Aussie star Byrne could give Saints a semi-final boost
AUSSIE Rules star Ciaran Byrne could give his former club St Mochta’s a massive boost this weekend, as rumours grow that the former Louth attacker will line out in their semi-final clash with Mattock Rangers in Ardee on Sunday afternoon.
With the AFL season closed down, the Carlton man is back in Ireland for a break, and he could well follow in the footsteps of former teammate Zach Tuohy, who regularly returned to line out with Portlaoise in the Laois and Leinster club championships.
The Louth Village outfit were progressing nice and quietly this summer, but that all changed when they dumped out St Bride’s - one of the hot favourites for IFC glory - to book a semi-final date with Mattock.
The Saints will again go in as underdogs, but if they can unleash Byrne during Sunday afternoon’s clash it could well tip the balance as they bid to reverse their narrow semi-final defeat to the Collon men two years.
The prodigal son theme was also present last Sunday night as Paddy Keenan returned from the States to spearhead St Patrick’s SFC quarter-final win over Sean O’Mahony’s.
The former All-Star kicked six points in a narrow Pat’s victory, sealing a semi-final showdown with Naomh Mairtin.
The Pat’s have largely been written off this season following a poor league campaign and the departure of Keenan and Eoin O’Connor, but with the latter potentially returning for the last-four clash with the Jocks, they may well turn out to be dark horses for Joe Ward glory.
While Pat’s and O’Mahony’s produced a thriller in the Clans, the other three quarter-finals were damp squibs as Naomh Mairtin, Dreadnots and Newtown Blues won by 12, 13 and 19 points respectively.
The sides they beat, Dundalk Gaels, St Joseph’s and O’Connell’s had all played just one competitive match in eight weeks in the lead in to the quarter-final games, while their opponents had all be in O’Donnell Cup action over the last few weeks.
In the junior grade Glyde Rangers will be bidding to make up for their final defeat 12 months ago when they face Dundalk Young Irelands in the decider.
Rangers won a titanic battle with Lannleire on Sunday afternoon, while Irelands kept their hopes of an instant return to the intermediate ranks alive with a battling win over Roche Emmets.
This weekend the intermediate semi-finals go down for decision. Mochta’s face Mattock in Ardee on Sunday and on Saturday evening St Fechin’s and Naomh Fionnbarra put their respective 100 per cent records on the line in another clash that looks too close to call.