Kilmeena have groundwork done in bid to reach All-Ireland junior football final

By Aiden Henry

MAYO and Connacht junior football champions Kilmeena now embark on the All-Ireland trail as they take on Offaly and Leinster champions Clonbullogue in the semi-final, which will be played in Glennon Brothers Pearse Park, Longford, tomorrow at 1.30 p.m.

At the beginning of 2021, Kilmeena’s main goal was to go one better than the previous year's junior championship campaign and win the Mayo title – and, in the process, get promoted to the intermediate grade.

This they achieved in emphatic style. Any other success after that was going to be bonus territory for them.

But once their Mayo championship celebrations finished, they quickly started to prepare for the Connacht championship.

Having to play the Galway champions in the semi-final was always going to be a big ask of Kilmeena.

However, they produced a polished and full-blooded performance to ease past their Galway opponents and set up a final meeting with Sligo champions, St. Patrick’s Dromard.

Despite having to travel to Markievicz Park to face Dromard, Kilmeena rose to the challenge in magnificent style.

Indeed, by the time the first half ended, Kilmeena had one hand on the cup. In the end they won pulling up, and now they were champions of Mayo and Connacht.

Who is to say that they won’t bring off the treble by winning the All-Ireland championship as well?

From what we have seen of Kilmeena over the past three or four months, they seem to be getting better and better with each game played. Just looking at the way they demolished Dromard in the Connacht final was awesome.

However, the last leg of the treble – the All-Ireland series – will be by far the hardest to achieve. Before Kilmeena have any thoughts of winning the All-Ireland they will have first and foremost a major obstacle in their way in trying to qualify for the decider against newly crowned Leinster junior champions, Clonbullogue from Offaly.

In the Leinster final, Clonbullogue defeated Kicullen GFC from Kildare. Strange as it might seem, however, Clonbullogue were not the 2021 Offaly junior champions.

Indeed, they didn’t even take part in the Offaly junior championship. It was in the Offaly intermediate championship that they played, and won.

For whatever reason, the Offaly club structure is that the senior championship winners play in inter-county senior club championship, the senior B championship winners play in the inter-county intermediate club championships, and the intermediate champions play in the inter-county junior club championship.

While there is also a county junior championship in Offaly, there is no inter-county club action for the winners.

For Kilmeena on Saturday, it is going to be a case of playing an All-Ireland junior championship semi-final against a side that won its county intermediate championship.

No matter what opposition they were going to face, Kilmeena’s job was never going to be easy. All of a sudden it looks that much more difficult.

However, I have no doubt Kilmeena will not be caring too much about what grade their opponents played in. All their concentration will be on their own performance, and they will well aware if they can reproduce their best display, they will give any side a run for their money.

Brilliant

As I have alluded to many times this past number of months, what I most admire about this west Mayo side is that they are a brilliant all-round team.

Anyone who watched them in the Connacht semi-final or final couldn’t but admire the way they went about their business as a unit and just how hard each and every player works for each other.

Against Dromard in the Connacht final, any player from goalkeeper Paul Groden to right corner forward Darragh Keaveney could easily have won the man of the match award. It was just a five-star all-round team effort.

With a mixture of youth and experience, I am convinced that, win or lose next Saturday, this Kilmeena team will let no one down.

The way they play, the hard work they put in, and the fact they never panic make them a joy to watch.

Of course it is a massive game for Kilmeena. But they have played plenty of big games in this campaign and I am sure manager John O’Reilly and his backroom team will have their charges well-grounded and well-tutored on what is required to beat Clonbullogue.

Speaking after the Connaught final, manager O’Reilly, while thrilled at winning the Connacht title, was more happy about how his charges had performed.

He said: "While it is fantastic to win the Connacht title, the manner in which the lads played as a team and won as a team was most pleasing of all."

But O’Reilly’s mind switched to the All-Ireland series almost immediately and his thoughts swiftly turned to getting back to the training ground. "We will celebrate tonight, but we will be back on the training ground on Tuesday night to prepare for the All-Ireland semi-final."

Belief

One easily gets the impression that everyone involved in the Kilmeena set-up, from management and players to their great band of supporters, now has great belief – greater than ever – that they fear no one.

I feel this belief will send them on their way to Longford next Saturday with a certain degree of confidence.

As for Kilmeena’s opponents, Clonbullogue, we know they are a very good side. Winning their county intermediate title before taking Leinster by storm is eye-catching enough. From reports, they, like Kilmeena, are a solid and strong all-round team. But they are beatable.

After finishing second in their Offaly intermediate championship group, they went on to win the title against all the odds. Indeed, when it came to the Offaly semi-finals, they were regarded as the outsiders of the four teams. But they proved all the pundits wrong.

In the Leinster junior championship, they progressed to the final rather easily. However, in the final against Kilcullen they had to rely on goals to get them over the line. In fact, they scored five in all – three before the first water break and two in the final minutes.

While they only got eight scores to their opponents' 11, they still had five points to spare at the final whistle. They only managed to score three points, which should really never win any game, but the fact they raised five green flags is a measure of the threat their forwards possess.

However, while Clonbullogue's attack has captured most of the limelight as they enjoyed a magnificent 2021, winning the Offaly intermediate title and then adding the Leinster title, it is the defence to which they owe a debt of eternal gratitude for getting them across the line. They were superb throughout.

Overall, we could look at this Clonbullogue player and that player, but the bottom line is they are a good team and will be tough opposition for Kilmeena. As we know all too well, any Offaly side is never easily beaten.

However, I am of the opinion that if Kilmeena can come close to reproducing their Connaught final performance, they will beat this Offaly side. They will have to settle early and get into their normal flow from the off.

On top of that, the Kilmeena defence will be tested early, as they were against Dromard, and again they will have to show who the masters are. I believe they will, and I believe the forwards will again turn good possession into scores.

Verdict: Kilmeena