Forward power is key for St Mary’s

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Homeland SFC

Group One – Round Four St Mary’s 1-14 Calry-St Joseph’s 1-11

SAINT Mary’s are through to the county semi-finals, Calry-St Joseph’s could yet join them as one of the top two teams in Group One of this year’s Homeland Senior Football Championship.

The difference between St Mary’s being in the last four and Calry-St Joseph’s being almost there – they have to beat Shamrock Gaels in their next game – is simple: Potent forwards. Table-toppers St Mary’s, who

ST MARY’S: Mark Breheny’s charges have made the last four with a game to spare. They play Curry at Kilcoyne Park this Sunday (3.30pm start), with Curry still set for the relegation play-offs even if they win. CALRY-ST JOSEPH’S: Following encouraging displays, their campaign is still very much alive but everything hinges on them beating Shamrock Gaels at Markievicz Park on Sunday (3.30pm). A draw will suffice for Gaels, who’ve a better score difference.

struggled occasionally in their threepoint defeat of Calry-St Joseph’s on

Sunday last, still had the greater firepower when required.

Even without important forward Kyle Cawley, who starred as a teenager when St Mary’s last won the Owen B Hunt Cup in 2015, St Mary’s had Stephen Coen, Nathan Rooney and Emlyn Mulligan to call on.

These attackers supplied 11 of St Mary’s 14 points, and Coen, a firsthalf substitute, was particularly adept with his finishing at Cloonacool Community Park – the alternative venue for this round four fixture after Owenmore Gaels pulled the availability of Connolly Park.

There’s a major contrast between the attacking riches of St Mary’s, who were without two other forwards, Cian Breheny and Dylan Kilgallon (a long-term absentee), and those of Calry-St Joseph’s.

David Cummins’ side, who came into this game on the back of useful defeats of Curry and Tubbercurry, relied heavily on teenager Daire O’Boyle, a Connacht GAA Minor Football Championship runner-up with Sligo two years ago.

O’Boyle was the main go-to guy in the Calry-St Joseph’s forward line and he had to deal with being marked by Ryan Feehily, a senior inter-county standard defender. Although he was restricted from scoring from play, O’Boyle still chalked up 1-6, including a 46th minute penalty conversion and six pointed frees.

Hampered by an over-reliance on Daire O’Boyle, Calry-St Joseph’s also suffered by poor shooting – 10 wides in total, including seven in the second-half where they moved the ball better (albeit still getting clogged up in the central areas) and put St Mary’s under pressure.

It didn’t help that injuries forced off two stalwarts, Cormac Coyne and Damien O’Boyle, although Conor Griffin was a big addition to bring off the bench.

St Mary’s, who were six points ahead at half-time, 0-10 to 0-4, still needed corner-back Ryan Feehily’s goal after 48 minutes – from Michael Munnelly’s pass – to subdue a Calry-St Joseph’s recovery that began when Daire O’Boyle netted a penalty two minutes before.

An intriguing second-half was