To a Pat’s triumph

influence of Paul Earls and Ciaran McGettigan and can Philip Healy and Cathal Kelleher make profits from a miserly Pat’s full-back line.

The match ups are going to be hugely important. If AGB get it wrong, it could be disastrous. Likewise if Pat;s underestimate any of the AGB players it could come back to haunt them come Sunday evening when the Miley Cup is being handed out.

Both teams have excellent goalkeepers, but Mervyn Travers kickouts could be key. Pat’s will press high on them and force him to go long and Chris O’Brien, JP Hurley and Stephen Hurley will likely have to earn their crust against the likes of Dean Healy and Crowe.

How does AGB stop Tommy Kelly? That’s the million-dollar question. As of now there hasn’t been a defender who has come within a mile of stopping him and with the greatest of respect to James Tyrrell, he is going to need help in a big way. Could we see Cal Kelly bieng drafted in to sit in front of Tyrrell which would not only be an extra body but would also be a man who is very capable of high fielding and therefore wouldn’t just be expecting Tyrrell to break high balls but would try and cut them out before they even got there.

The problem with that is that it frees up a Pat’s player out the field and AGB do not want lone wolves roaming around Aughrim in a Pat’s jersey because if they get strong running going out of the middle of the field the AGB defence will find it very hard to stop.

Someone needs to minimise the impact of Dean Healy and Paudge McWalter if AGB are to have any hope. Likewise, for Pat’s, the running power of Darragh Fitzgerald and the attacking flair of Chris O’Brien and Cthal Kelleher will need minding and any transgressions within 50 yards is likely to be punished severely by the outstanding Philip Healy.

This should be a pure game of football and Anthony Nolan will hopefully just have to tag along and keep the show running smoothly.

It’s not unfair to say that it will be somehting of a surprise if AGB emerge victorious from this battle given the form that St Patrick’s are carrying into this game but county finals are county finals, they’re not like any other game. A black card here, a red card there, a booking here, an injury there and things can change massively.

All signs say a Pat’s win but there’s expect the unexpected.