AN Spideal are expecting a "huge battle" when they meet Ulster champions St Enda’s in next month’s All-Ireland Intermediate semi-final, says Maghnus Breathnach, the Galway club's goalkeeper.
Both teams will be hell-bent on grabbing a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity to represent community, county and province at Croke Park in the February 9 final and Breathnach described St Enda's as "a serious club" as he looked ahead to the clash of the Belfast and Connemara sides on the weekend of January 19/20.
“They are a serious club, they have serious commitment and it’s going to be a huge, huge battle,” he said.
“The carrot is there to get to Croke Park… It’ll be interesting now!
“Representing our club in Croke Park would be a massive, massive achievement. It’s a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity for both teams and you have to make the most of it.”
Breathnach had six seasons as Galway goalkeeper before opting out last year but he hopes to return to Kevin Walsh’s senior set-up in 2019.
Meanwhile, Finnian and Anthony O’Laoi and Padraic O Currain are all trialling with the Tribesmen while Liam Ó Ceallaigh was part of the Galway side that reached the 2018 All-Ireland U20 final. So there’s a fair bit of experience and pedigree in the side.
“We weren’t expected to come out of Connacht, we’re just a hard-working team,” Breathnach said.
“The first 10-15 minutes (of the semi-final) will probably be cagey. We’ll be trying to learn what they’re like and they’ll be trying to learn what we’re like but they’re a good team, they won Ulster and we know they’re going to be very tough opposition.
“It’ll come down to decision-making and discipline on the day and I think it will be a great game, it’ll be great for the two sets of supporters as well; there’ll be a great old mix in the stand, it’ll be good fun wherever they have it.
“They want to go out and play football and that’s what we want to do as well – we want a shoot-out hopefully. It could come down to the conditions too, you don’t know what January will bring.
“Ideally both teams will go and attack each other and let the best team win then."
Both club’s in the first All-Ireland semi-finals and Breathnach admits to knowing very little about St Enda’s who hadn’t won a senior county title before this year.
His own club were surprise packets in Galway and Connacht this year, little was expected of them going into their county championship after several barren years since their previous (losing) appearance in the 2010 final.
“We lost by two points and we thought it was only a matter of time before we got back and won it,” Breathnach recalled.
“But sure we hadn’t won a quarter-final since it and then, when we got there this year, we were determined to go a step further.”
The county final against the Michael Breathnach club went to a replay after extra-time and An Spideal’s Breathnach came into his own after his side were reduced to 14-men in the rematch.
He saved a penalty and then kicked two points to see his side to their famous win.
“I’ve been taking frees all year, the long-range stuff,” he explained.
“We have a good rotation policy – if someone’s not kicking too well, somebody else will step up so we share the load.”
After that win, the Connemara men regrouped for their first-ever Connacht Championship campaign which saw them pitted against Mayo’s Belmullet and then Roscommon’s Fuerty.
“Playing Belmullet was a bit surreal for us and it took us a while to get going in that game,” Breathnach recalled.
“In the first half we didn’t take our chances or we could have been clear at half-time.
“Belmullet had the likes of Chris Barrett and Eoin O’Donoghue and they were tough. We got into extra-time again and we just had the legs to keep going.
“Then Fuerty were an excellent team. We played great in the first half but then were hanging on in the second half.
“But we got through it and it’s great.
“We wouldn’t be used to much attention. We’d be a very small parish in Galway and our pick isn’t that big so it’s a great excitement for the area.”
