Glenbeigh/Glencar favourites to deny Laune Rangers

MID KERRY SFC FINAL

Laune Rangers v Glenbeigh / Glencar

Sunday November 4 JP O’Sullivan Park 2pm

AFTER their County Championship winning team of 1993 where honoured in Austin Stack Park last Sunday, matters turn to a much more local affair for Laune Rangers this Sunday as they bid for their first Mid Kerry title in twleve years against a Glenbeigh / Glencar side looking this decade.

The Killorglin side won this event 16 times in a 19-year period up until their last success in 2006, but they have only reached four deciders since then with defeats in all three to Milltown / Castlemaine (2008 and 2012) and Glenbeigh / Glencar themselves back in 2011 and 2013.

A win would provide massive solace to Rangers after a year that saw them relegated to Division 4 of the County Senior League as well as just avoid relegation to the Premier Junior ranks at Championship level.

Beating the Premier Junior for their fourth title Champions has reinvigorated their year, however, as they ended Beaufort’s hopes of a three-in-arow with a surprising semi-final success.

Glenbeigh / Glencar haven’t had the best of years either, relegation from Division 1 of the County League after a four-year stay combined with failing to making it beyond the Group Stages of the Intermediate Championship means they are hoping for local solace themselves.

They lost out in last year’s decider to Beaufort after letting a promising lead slip in the second period but a win over Milltown / Castlemaine in the semi-final has put them back here and even though they must head to JP O’Sullivan Park to play the decider, they will still be fancied to win on Sunday.

Gavan O’Grady is out, however, with a long-term injury as there are major concerns about Tommy Cahill (hamstring) along with Pa Kilkenny, who is only returning from injury himself.

Rangers have no major concerns player wise, but will need a massive performance to lift themselves towards a badly needed success for their club.

A lot will fall on Peter Crowley on Sunday for the hosts, who is still to win a district medal, along with All-Ireland winning Minor Fiachra Clifford as well as John Tyther, Shane Daly as well as Daire Cleary, Jack O’Connor and team captain Jonathon Carey.

This is a new look Laune Rangers in a lot of ways and while they will be considered the ‘underdogs’ on form in recent years this arguably represents one of their best chances to reclaim the Michael O’Connor Cup.

Glenbeigh / Glencar have the proven winners at this level however in the form of Darran O’Sullivan, Fergal Griffin, Colin McGuillicuddy, Jack Brosnan and Caoilm Teahan and having won their 2015 title at Sunday’s venue won’t fear the surrounds even if it is the home side they are playing.

A bad season at county level it might have been for both, but the chance at some local pride should reinvigorate both.

Home advantage and the momentum from beating the holders is the main thing in Laune Rangers’ favour but the proven track record since 2011 is Glenbeigh / Glencar’s main strength along with plying their trade in Division 1 this year.

That standard of games might just be the decisive factor in calling this.

Verdict:

Glenbeigh/Glencar