St Patrick’s have both the steel and silk to progress

IFC PREVIEW Memories of last year's epic battle rekindled

The Inseparables, or should that be the Untouchables. Either sobriquet could apply to St Patrick's and Duleek/Bellewstown who meet in the IFC semi-final at Pairc Tailteann on Saturday, 3pm.

Both teams have displayed remarkably similar records in their respective campaigns so far.

Both, for example, completed their group campaigns undefeated. Untouchable.

St Pat's scoring difference from their three games played was +13 while Duleek/Bellewstown's was +1, although arguably Duleek/Bellewstown's group (containing Castletown, St Michael's and Blackhall Gaels) was more difficult than St Pat's (Meath Hill, Bective, Dunderry), if only marginally more difficult. In their quarter-final games both teams continued to display qualities champions need - composure, skill, belief, tenacity.

Joe Sheridan's Duleek/Bellewstown certainly needed to be in the zone to get the better of Meath Hill, 0-11 to 0-10, while Ronan Kearns' St Pat's outfit dug out a victory after a hellish start in their quarter-final tie against this year's All-Ireland Club JFC semi-finalists Castletown. They fell 0-0 to 0-6 behind after 15 minutes yet still made it through.

This correspondent was at that exciting game and it was impossible not to have been impressed with how St Patrick's recovered from the nightmare start to win, 2-12 to 0-13.

Impossible not to feel a sense of awe at the way, once they found their rhythm, the Saints clocked up scores with players such as Jamie Murphy, Shane Dowling and Donal Landy causing the Castletown defence all sorts of problems.

Impossible not be be struck with how St Pat's closed out the game too, their defence holding firm.

Duleek/Bellewstown are no doubt fuelled and motivated this season by the fact that they were defeated in last year's final. It's a powerful spur.

They are also an excellent team, capable of conjuring up spells of swift-moving, cohesive football that can blow teams away.

When they need to they can defend with all the rigour and force of a cow defending her calf from a marauding wolf. When they attack they have a broad range of shooters who can polish off moves.

Witness the nine players who got on the scoresheet against Meath Hill. Danger came from many quarters and, in the end, a lively, free-spirited Meath Hill, who had hammered Bective in their previous outings, just couldn't do enough to contain those threats.

Yet despite all that Duleek/Bellewstown have in their armoury, St Pat's were a real, conquering force in digging out that win over Castletown. They are very physically imposing, they can transition from defence to attack quickly.

If they can show their best form from the start in this semi-final. If they can avoid those spells of inactivity, they can win - but don't rule out the need for extra-time to separate these Inseparables.

These teams met at the quarter-final stage last year and couldn't be separated after extra-time.

At the end of the hour it was Duleek-Bellewstown 1-9, St Patrick's 2-6.

After 20 minutes extra-time they were still tied 1-11 to 2-8 and so it went to a historic penalty shootout where Jamie Flaherty scored Duleek-Bellewstown's seventh penalty to capitalise on Ryan Lynch's earlier save from the luckless Neil O'Flaherty and send Sheridan's side through.

Expect similar drama in Pairc Tailteann on Saturday and while it is unlikely to emulate the excitement of last year's thriller there could also be a different result.

Verdict - St Patrick's.