Familiar foes primed to haunt camógs
Robyn Brooke, Taughmaconnell, with Marie and Majella Kelly, Ballyleague, supporting the Roscommon minor ladies' footballers in Kingspan Breffni on Thursday evening. Picture: Gerard O'Loughlin
We will not know until the tallies from both All-Ireland Dimplex Premier Junior Camogie Championship semi-finals have been counted just how costly Roscommon's failure to protect a ten-point lead against Cavan in the concluding group game will prove.
Had Mary Grehan’s side held on against the Breffni Blues, it might have resulted in a different semi-final opponent, with the Rossies being kept apart from old foes Armagh, who have haunted the Primrose and Blue in both league and championship action in recent seasons.
In their last eight meetings, Armagh have won all eight, leaving deep scars that have yet to heal. Only a few weeks ago, the Orchard County women recorded a 2-17 to 1-7 victory in the group stages, highlighting the size of the task facing Roscommon.
To win this year's All-Ireland Premier Junior Championship, Armagh and Cavan had to be beaten. In the group stages, Mary Grehan's side came up short, and now, in the knockout series, they must begin at the foot of the mountain and attempt to overcome the two teams seeded above them.
In the other semi-final, Cavan will be expected to book their Croke Park tickets by getting the better of Kildare, leaving Roscommon to try to solve the Armagh equation.
By the law of averages, the tide has to turn sometime, but it is difficult to see that happening on Saturday as Roscommon have too much ground to make up.
Once again, Rachel Fitzmaurice, Aimee O'Connor, Orla Connolly, Kaitlin Egan, Áine O'Meara and Erin McDermott will carry the hopes of delivering Grade A performances.
Armagh, who were defeated by Laois in last year’s All-Ireland final, have quality throughout their squad and have built considerable strength in depth, meaning Roscommon will have plenty of fires to put out.
After three successive wins, Roscommon hit a speed bump with back-to-back defeats and were outscored 3-8 to 0-2 in the second half against Cavan.
Manager Mary Grehan will have to work her magic and use all of her motivational skills to convince her side they can compete at the business end of the championship.
The first objective is to stay in the contest until half time and then, coming down the stretch, sow doubts in Armagh minds. That is the perfect scenario.
The reality, however, is likely to be different, with the Ulster side controlling proceedings and securing a place in the All-Ireland final for the second year running.
Verdict: Armagh
Twenty-four hours after the death of singer icon Bonnie Tyler, Roscommon's minor ladies’ footballers produced their own version of Holding Out for a Hero by reaching the county's first All-Ireland LGFA U-18 A final since 1991.
It is a remarkable story. First, they won Connacht in a grade where Galway and Mayo have traditionally been so strong, and then they blew Ulster champions Down out of the water in the All-Ireland semi-final at Kingspan Breffni on Thursday evening.
They now face defending champions Cork, who have dominated this grade by winning six of the last nine All-Ireland LGFA U-18 titles.
However, these young Rossies play without fear and deserve massive support on the final leg of an unbelievable journey, with Glenisk O'Connor Park, Tullamore, their destination on Saturday week.
These are exceptional times for ladies’ football in Roscommon, with three county teams set to contest All-Ireland finals over the coming weeks.
Not even interference from American President Donald Trump would have altered the outcome of last week’s teaser.
Before this season, when was the last time there was no Ulster representative in the All-Ireland SFC semi-finals? It was 2016.
QPR, Frenchpark, was first to hit the bullseye. Liam Dooley, Ballyhaunis; Mary Giffilan, Kilmore; Pat Deane, Williamstown; Fr John McManus, PP, Castlerea; Michael Scally, Ballaghaderreen; John Croghan, Bundoran; Pat, Sligo; Murt Hunt, Ballyhaunis; David Callaghan, Castlerea; PJ Martin, Kiltoom; Mick Fetherston, Dublin; James Healy, Mount Talbot; Luigi, Ballyhaunis; Paddy Boland, Youghal; Mary McCarthy, Holloway; Kevin Flanagan, Dartford; Seán Toolan, Heston and Michael Kearns, Clapham, also earned extra brownie points.
This week’s Teaser: When was the first time in World Cup soccer history that all four semi-finalists were former winners of the tournament?
Answers by email to willieefc@gmail.com or by text to 086 8356227. This week’s teaser came from London.
Star pupil: Abby Curran, who gave an outstanding performance at midfield for Roscommon during their courageous All-Ireland LGFA intermediate semi-final victory over Westmeath.
Crucial win for: Mayo as their talented young guns have transformed the county’s season by reaching the All-Ireland SFC final.
Much do better: Louth simply froze in what was their biggest senior football championship match since 1957.
Spot of bother: Down losing a 12-point half-team lead against Wicklow in the Tailteann Cup final.
Weekend highlight: A case of just what the doctor ordered — a Division Four team winning the Tailteann Cup final as Wicklow climbed the steps of the Hogan Stand.
What a cracker: Next Sunday will stage a double bill of sporting theatre, with the All-Ireland SHC final between Limerick and Galway followed by the World Cup final.
“An army of sheep led by a lion would defeat an army of lions led by a sheep.”
Sunday will be the fourth All-Ireland senior hurling final between Limerick and Galway.
The Tribesmen are ahead 2-1, winning in 1923 and 1980. But the Treaty County claimed the bragging rights the last time they met in the decider in 2018.
Last week, we saw the difference and mentality between two global soccer superstars.
Lionel Messi proved what a wonderful team player he is for Argentina in their incredible 3-2 comeback victory against Egypt. Meanwhile, Cristiano Ronaldo made it all about himself, and was a passenger for Portugal in their defeat to Spain over 90 minutes.
Limerick are not the team they were three or four years ago, but they are still standing by virtue of true grit, resilience, courage and character, and it will take a massive Galway performance to prevent John Kiely's men from winning their sixth Liam MacCarthy Cup in nine years.
In the Munster final against Cork, they survived an arm wrestle. Last day out against Clare, when it seemed they were on the ropes, they conjured up another famous rally to reel in the Banner.
Striking at the death to sneak the spoils, their refusal to surrender was remarkable.
The flow we associate with this Limerick team hasn't reached the levels they can produce, while their accuracy — usually as reliable as Big Ben — has been off. In their last two games they have scored only 22 times, at least six short of their usual tally.
This will give Galway hope that they can produce another smash-and-grab raid to land the big prize that has eluded the Tribesmen since 2017.
Michael Donoghue has let his young guns off the leash and, against Dublin and Cork, they have shot the lights out, scoring 6-55 by playing fast and furious hurling.
They had 13 different scorers last day out. They led Cork a merry dance, leading them up the garden path and tearing into the Rebels from the word go. Long before the finish, they had the deal done.
Before the new hurling championship format came into play and Galway's arrival in the Leinster SHC, the Connacht men had a glorious history of winning outstanding All-Ireland semi-finals before coming up short in the final.
Indeed, they always relished playing Cork in the last four and, as history repeated itself in beating the Munster side in the penultimate game, can they now rise to the occasion by taking out the best hurling side of the past decade in Limerick?
A few weeks ago, the Leinster Hurling Championship was the equivalent of shopping in Lidl or Aldi, while the Munster SHC was the store with the big fashion brands. If Galway beat Cork and Limerick to climb Mount Everest, the death of the Leinster SHC will have been greatly exaggerated.
All-Ireland final day brings extra pressure. But Limerick have been here before and know the routine so well that, for their players, it's like popping down to the corner shop for a litre of milk.
Galway have youth, experience and exuberance, but they will have to match that with calm heads and clear minds when the going gets tough.
In Cork's last two big games against Tipperary and Galway in Croke Park, they folded like deckchairs, but this will not happen to Limerick. They will do whatever is required to win and will not give Galway the freedom of Croke Park, as the Rebels did.
When the All-Ireland hurling championship looked predictable, Galway emerged as a breath of fresh air, giving it a new lease of life. The big question is whether the Maroon and White can finish the job that seemed impossible a month ago.
The good news for Galway is that my predictions in recent weeks have been brutal and, if it was an exam, I would have failed miserably, with the Sports Editor requesting grinds for me.
By 5 p.m. on Sunday evening, my feeling is that it will be "Limerick You're a Lady" blasting out over Croke Park, while it is set to be lonely round "The Fields of Athenry" for Galway supporters.
