Dromid have right stuff to overcome Tyrone kingpins
AIB ALL IRELAND JFC CLUB SEMI-FINAL DROMID PEARSES V DERRYTRESK (TYRONE) When: Sunday, January 2 Where: O’moore Park, Portlaoise Time: 2pm
EVEN though the great Mickey Harte inspired era of Tryone dominance has long passed (that’s not to say it might not yet be resurrected) the thought of facing a team from the Red Hand county continues to sow, if not fear, then, at least, apprehension in Kerry football folk.
There is those two lost All Ireland finals to think about, there’s that All Ireland semi-final, there’s the various defeats at underage level, there’s the defeats in schools matches and there’s those defeats in All Ireland club finals (both Spa and Duagh lost All Ireland finals to Tyrone opposition).
In short, for a county accustomed to overriding dominance at all levels over everyone, it doesn’t sit easily that for the last ten years Tyrone have held an Indian sign over Kerry at almost all levels. The only team to buck the trend was Finuge in the All Ireland Junior Final of 2005 when they defeated Stewartstown Harps.
So can Dromid follow in Finuge’s footsteps and avoid the pratfalls of Duagh and Spa? If any club is well placed for an assault by a team from Tyrone we think it’s Dromid. They might number amongst their ranks Declan O’sullivan and Niall O’shea, but this is a dogged determined outfit as much as anything.
Sure they can play it pretty when they want to, but they’re not adverse to grinding out a result if and when they have to. If Derrytesk break everything and expect their hardworking half forward line of Michael Robinson, Joe Mckee and Connor O’neill to get the better of Gearóid O’sullivan, Declan O’sullivan and Aidan O’connor then they’ve got another thing coming.
O’connor’s importance to this Dromid team is often overlooked. Sharing a half-forward line with Declan O’sullivan would put a lot of quality players in the shade, of course, but for Dromid O’connor battles so hard, wins so much ball and defends so doggedly that it sets the tempo for the entire team.
Dromid’s defence have been boosted by the return to the fold of Aidan ‘Shine’ O’sullivan. The former All Ireland Under 21 championship winner is a real asset at this level, but the fact that Dromid have been defending so well in his absence – and guys like Kevin O’shea and Michael Sheehan have been starring – just goes to show just how solid this Dromid side are.
They do have a slight tendency to give away avoidable goals at unfortunate moments in the game. Goals conceeded against Duagh, against Kildangan and St Marys in finals recently all rankled with their manager and rightly so.
Goals win games as he pointed out this week, so you best not give them away easily.
Especially not when you’re facing a side like Derrytesk who have a proven ability to nab important goals and from nearly anywhere on the pitch.
Their two corner-forwards – Niall Gavin and Michael Rae – are both proven goal getters, but in the Ulster final cornerback Caolan Carr popped up for the goal.
Dromid’s midfield should hold the whip hand, but we suspect not a whole pile of clean possession will be won on Sunday in O’moore Park. Up front Dromid would seem to have a match for their defenders – if the battle between Cathal O’neill (a promising young player) and Declan O’sullivan goes the South Kerry side’s way (and in all likilhood it will) then Niall O’shea, Eoin O’leary and John Curran should get their hands on enough ball to inflect sufficient damage on Derrytesk.
Don’t expect a free flowing contest. Derrytresk aren’t in that mould and while Dromid have the ability to open up, they’re also the type of side who relish a tough battle. Derrytresk might feel they’ll have this game won if they succeed in getting Dromid to play it on their terms and they may be right, but we think not.
Dromid will be comfortable playing this one on whatever terms they have to. The destination is the thing for them. That destination is Croke Park. It’s where we’ve felt they’d end up all along. We still think they will.
Verdict: Dromid Pearses