St. Brigid’s face huge test of their credentials

It was a collision course in the ether from a long way out. Now that St. Brigid’s and Salthill-Knocknacarra have safely negotiated their quarter-finals, a battle for the ages awaits in Pearse Stadium on Sunday afternoon (throw-in at 3.15 p.m.).

It looks like a game that could be decided by how each team’s defensive set-up copes with the other’s star-studded forward lines, which leaves Brigid’s at a disadvantage, seeing that Pearse Frost looks likely to join Seán Trundle on the treatment table after suffering a suspected dislocated shoulder against St. Mary’s last Saturday.

Seán O’Heslins showed that the Salthill-Knocknacarra defence can be troubled, which suggests that the middle third battleground will be huge in terms of deciding the outcome. Given that Shane Cunnane and Eddie Nolan have endured an injury-hit season, John Maher’s presence around the middle for the home side will be crucial.

Rob Finnerty, Tomó Culhane and Matthew Thompson are obvious threats for Salthill-Knocknacarra, and it may be a case of having to redeploy Brian Stack, in Frost’s absence, to full-back to pick up Finnerty.

Certainly, Salthill-Knocknacarra will be delighted to have emerged unscathed from their difficult trip to Carrick-on-Shannon, and Sunday’s game will bring back memories of the 2005 Connacht final between the sides — a game current Brigid's forward, Senan Kilbride, played in — when Brigid’s were trying to establish themselves as a provincial force.

Six provincial titles since then show that Brigid’s have done exactly that.

They’d dearly love another one and, despite their injuries, they should have enough in the tank to get back to another provincial final against Castlebar Mitchels in a few weeks' time.

Verdict: St. Brigid’s