After surviving a scare against Leitrim champions Ballinamore Seán O’Heslins to progress to Sunday’s Connacht club semi-final, Val Daly’s Mountbellew Moylough have had an additional two weeks to get rid of their county final hangover. Now they are set for a titanic battle against a very tough and physical Padraig Pearses when they meet in Hyde Park on Saturday (1.30pm ).
Given their water-tight defence, marshalled by John Daly and Billy Mannion, Mountbellew had barely coughed up a goal chance against Corofin and Moycullen, but yet they conceded two defensively sloppy goals in their Connacht quarter-final. This must be corrected if they are to overturn a Roscommon club side with the amount of experience Pearses have gathered over the last number of years.
Trailing by 2-05 to 0-05 at half-time in their last outing, Mountbellew needed to come from behind - something they had not needed to do in Galway all year. Barry McHugh was in majestic form, scoring 0-09 in total, and keeping his side in the game until they finally hit the lead with just a few minutes remaining. In winter football accuracy from the deal ball is essential, and McHugh's impressive form will need to continue this weekend.
The Daly brothers also had their say in that eight-point turnaround, Michael kicking both the equaliser and point that edged his side in front, along with a fine effort from John.
Val Daly and his backroom team have now had three weeks to focus their attentions on Saturday when they will face Roscommon champions Padraig Pearses in what is a mouth-watering fixture.
Padraig Pearses won their second Roscommon football title this year with a 2-08 to 0-11 victory over Clann na nGael. This game was won six weeks ago, and they have not played competitively since. Many might expect Pearses to be a little rusty considering this will be Mountbellew’s third game during the same period, but it remains to be seen if Pearses' momentum has been lost or whether the extra few weeks provided with valuable time to put strategies in place.
Their manager Pat Flanagan may well have suffered headaches in creating ploys to shut down a fierce Mountbellew-Moylough forward unit which can attack in any manner. They can play it high and aggressive with the height and power of Eoin Finnerty and Patrick Kelly. But these players also possess the nimbleness and skill to play intricate passes which can cut teams open.
Elsewhere, it will be the battle of the Dalys in the middle of the park on Saturday as Michael Daly is likely to mark Padraig Pearses' Niall Daly. John Daly is likely to be tasked with picking up dangerous forward for the Roscommon side, Lorcán Daly. The other main danger men for Padraig Pearses is Hubert Darcy, who has a wicked left foot, and Paul Carey. Both players were in fine form throughout the Roscommon championship, with Carey grabbing 1-03 in the Roscommon final.
These two teams will be well able to match each other with physicality and skill, whichever gets their tactics right on the day will come out on top.
Intermediate final
The Connacht intermediate club semi-final will take place this Saturday when Galway champions Naomh Anna Leitir Móir face Mayo champions Mayo Gaels.
A win on Saturday will send Naomh Anna into a Connacht final and leave them just two wins away from an appearance in Croke Park. The game will throw-in at 1.30pm in Pearse Stadium.
The Kilkerrin-Clonberne ladies won their fourth Connacht title in a row and their sixth since 2014 last weekend.
Effectively walking through another provincial championship, they won this final by 4-22 to 1-06. Olivia Divilly collected a well-deserved player of the match award, with the brilliant Ailish Morrissey finishing with a personal tally of 2-07.
Although dominating Galway football for the last decade, this is still a young side in yet another All-Ireland semi-final. After the disappointing defeat in the 2019 final they will be out to avenge that defeat.
