Wolfe Tones can negotiate Walterstown challenge

Walterstown continue to surprise and defy the critics. Burdened with the tag of relegationcandidates, they once again have defied the odds and have now made it to the SFC quarter-finals for the second successive year where they will face an improving Wolfe Tones side at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday afternoon, 1.30. After avoiding the drop to the IFC in 2009 courtesy of a committee room battle that found a flaw in the rules and subsequently scrapped relegation that year, Walterstown have regrouped and under the managerial stewardship of Mick O'Brien and John McCarthy they have become a formidable force. Walterstown had every reason to believe they could finish above Duleek/Bellewstown and possibility even St Patrick's, but few would have expected them to emerge from a group that included Dunboyne and defending champions Skryne. However, the dogged resistence of Walterstown, coupled with their wholeheartedness and individual talent ensured qualification. That place was guaranteed with the final round win over Duleek/Bellewstown and that performance suggests they will give favourites Wolfe Tones a run for their money. Walterstown have plenty of exceptional footballers in Tom Walsh, Alan Reynolds, Mark McCormack, Conor O'Sullivan (pictured, right), Cathal Hennelly and Alban Crosbie. They have also unearthed another gem in Davy Donnellan, but it is their strength as a collective unit that makes Walterstown so difficult to defeat. St Patrick's can consider themsleves unlucky to have missed out as they defeated both the sides that finished level on points with them, but when the chips were down and Walterstown needed a big win to secure their last eight spot on scoring difference they were able to come up with the goods. Can they repeat that against a Wolfe Tones side that appear to be sneaking in under the radar and have made an unheralded run to the last eight? Only one team was unbeaten through the group section, Wolfe Tones. Only one team had a higher scoring difference than Wolfe Tones and it will take a performance of monumental proportions for Walterstown to upset the odds in the quarter-finals. While Wolfe Tones were unbeaten some of their performances were uninspiring. It was only their 15-point annihilation of relegation-threatened Trim that suggested they may well be serious contenders, but it is the fact that they have made themselves so difficult to defeat that makes them a formidable foe. A two-point win over Oldcastle was followed by draws with Simonstown and Blackhall, before wins over Trim and Summerhill secured top spot. The win over Summerhill could indicate good form, but Summerhill were so poor on the day that it is difficult to read anything into Wolfe Tones' performance. The pure class of Cian Ward will ensure that the Walterstown defence will be stretched, but the Meath star is not the only ace up the 2006 champion's sleeve. Darren McGrath, Alan Fox and Mark Coleman will work hard and provide a decent attacking threat along with Ward and with others like Gordon Beggy, Stephen Sheppard, Ciaran and Niall McLoughlin (pictured, left) Wolfe Tones are guaranteed a high work-rate and that might be enough to get them through.