Annascaul favourites again in 2020
IT might have looked like Annascaul were simply caught cold by eventual champions Ballyduff in last year’s semi-final and, in the end, they were, but the story of that game was a bit more nuanced than that. The reality is that this was a game which swung wildly, one way and then the other.
It wasn’t a game Annascaul threw away or anything like that. It wasn’t the case that the Division 2 Annasaul took the challenge of the Division 5 Ballyduff lightly. As a matter of fact, despite a blistering start which saw them six points clear in as many minutes, it was a game the West Kerry men had to dig deep in themselves.
At one stage in the second half Annascaul were seven points in arrears – 4-9 to 2-8 – before they battled back to take the lead by a slender margin themselves late on. A last gasp penalty goal from Pádraig Boyle snatched victory for the north Kerry men.
No shame in that and certainly no sign of weakness from Annascaul. The idea that the pressure of being pre-competition favourites got to them is surely wide of the mark. It’s just the case that Ballyduff were and are a serious outfit and that being the case what happened last year shouldn’t be considered a knock against Annascaul.
If anything it should make them that much more determined to get the job done this year. They know they were good enough to win last year’s championship. They know that they’re likely good enough to win this year’s championship.
Favouritism and expectation, pressure and all that just won’t come into it. They’ll want to win because they want to in and, as the sole Division 2 side in the competition, they know they’ll again be handed the favourite’s tag. Again, though, they know and we know that there’s absolutely nothing guaranteed here. Yes, Ballyduff are a slightly unusual case in that were it not for hurling there’s just no way a team of their ability would be operating in Division 5, but at the same time there’s plenty of quality sides in the lower divisions.
Scartaglin have enough firepower to challenge anybody. Beale are a coming force. Castlegregory likewise. Indeed
Annascaul’s West Kerry rivals could prove to be amongst their most dangerous foes this year.
From where we’re looking though it could well be that Duagh will be the second favourites to claim this title. After all, behind Annascaul they’re the next highest ranked side in the County Leagues having been promoted as champions from Division 4 last season.
There’s a nice young team coming together in Duagh and with Anthony Maher still there prompting and prodding, inspiring the neophytes simply by his very presence, they can be a match for any side in the championship.
Their Group 1 rivals, Renard, of course, were the runners-up to Ballyduff last year and demand respect too. Would it be a surprise to see Renard – with Robert Wharton a driving force – back in a final for a second year running? Of course not.
To be honest there’s very little that would surprise us about these championships this year. We’ve got no form other than last year’s to judge any of this on. District Leagues were held an age ago. The single round of the County League played this year similarly so.
To a large extent we’re heading into the unknown here and that’s a really exciting thing for all of us – players, supporters and media alike. Whatever happens it’s back and we can revel in it. Our suspicion is that Annascaul will do enough this time around, but we really wouldn’t be ruling anybody – and we mean anybody – out.