Football

The Moy must put in full shift to oust An Ghaeltacht

The Moy's star Sean Cavanagh
The Moy's star Sean Cavanagh The Moy's star Sean Cavanagh

All-Ireland club IFC semi-finals: An Ghaeltacht v The Moy, Semple Stadium, 2pm - TG4

(Michael Glavey's v Kilanerin, St Loman's, Mullingar, 2pm)

To compound last Sunday’s postponement of their clash with An Ghaeltacht of Kerry, The Moy's own ground has also been flooded, forcing them to avail of the generosity of neighbouring clubs.

Preparations have far from ideal for the biggest game in the club’s history, but the players remain focused on what they must do.

A switch to Semple Stadium means the Tyrone and Ulster champions face a longer journey to their date with destiny, but joint manager Audi Kelly insists the combined difficulties won’t diminish an experience his team is determined to enjoy.

“We have had setbacks this week as regards training. Our own pitch has been flooded and we have been relying on the goodwill of local clubs to accommodate us, providing pitches for us,” he said.

“And it’s a lot more work for our own committee. Last week we travelled on the day, but this time, with the added distance, we’re staying overnight, so the committee has had to do a lot more work, and there’s a lot more cost for the club.”

A fierce modern-day rivalry between Tyrone and Kerry can be traced back to 2003, and two combatants from that defining season, Sean Cavanagh and Marc O Se, will roll back the years as they clash once again.

There are household names in both sides, but Kelly expects their impact to be no greater than lesser-known players.

“There’s big names involved in both teams, but I always look at the team aspect. The big names will play a big part in the game, but the other guys in both teams will have a big bearing on this game.

“The one thing that has stood to us through the Tyrone campaign and the Ulster campaign is that a lot of the games have come down to the final quarter, and it has left us battle-hardened.

“We have played a lot of good football in patches, particularly through Ulster, but we know that to compete with An Ghaeltacht, it’s going to take a much more complete performance from us.”

The Tir na nOg boss has sympathy for the club’s supporters, who he feels have suffered more disruption than the players.

“If the game had gone to a replay, it would have been something similar. It was disappointing going down the road to get the phone call that the game was off, but more so for The Moy supporters.

“Most of The Moy supporters would have been down on Saturday night for the game, so it has cost them a lot of money.

“I’m sure they would love to be able to stay over this weekend, but I know it did take a lot of cost last week.

“And I know some people travelled from as far as England and America last weekend, and probably they’re not going to be able to get to the match this weekend, so it’s a particular disappointment for those people.”