Herald Team of the Week throws up most competitive selection yet
Diarmuid Murtagh kicked three second-half two-pointers to help St. Faithleach's get the better of Michael Glaveys at Rockfield. Picture: Bernie O'Farrell
With his team on life support, the Pádraig Pearses goalkeeper made a couple of fantastic saves to keep his side’s dream of retaining the Fahey Cup alive. He also set in motion the attack that led to Jack Tumulty’s equaliser in regulation time against Boyle.
A word too for St. Michael’s goalkeeper, Shane O’Dowd, who made a stunning save from Oisín Boland’s penalty against Kilmore, while Strokestown netminder, Niall Curley, also made an impression during his side’s victory against Creggs.
Clann na nGael manager, Pat Fallon, recognised the threat posed by Elphin duo, Evan Gunn and John Finnerty.
Patrick Gavin kept tabs on the latter, keeping Finnerty scoreless until he slotted home a rebound from a penalty in injury time.
A block on John Rattigan in the opening half also summed up his commitment to the cause.
For 50 minutes, Boyle did so much right against Pádraig Pearses, and Luke Glennon was central to that prosperity.
He led a Boyle defence that had limited Pearses to just 0-7, until Paul Carey took it upon himself to start landing “worldies” from out in the next parish.
Glennon has been excellent for Boyle this season, and didn’t deserve to end up on the losing side.
The St. Aidan’s defender was to the fore during his side’s victory against St. Ronan’s.
A model of consistency throughout his team’s two-point victory, he tracked one of Ronan’s key players, John Keaveney, and kept him scoreless from play.
His use of possession also caught the eye.
Other contenders for the two corner-back positions included Thomas Lennon (Clann na nGael) and Mark Richardson (Pádraig Pearses).
A performance laden with energy that set the tone for a famous Fuerty ambush against Tulsk.
Ward radiated confidence in possession, always took the right option and made a couple of daring raids up the flank that asked serious questions of a beleaguered Tulsk side.
Any centre-back that ends up with 0-7 to his name deserved praise, but there was so much more to the former Roscommon minor defender’s game against Kilmore in Croghan.
For such a young player, Henry instilled confidence into those around him, looking like he had been playing adult football for years, such was the clarity of his decision making in key moments.
The St. Croan’s wing-back was a central protagonist during his side’s victory against Kilglass Gaels.
He kicked 0-4 during his side’s dominant second quarter alongside controlling the pace and tempo of the game.
As Kilglass Gaels threatened a comeback late in the game, he made a number of timely interventions.
The All-Ireland minor medal winner from 2006 rolled back the years, ensuring that Western Gaels avoided the relegation trapdoor for the fifth year in succession.
His control around the middle third was pivotal in establishing a platform for his side to go on and condemn St. Dominic’s to intermediate championship football in 2026.
Heneghan was been one of the “finds” of the championship, and it will be interesting to see can he now make the step-up to senior intercounty level.
He has been so consistently good for Glaveys throughout this championship, and last Sunday afternoon in Rockfield was no different.
Fionn Cusack (Strokestsown) and Shane Killoran (Elphin) were unlucky not to make the final cut.
When Strokestown set about winning their intermediate quarter-final against Creggs, Kevin Finn was their key player.
He kicked five first-half points, including four from play, as Creggs struggled to contain his influence.
Such was his input that Strokestown could afford to give Finn a rest at the three-quarter stage in the knowledge that the match was won.
With the Pádraig Pearses ship in danger of running aground against Boyle, Paul Carey decided that he wanted his side to stay involved in the business end of the championship.
He ended up with 0-10, but it was a hat-trick of three points in the final ten minutes that ignited Pearses’ salvage mission, and they duly kicked on in extra time to finish the job and break Boyle hearts once more.
Another hugely productive display from Ballinameen’s talisman.
His eight points included some delightful scores, and, of course, his two-pointer to break Clann na nGael hearts will go down in Ballinameen folklore.
While Bobby Nugent and Paul McGrath had enough standout moments to be included, St. Brigid’s are represented by Ben O’Carroll who could do no wrong last weekend.
The Roscommon forward was back to his best, tearing the Roscommon Gaels defence during his side’s excellent victory on Friday evening.
He was on the scoreboard after just 30 seconds in Ballyforan, and that set the template for a superb display that yielded a personal tally of 1-8.
Cox is making the art of shooting under the new rules look ridiculously easy.
Another seven two-pointers against St. Brigid’s on his way to a 15-point haul means that Cox had now scored 0-47 across four games, raising 16 orange flags along the way.
In anyone’s language, that’s Roy of the Rovers scoring.
Not surprisingly, Diarmuid Murtagh returns to the Herald Team of the Week after grabbing his side’s quarter-final performance against Glaveys by the scruff of the neck to ensure his team return to the last four for the second year in succession.
His three second-half two-pointers summed up St. Faithleach’s accuracy in the second half with the wind at their backs.
