No reason why Pearses can't conquer Connacht

It would have taken the bravest of punters to back Pádraig Pearses to capture their third Fahey Cup in six years at the start of the season. This is in no part down to any lack of quality they possess. It was more a case of how were they going to dethrone a St. Brigid’s team that had put Glen to pin of their collar in January’s All-Ireland club football final.

They subsubsequently managed to knock out a Brigid’s team in the quarter-final that were looking to follow the recent trend of All-Ireland club final runners-up winning the following year — just as Kilcoo, Glen and Kilmacud Crokes have done in recent seasons.

However, this is arguably the second time Pearses have thwarted a Brigid’s team with ambitions broader than the county horizon. In the 2020 final, Brigid’s convincingly beat this year’s winners with a young side that looked set to dominate the county and beyond for a long time.

Having those ambitions restricted that year due to Covid-19, Brigid’s looked forward to challenging themselves on the provincial stage, but Pearses upset the apple cart in the 2021 county semi-final, and finished on top of the Connacht mountain for the first time in its history.

Pearses deserve huge credit. Frank Canning has built on the style that Pat Flanagan put in place before him.

It might be a style that Jim Gavin and his review committee might frown upon, but it is a proven tactic that is perfectly suited to winter football, and the occasional weather warning. Yet, it was Pearses who used all their skill and nous to master Sunday’s difficult conditions. They can play ball too.

Pearses have been blessed with players to suit their style. The Daly brothers’ decision making on the ball is of the highest quality, and their speed and strength earns them that extra second whenever they are in possession.

The evergreen Niall Carty was also very prominent on Sunday. His leadership qualities that saw him captain his county are crucial to controlling the complex defensive structure Pearses adopt.

Carty often found himself getting on the ball high up the pitch along with David Murray. While neither possess the explosive quality that Declan Kenny has, it wasn’t the day for those offensive moves, and they played important roles in the composure Pearses expressed in front of the posts.

Roscommon Gaels probably did hold the edge in midfield with Mark Purcell and Mark Healy. When they pressed Paul Whelan’s kickouts towards the end of the game, forcing two to go straight over the endline, with Healy breaking another, they derived some joy in the possession stakes.

But it was too little too late, as the two Pearses inside forwards, Paul Carey and Eoin Colleran, were sharper than any Roscommon Gaels forward — perhaps with the exception of minor John McGuinness who kicked 1-2 from play.

The two combined for 1-7, with Colleran often winning the first ball, regularly showing high quality ball handling in the awful weather. On numerous occasions he linked up with Carey with smart little dinked kick passes — the move which worked for Pearses goal.

Along with their obvious attacking class, the two rotated between working back in defence, setting the tone with a turnover each in their own half early on. Kenny, who had one of his quieter games, was particularly important working back for Pearses in the last ten minutes, intercepting a Roscommon Gaels kick pass late on and working the ball to Jack Nevin for Pearses’ final point.

If St. Brigid’s were tipped to go deep into an All-Ireland run this year, there’s no reason why Pearses shouldn’t be either. The majority of their panel have already tasted provincial success, with only Conor Ryan, Conor Harley and Adam McGreal from their starting 15 being new faces on Sunday.

They will be hungry to go one better than they did in 2021, and at least make a final, but they have been placed on the tough side of the Connacht draw with the winners from Galway, Corofin or Moycullen, waiting for them in the long grass.

But you can’t back against a team that love nothing more than a challenge. When the Pearses celebrations die down, they’ll embrace what’s coming down the tracks.