Double on the cards for Kerry clubs?
Milltown / Castlemaine and Dromid Pearses set for Portlaoise date
AIB ALL-IRELAND CLUB IFC SEMI-FINAL MILLTOWN / CASTLEMAINE V CRAIGBANE (DERRY) When: Sunday, January 2 Where: O’moore Park, Portlaoise Time: 3.30pm
WELCOME to the big time. It was all very well and good beating Mullinahone on a scoreline of 1-14 to 0-6, but as preparation for an All Ireland championship semi-final against Ulster opposition goes it was irrevelant. Milltown / Castlemaine’s Munster campaign was much tougher than the scoreline in the decider suggests, but there is a very real step up in class between Munster and All Ireland competition.
In this championship’s junior equivalent no Kerry team, which has won the Munster championship, has failed to reach the final and only one of those that did lost in the subsequent final – Duagh in 2007. The Intermediate championship is a much tougher nut to crack, however.
In the last five years two Kerry sides have failed to get past the hurdle that Milltown / Castlemaine now face – both Annascaul and Gneeveguilla lost at the semi-final stage, both to Galway opposition – while a third side, Spa, lost an All Ireland final in 2010 to Ulster opposition.
So while the expectation is that Dromid, despite Kerry teams’ traditional difficulty with Tyrone sides, will, as the record book suggests, advance to the final and win it, there’s no such historical comfort for John Fintan Daly and his management team.
Kerry teams, which triumph in the All Ireland Intermediate Championship are made to battle all the way for it and against this Craigbane side Milltown / Castlemaine can expect one hell of a battle. In their Ulster Final, played on an absolutely terrible November evening in Omagh admittedly, they ran out 0-6 to 0-5 winners over Culloville of Armagh.
The Orchard county side were down to thirteen men by the end of the game and the Derry kingpins were vocal in their disapproval for the style of defensive football employed by their opponents in that final, but nevertheless it shows their intrinsic battling abilities.
In their other two games in the Ulster championship they scored big, however. They defeated Kilclief of Down 2-19 to 06 and Carrickmacross of Monaghan on a scoreline of 1- 14 to 0- 9. So this, then, is a team, which can mix it and play it anyway the game determines.
From their post match comments after the Ulster final Craigbane would seem to prefer to play football in the traditional thrilling Derry style and against a team from the Kingdom they’re likely to be given the chance to do so. Not that Milltown / Castlemaine are in any way an open and naive football team – anyone who’s seen Damian Murphy is recent times knows they’re dogged and will scrap for every ball – but by the same token they’re no Culloville.
Derry club football has a strong reputation, if anything at times the strength of the club game in Derry is considered too strong to facilitate a successful inter-county set-up in the Oak- Leaf county. Craigbane, then, are not to be taken lightly.
They’re anchored at the back by former Derry star Fergal Crossan. Crossan, mirroring Milltown / Castlemaine captain Damian Murphy, leads the line from full- back and has put in a number of inspirational displays from there for Craigbane (much as Murphy has done his side).
They’re a very pacey side with a powerful midfield. Former Derry Under 21 star Blaine Gormley is the main man around the middle and on the basis of his underage pedigree and displays with Craigbane this term is being tipped as a future Oakleaf star.
He has strength, ball winning ability, pace and an uncanny ability to find the right man in the right place at the right time. He’s ably assisted by Aidy Mclaughlan so Mike Burke and Brendan Delaney will have a job on their hands to break even on Sunday.
Craigbane’s forwards are led by the impressive Lee Moore ( their manager’s son) and Cathal O’kane. Marcus Mangan, Paul Carroll and co will be tested to their limits here we suspect, but given what we’ve seen from them this year when put the pin of their collar ( against An Ghaeltacht in the county semi- final, for example) they held their ground and keep the scores against tally down.
Milltown head into the game with a solid Munster campaign, a solid Kerry campaign and a very welcome break period under their belts. Is that enough to make them favourites for this game? Possibly. Usually when a manager talks up his opposition it’s platitudinous, but in this instance John Fintan Daly is on the money.
This Craigbane outfit are a cut above nearly everything they’ve seen to date, inside Kerry and most definitely outside of it. There have been times, the Clondegad game aside, when they’ve looked comfortable, looked like they had more to give and if they do then they’ll no doubt be asked to give it in Portlaoise.
Can they do it? Yes. Will they do it? Time will tell. It’ll be close, but maybe, just maybe, they’ll have what it takes.
Verdict: Milltown / Castlemaine