Masita GAA Hogan Cup semi-final: Wednesday, 2pm: Abbottstown, Dublin
Amazingly three of the four schools that contest the Masita Hogan Cup semi-finals are provincial winners.
First time Connacht champions Rice College, Westport defeated Naas CBS 0-14 to 1-7 in Saturday’s first semi-final and fresh from their initial Danske Bank MacRory Cup triumph St Ronan’s, Lurgan today face Pobalscoil Chorca, Dhuibhne, who have won all five of their Corn Uí Mhuirí crowns in Munster over the last seven seasons.
In yet another all-Kerry final they defeated Tralee CBS by 2-13 to 1-10 more than three weeks ago and again have the advantage of watching their opponents win their first MacRory on March 19th.
Eamon Fitzmaurice’s team were firm favourites in Munster but did not nail the final until a speculative shot from Ruaidhrí Ó Beaglaoich was punched to the net by Frank Sauerland close to the death to open a 2-11 to 1-10 lead over Marc Ó Sé’s side.
Before that it was score for score with Ó Beaglaoich, Dylan Ó Geibheannaigh, Cillian Firtéir and Deividas Uosis the main threat up front.
Of the 17 players Fitzmaurice used in the Munster final, 15 started last year’s Paul McGirr final with Maghera, a thriller that was decided in the last minute of extra time by a fisted goal from Aodhán Ó Dubháin on a 2-20 to 4-13 score-line, with Ó Beaglaoich landing 10 points.
I'd like to be in St Ronan's boots states Fitzmaurice
This is a talented bunch of players arriving a year early and attempting to collect a fifth successive title for Kerry following back-to-backs for both St Brendan’s Killarney and An Phobalscoil.
At least St Ronan’s will have had a little more time than their MacRory predecessors St Mary’s Magherafelt to savour an initial provincial title success and still prepare for the next challenge.
Lurgan’s progress through the knock-out stages of the MacRory was more about winning the game than playing open expansive football. They had close shaves with Patrician High and St Patrick’s Armagh before returning to the Athletic Grounds to finish the journey by beating the holders by a margin of just two points.
Different players have stood out above the crowd in different matches, but it has really been a team effort and they will all be required to raise their collective game for this Munster challenge.
And very central to that performance will be the accuracy of Eoin McConville from placed balls. The St Paul’s clubman had a quiet enough MacRory final, just four points to his name, after 0-7 and 1-7 in the previous two games.
Ó Beaglaoich also was subdued in the Munster decider with six points, but both are quality strikers under pressure and a place in the final could well be decided on accuracy from the dead ball.
Rioghan Meehan’s MacRory final performance will mark him out as one Fitzmaurice will need to watch, but then others like the half back line or Jack Lenehan and Tiernan Kelly could get the opportunity to shine.
Many will favour a Kerry victory – indeed I have seen predictions a month ago that An Phobalscoil could win the next two Hogans – but if St Ronan’s show the same stoic commitment to teamwork that helped break down a barrier in Ulster, the Dingle school could well be licking their wounds come late afternoon.
