Seán Moranlooks ahead to this weekend's senior club football finals in Leinster and Munster.
SUNDAY
Leinster club SFC final: Portlaoise (Laois) v Garrycastle (Westmeath), Tullamore, 2.00
Portlaoise are within an hour of vindicating their status as favourites for this year's AIB Leinster club football title but Garrycastle were unfazed by long odds going into their semi-final against Ballyboden and are more likely prospects than the 5 to 2 being quoted suggests.
They may be chasing Westmeath’s first success in this championship whereas their opponents are on the verge of a record seventh but they also have the sort of all-round strength that teams at this level need.
Much of the focus is on Dessie Dolan, who has been in exceptional form. Free from the injuries that have plagued his recent intercounty career, Dolan has been everywhere for the club: pulling the strings at centre forward, dropping deep to scrap for possession and still finding the time to pop up and average five points a match.
The tenacity of the defence is complemented by an ability to break intelligently and retain possession typified by wing backs Doran Harte, whose relentless graft is well known at county level, and Mark McCallon who scored a goal in the semi-final.
Maybe they shouldn’t get too carried away by beating a Ballyboden team, short Conal Keaney and Declan O’Mahony but neither should they be too apprehensive against a Portlaoise team that was picked open by Clara in the abandoned semi-final and didn’t look terribly composed in defence.
That was superseded by a strong performance in the refixture and the Laois side will need to hit their stride more quickly and take scores from distance.
They should win but it’s no certainty.
Munster club SFC final
Kerins O’Rahillys (Kerry) v Kilmurry-Ibrickane (Clare), Gaelic Grounds, 2.0
It’s part of the appeal of the club championships that equations with county status aren’t always accurate and particularly if an experienced club from a less successful county is pitched against a less practised opponent. O’Rahillys aren’t a bad side and have enough hardened campaigners not to be inhibited by tomorrow’s encounter.
They are however less familiar with the demands of this competition, won by Kilmurry five years ago when en route they beat then Kerry representatives Milltown-Castlemaine, and have suffered serious disruption with the departure of Tommy Walsh to Melbourne even if his companion on the trip to St Kilda, David Moran, has returned albeit at relatively short notice for full recovery from such a trek.
But Moran will still be a boost for the club, who put away Cork champions Clonakilty in the quarter-final.
Defensively sound – they efficiently shut down Moyle Rovers danger man Declan Browne in the semi-final – the Tralee side will still be under pressure from Kilmurry’s industry, athleticism and ability to grind out results and take critical scores.
O’Rahillys have Micheál Quirke again available after a quick honeymoon and should be able to make an impact around the middle. The extent to which that will create an adequate supply for Walsh’s brother Barry John and Declan Quill is the critical issue in the match’s outcome.
The instinct here is that the Kerry side can weather a stern challenge.
