At 2pm this Sunday in Pearse Stadium, two clubs who should be playing at a higher grade will battle it out to see who takes the escalator up to Intermediate football for next season and wins the Junior A final.
Headford beat Glinsk on a score-line of 0-11 to 1-07 in the North Board final and they should have closed out that game easier than a one-point win.
They led by four points going into the home stretch, but conceded a late goal that almost cost them their place in the county final.
Their side is captained from midfield by Eoin McHugh and they have some talented forwards in the likes of Niall Meeneghan, Noel Gibsey. Sean Meeneghan, and Thomas Lee.
Those forwards will have to produce a top-class performance to defeat a hard-working and committed Spideal side which has been playing well and is the favourite going into Sunday’s joust.
The Connemara men had an impressive win over Salthill in the West Board semi-final and followed that up with a narrow win over the Aran Islands in the final two weeks ago.
They are backboned by the three Colleran brothers, with Lorcan tearing into things at midfield and Brendan providing some guile up front. The Thorntons are talented players, too, and I am looking forward to seeing both sides in action.
Lorcan Colleran was man-of-the-match against the Aran Islands and he is a very experienced campaigner who always gives everything for the cause.
His potential battle with Eoin McHugh could have a massive bearing on the outcome this weekend.
I have not seen Headford club players in action for a few years and it will be interesting to see how they are shaping up this Sunday.
It is a club and town that in my humble opinion should be able to field an adult team at intermediate level and they are only an hour from doing that at this stage.
It is always difficult to call a game like this, nevertheless having spoken to a few players who have been beaten by Spideal this season in the championship, they told me that they are a very fit, very physical, hard-running, and hard-working outfit which doesn’t take any prisoners.
I am sure that Headford will put it up to them, but no more than Kerry against Cork last Sunday, I would expect An Spideal to prevail and come good on the home stretch.
