Promotion push

Cathal Mullaney

The aim for every intermediate club is to gain promotion to the Senior grade; On Sunday, both Calry/St Joseph’s and Shamrock Gaels have that coveted opportunity.

At the outset, however, it is extremely difficult to predict the outcome of this tie.

These two sides have transferred their impressive league form into this Kennedys Bar Intermediate Championship campaign – Calry/St Joseph’s regained Division One league status courtesy of finishing top of Division Two, while Shamrock Gaels will also play in the top tier in 2015 if they can overcome Coolaney/Mullinabreena in a play-off.

League form, though, will be a distant memory for the losers of Sunday’s clash. Both of these sides have experience of playing in the Senior Championship in recent years, and will hope to have the opportunity to do so again next year.

Having already met in this year’s championship campaign, with Calry/St Joseph’s scoring a one-point win in the opening round of the competition, these two sides know each other quite well.

Shamrock Gaels won their league meeting 2-11 to 1-12, and given the close nature of their contests thus far in 2014, it appears as though Sunday’s final could be a nail-biter.

It’s probably a fair reflection of this year’s championship that the top two teams from Group One, the more difficult of the two, will meet in the final.

As for favourites, one would have to give Calry/St Joseph’s the nod in that regard. Benson Cup winners in April, a league final to come and a championship final berth means the Hazelwood side are on course for what would be a tremendous treble.

Finalists last year only to lose to neighbours Drumcliffe/Rosses Point in the final, the experience of having played in a decider of this magnitude already is sure to stand to Calry/St Joseph’s, who possess several aces in their squad.

The O’Boyle brothers will be the anchor in the middle of the park, with Conor Griffin likely to lead the line up front. The emerging Darragh Cummins will also play a key role in attack, while Cormac Coyne among others will attempt to restrict Shamrock Gaels’ effectiveness in the final third.

Shamrock Gaels’ run to the final has been largely due to the excellent form of full forward David Quinn, who has tormented defences throughout the course of this championship campaign. Francis Quinn has been reborn at centre-back – Quinn, of course, lined out for Sligo at the opposite end of the park during his spell with the county team – while captain Paul Higgins will be a solid base from which to build at full-back for the Riverstown-based side.

The intermediate championship is a notoriously difficult competition to win, and Sunday’s encounter will follow that trend with such talented players on opposing sides.

Given their imperious form all year, the favourites tag is probably on Calry/St Joseph’s back, but in finals, nothing is guaranteed.