O'Mahonys can win Páirc Tailteann curtainraiser today

Navan O’Mahonys and Na Fianna will bid for a place in the top grade of Meath club hurling in the curtainraiser at Pairc Tailteannthis afternoon in what will be a hugely entertaining IHC decider.

The Mick Leonard Cup is the prize and for O’Mahonys, a victory would complete a memorable championship double after they won the JHC two weeks ago with a narrow victory against Trim.

For the O’Mahonys second team to move up a grade it’s vital that first team wins the IHC on Saturday.

Standing in the way is a team that lost last year’s semi-final to subsequent champions Ratoath by two points (1-12 to 1-14).

That was a major disappointment for Na Fianna manager Pat O’Halloran, a Tipperary man who guided Kildalkey to SHC titles in 2009, 2010 and 2011 and who knows all about what is required to perform at the top level.

Na Fianna have made it one step further this year, but it’s likely that they will have to wait another 12 months at least to make the step up to the senior grade.

Navan O’Mahonys take an unbeaten record into the decider and in players of the calibre of Cormac Reilly, Paddy Skehan, Shane Crosby, Jack Walsh, Derek Loughran and the Regan trio of Jake, Dylan and Barry, they have the ability to make a quick return to the senior ranks.

One area of weakness that Na Fianna could exploit is the tendency of Navan O’Mahonys to concede frees. 

The Navan men were guilty of that in a semi-final against Kildalkey that they should have dominated from start to finish, but didn’t.

And Na Fianna can look to the free-taking ability of Barry Slevin as a major source of scores. Add in some of the quality players in the form of Diarmuid Bailey, Sean Coffey, Shane Burke, Daniel Gleeson and Evan Mullally and it’s obvious that this will be a tight game.

Both are dual clubs and met in the SFC last weekend, yet they manage to mix football and hurling successfully, but it’s also notable that in the senior final, both Kiltale and Kildalkey are solely hurling clubs with football links.

That aspect will not concern either manager on Saturday, but O’Mahonys get the nod to make it an extra good year for the Brews Hill men.

MANAGERSCOPE 

JAMES BURKE (NAVAN O’MAHONYS)

For Navan O’Mahonys manager James Burke there is the lure of a double if he can steer the Brews Hill side back to the senior grade less than 12 months after they were beaten by Clann na nGael in a relegation play-off.
Add to the that the fact that two weeks ago he was on the sideline when O’Mahonys lifted the JHC title with a thrilling victory over Trim to take the Tommy Kane Cup back to the clubhouse.
Two weeks ago O’Mahonys negotiated Kildalkey in the semi-final at Athboy, but it wasn’t an easy journey to the decider.
“I was pleased with our second-half performance in the semi-final against Kildalkey, we dug in the second-half and I suppose we had to grind out the win,” he told the Meath Chronicle.
“Getting to the final was the priority and O’Mahonys want to be playing in the SHC, challenging for the Jubilee Cup.
“It was very disappointing to get relegated last year.
“In the semi-final we started well and then our form dipped for about 15 minutes, we can’t afford to repeat that against a team like Na Fianna in the final.
“We conceded too many frees against Kildalkey and we will have to avoid repeating that on Saturday, both teams know each other and I wouldn’t read anything into the win we had against Na Fianna in the last round.
“Against Kildalkey we had Jake, Dylan and Barry Regan in the starting team and they all made a great contribution.
“It has been a great year so far in the hurling for O’Mahonys, there is also a Div 2 League final, we asked the lads at the start of the year for a big effort.
“The players have put the work in on the training ground and it’s starting to bear fruit now, we won the JHC two weeks ago.
“The final will be a massive test for us, but we should be able to select a strong team there are a few injury worries, but nothing major,” he concluded.

PAT O’HALLORAN (NA FIANNA)

Pat O’Halloran watched his side seal a tremendous win against Kilskyre/Moylagh in the IHC semi-final, but only after extra-time to set up a meeting with Navan O’Mahonys in Saturday’s showdown.  
“We were absolutely delighted to win because we were up against a physically imposing team, they were stronger and bigger men than us, but we battled to the last,” he told the Meath Chronicle.
“We got stuck into our task, started to get to grips with them for the breaking ball where we were beaten comprehensively for a while but we battled on.
“A bit of youth helped as well, we brought in young substitutes that gave us extra momentum, which was crucial.
“O’Mahonys beat us the last day, they are very strong, they blew us away but we stuck with them, they only beat us by a goal and anything can happen in a county final.
“Navan O’Mahonys are the best team in the county at the moment at intermediate level, we’d be massive underdogs, but we’ll try our best against them,” he concluded.

PANELS
NAVAN O'MAHONYS

addy Skehan, Mikey Kelly, Shane Crosby, Jake Regan, Dylan Regan, Barry Regan, Shane Flannery, Colin O’Rourke, Diarmuid Rogers, Dermot McKenna, Cormac Reilly, Mark Usher, Barry McEvoy, Andrew Gilmore, Richie Hogan, Jack Walsh, Mikey O’Reilly, James Murphy, Stephen Quirke, Paddy Dillon, Conor Fitzpatrick, Niall Fowler, Kevin O’Rourke, John Foley, Patrick Leahy, Ciaran McGuinness, Andrew Snow, John Gleeson, Derek Loughran, David Quirke.
 

NA FIANNA

Ethan Devine, Peter Slevin, Michael Burke, David Kirby, Eoin Gorry, Evan Mullally, Eoin Reilly, Christopher Cosgrave, Ciaran Boggan, Mark Slevin, Cian Slattery, Ronan Byrne, David Lyons, Daniel Gleeson, Niall Reilly, Will Flynn, Sean Martin, Niall Burke, Jonathan McCloskey, Diarmuid Bailey, Barry Slevin, Sean Coffey, Shane Burke, Noel O’Sullivan.