Models of consistency Summerhill should edge out St Peter's
SFC PREVIEW
Although Summerhill might not see it this way, but the benefit of them finishing second in their group has set up a mouth-watering quarter-final tie against St Peter's in Pairc Tailteann on Sunday (4pm).
The upside of losing their second round game against Dunshaughlin meant that Summerhill have effectively been playing knockout football and that is just the way they like it.
They went into their final group game against Donaghmore/Ashbourne knowing that defeat would mean they would become just the second defending champions not to make it out of their group since O'Mahonys lost three of their five games in 2016.
Ironically the last defending champion not to make it out of their group was St Peter's in 2019.
It is that level of inconsistency that has been the millstone around the neck of St Peter's teams for multiple championships. One year they're hot, the next they're not.
Just take the last 10 years for example. On several occasions during that decade St Peter's have threatened great things, but when the cards were laid on the table they struggled to get over the line.
A semi-final loss in 2015, a quarter-final defeat after extra-time in 2016, edged out in the quarter-finals by two points by the eventual champions in 2017 - all led to questions about the Dunboyne side's ability to get the job done.
They did manage to get over the line and win the Keegan Cup in 2018, but then failed to make it out of their group the following year.
Didn't reach the semi-finals of the truncated SFC in 2020, lost the final in 2021, then found themselves in relegation play-offs in '22 and '23 - just who are the real St Peter's?
This year there appears to be a steely determination about the St Peter's side. Three wins from three in the group with a scoring difference of +20 all points to a side in form. Players like Jack Kinlough have grown into senior football and with others like Ronan Jones, Shane McEntee, Donal Lenihan, Seamus Lavin all still operating at the highest levels they do look like a complete outfit.
If St Peter's inconsistency has been a stick to beat them with, then Summerhill have been the very model of regularly operating at the highest level.
They've been in five of the last seven finals and while they failed to get over the line in four of them they showed remarkable character to get the job done last year.
And it's not like they have just been rolling out the same team year-in, year-out. Summerhill have continued to add high quality young players to their ranks and backboned by seasoned campaigners they look a formidable outfit. Manager Conor Gillespie will be hopeful key defender Ronan Ryan can recover from the foot injury that forced him off at half-time of the win over Donaghmore/Ashbourne, but even if he doesn't make it you still suspect Summerhill have enough quality to compensate.
The wily old partnership of Adam Flanagan and Micheal Byrne is one of the best midfield pairings in the county, while the full-forward line of Eoghan Frayne, Conor Frayne and Barry Dardis would cause most defences nightmares.
It is all set up to be a classic and hopefully they won't disappoint. Summerhill are fancied to nick it, just.