Kearney also caught the eye against Ballinabranna.
Grange were all over the place in their third-round game against Éire Óg but with the introduction of John Murphy, Killian Murphy and Noah Mulligan they were a different side.
Fenagh may have more strength in depth but Grange continue to dig ever so deep with thinner resources. Another close one with Fenagh edging it.
Fenagh
Kilbride finished their game against Asca with 13 players but still fashioned a win. They were unbeaten in their group with two wins and a draw. Of course Darragh Foley is their leader and he will be well supported by Jack Ryan and Tom Donald.
Ballon impressed when putting 2-12 on the Cocks in a group game. They won’t dwell on that but it is a form indicator. Ballon showed character when beating Asca in the last eight. They were only narrowly beaten by Leighlinbridge. The two could be meeting again after the weekend.
Ballon
Performances where they put five goals on Tinryland and the opposite where they only scored nine points but still ground out a win against Ballon suggest Leighlinbridge know how to fashion results. Their accuracy comes through Aidan Lillis while PJ Haughey and Cathal Brennan are strong in defence.
On the other side, Glen O’Rourke’s heroics against O’Hanrahans last time out will ensure he will be a marked man. One win and two defeats in the group suggest the Cocks are not as strong as they were last year.
Verdict: Leighlinbridge
Three draws in the group without a win and Ballinabranna with Brian Kinsella are still in the running. Jeffrey O’Donoghue provides experience in the Rathvilly defence With Owen Curran and Jack Carroll capable of picking off points up front they have to be fancied.
Rathvilly
Kildavin-Clonegal topped their group with two wins and a draw against Ballinabranna. The YIs lost to Rathvilly and drew with Clonmore. If Kildavin-Clonegal play with confidence and forget who they are up against here, they could produce a performance to make the final.
Kildavin-Clonegal
