Final four ready for battle in Carlow Senior Football Championship
Éire Óg and Old Leighlin meet in a Michael Lyng Motors Senior Football Championship semi-final on Sunday Photo: Michael O'Rourke
Ahead of this weekend's Michael Lyng Motors Senior Football Championship semi-finals, Kieran Murphy spoke to the four managers of the teams involved
It has probably been a somewhat worrying season for Old Leighlin. They have blown hot and cold losing two of their group games. Manager, Brian Lonergan, is not panicking and was glad of a quarter-final game against Bagenalstown Gaels whom they beat by eight points.
“We are looking forward to it. We haven’t been at our best but our quarter-final win gives us great confidence going into it. Éire Óg turned us over fairly well in the group stages but we are in the knock-out stages now where it is a completely different ball-game,” he says.
“We are fit, we are strong. After the Rathvilly game we got a rude awakening but we are in a semi-final now and anything can happen,” he says.
The champions have a chance to turn around the group game result when they met Éire Óg in the last four.
“It will be a good game. They won’t fancy meeting us. We don’t want to particularly meet them. We like to avoid each other but it is what it is now. Four even teams and four very competitive teams in the semi-finals,” the Old Leighlin manager says.
Richie Mahon the joint manager of Éire Óg is not bemoaning the lack of a game between their final group test and the semi-final against Old Leighlin. They have had a number of injuries and a gap of almost five weeks has given the physio time to get to work.
“The plan was always to top the group and get into the semi-final. Just in terms of bodies being sore and getting lads somewhat right. Time will tell but our goal was to get into a semi-final from the start, get the break and get lads right. We are conscious that we have a couple of lads in with Carlow Town and we want to give them a bit of a break. Keep everybody as fresh as possible,” Mahon says.
The Teach Asca man is looking forward to the challenge which lies ahead.
“They are county champions for a reason. They are seriously formidable opposition. We were lucky to get out with a draw last year and they went on and won a county championship for a reason,” he says.
Éire Óg were convincing winners when the two teams met in the group stages. Mahon says this means nothing now.
“We are very much coming into this with our eyes open. They are defending champions. It doesn’t matter about their form is up to now. They were very good against Bagenalstown. We are going very mindful who we are playing and we are going to have to perform to the best of our ability if we are to get to a county final,” he says.
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When Rathvilly and Palatine shared the points after their round 3 drawn group game, it was really only staving off the inevitable. Two sides who know each other well were always destined to meet in the knock-out stages. Now it has come to pass.
“It is 50-50. We know each other inside out,” states the Palatine manager, Paud O’Dwyer.
“The group game showed that and there was nothing in it. We are looking to playing Rathvilly and that is the reality of it.” Side doors. Back doors. Losers groups. Straight quarter-finals. Call it what you like, Palatine were glad to have an extra game. In fact it is really a last six confrontation with two teams already in the semis.
“A quarter-final didn’t do us any harm. It kept the mind focussed. The fact that we played against Grange in round four and we didn’t play very well focussed the mind to put in a performance in the quarter-final and we were happy with what we got.”
Managers sometimes try to build up the opposition and play down the hopes of his (or her) own team. Yet when Palatine and Rathvilly meet can one really predict the result with any degree of certainty?
Kevin Byrne, the Rathvilly manager, doesn’t think so.
“I suppose if you ask most people it is a toss of a coin. I suppose the way they are going Éire Óg will be favourites to beat Old Leighlin but Palatine and Rathvilly drew in the group stages of the championship where we got out of jail. It is probably too close to call,” he muses.
He is a tad unhappy to have such a gap between their fifth round group game and a knock-out last four joust.
“Unfortunately. It is nearly five weeks since our last game. If you want to win a championship and getting to a quarter-final you have to win that game anyway. You have to beat what is in front of you,” he points out.
And back to the question of a quarter-final or a semi-final” “If you are carrying injuries the break can do you good rather than a quick round to a quarter-final. There are pros and cons. I think the five weeks is a bit long.” If there is uncertainty about a straight passage to a semi-final or not, then there is no doubt how Rathvilly footballers are feeling as they embrace the Palatine challenge after a heart-breaking final loss to Old Leighlin last season.
“It is something when we came back, no-one walked away. We believe we were the better team last year and threw it away. We didn’t turn up for county final day. A few of the older heads like Ed Finnegan and Brendan Murphy have stayed around to try and finish on a high.”
Rathvilly v Palatine Saturday, Netwatch Cullen Park, 7pm
Éire Óg v Old Leighlin Sunday, Netwatch Cullen Park, 3.45pm
