Senior hurling semi's tough to call

The point of no return will see Kilmessan and Dunboyne do battle for a place in the SHC final at Pairc Tailteann on Sunday afternoon as part of an action-packed day at Meath GAA HQ. The penultimate hurdle is a familiar place for both clubs, but for Dunboyne the step to the next level has been a difficult one as they have been the nearly men of Meath hurling for well over a decade. Final defeats in 2002, 2003 and 2006 have left a sour taste with Dunboyne. The first two of that unwanted hat-trick of defeats came against Kilmessan and in 2006 they lost out to an injury-time goal against Rathmolyon. However, the resolve of Dunboyne is unquestioned. Instead of resting on their laurels and sinking back down the pecking order they have come back strong again. Since winning the 1999 IHC they have been considered as a force and it is reckoned that to win the Meath SHC you must beat Dunboyne. It is their undying courage and commitment that keeps bringing Dunboyne back for more. Last week"s hammering of Rathmolyon in the quarter-final was just the tonic to get over the final group game loss to Kiltale. The game will have brought Dunboyne on further and Kilmessan will need to be wary. 'This is our third semi-final in as many years and we are looking forward to it. When Enda McManus took over from John Gorry at the start of this year the aim was to consolidate our position and build for the future,' said selector Paul Reilly 'However, things have worked out better than that and we"ve been able to get Paul Fagan back from England. 'We also have a lot of young lads coming through from the minor team that won the title last year for the first time in 50 years. 'In contrast to other years, we have had mixed results in the group stages. Even in the Kiltale game we stayed with them before they pulled clear, but the game against Rathmolyon showed that we are capable of playing really well. 'Kilmessan are the form team and they have been playing really well all year. They have good players in every part of the field and we are under no illusions about the size of the task ahead of us. 'We have nothing to lose when we go out against Kilmessan. Everything is a bonus for us, but we are not going to settle for getting to a semi-final. We are going to give Kilmessan a good lash,' concluded Reilly. Three years without a senior hurling title is hurting Kilmessan. Last year"s surprise loss to Kiltale left the club in shock, but they too have bounced back as you would expect from the most successful club in Meath hurling. The last title in 2004 was Kilmessan"s 27th and they will be disappointed not to have added to that tally. Kilmessan have been outstanding for the majority of the championship. Apart from struggling past Trim in the opening game they have been very impressive, winning all five group games and topping a very difficult table with a scoring difference of plus 43 points. Wins over Rathmolyon, Trim, Killyon and Kildalkey have hardened Kilmessan. Any frailties that emerged over recent years were not exposed in the group stages and with those tough games under their belts they are worthy favourites to deny Dunboyne again and eventually lift the Jubilee Cup. However, in semi-finals the form book can be thrown out the window. What is expected to happen doesn"t always work out as planned. Kilmessan are excellent defensively with David Donnelly, Charlie Keena, Mark Reilly and Stephen Clynch forming the foundation stones for a solid rearguard. Dunboyne will need a greater contribution from Stephen Moran, Neville Reilly and Michael Dunne if Neil Hackett is to help them to victory. It won"t be easy for the Enda McManus-trained side. Kilmessan are a fantastic team with equally exciting forwards to match their solid midfield and reliable defence. Nicky Horan is always a threat while players like Kevin Keena, Joey Keena and Anton O"Neill are superb focal points for the attack. Having so many attacking options will probably swing the tide in Kilmessan"s favour but it will be close and Dunboyne"s wait for a sixth title and a first SHC crown since completing a four-in-a-row in 1914 will have to wait another year. Kiltale v Kildalkey A stranger to the hurling scene in Meath could be excused for believing that the aristocrats of the local game are both Kiltale and Kildalkey and that next Sunday"s SHC semi-final would not be out of place as a final decider. Few teams have played the game with such style, passion and skill in the county over the last 15 years, but a further investigation can reveal that Kiltale and Kildalkey are two of the least successful hurling clubs in Meath. Kildalkey have managed just one SHC, back in 1951, and that was won in the boardroom rather than on the pitch. Kiltale have amassed three, their last coming 12 months ago following a shock final victory over Kilmessan. When Kiltale won the SHC in 1983 they were completing two-in-a-row and it would be a brave man that would bet against them emulating that feat. Kildalkey have been knocking on the door of a Jubilee Cup and came close on a couple of occasions. That experience is all being stored up and may be useful before October is out. The one big fear for Kildalkey is that they may have peaked too soon. Their march through the group was spectacular. They gave several displays that earmarked them as potential champions and their skill levels were immense. However, a defeat by Kilmessan and a narrow quarter-final win over Navan O"Mahonys has thrown up a few chinks in the armour. The normal flow of creativity and scores has stemmed somewhat, but maybe Pat O"Halloran and his players have been giving false hope to others. 'We"d be worried about our last two performances, but we were qualified before the game against Kilmessan and I think some people underestimated Navan O"Mahonys because they were a good side,' said the Kildalkey manager. 'Coming up against Kiltale is going to be very difficult. They are really flying and are top class performers. 'They have the confidence from last year and we know we will be up against it because we have four or five long-term injuries. 'We played good hurling earlier this year, but in the knock-out stages all the teams are as fit as each other. 'We have nothing to lose, it is a long time since we had a county title so if the lads can"t fire themselves up for this game then they"ll never get fired up. 'Kiltale"s younger players like Mark O"Sullivan and Peter Durnin are continuing to improve, they should be on county panels,' concluded O"Halloran. When Kildalkey are good they are very, very good and even when they are below par they are still capable of being more than a match for most sides. They have very few weak links and an abundance of talented players. Defensively they are strong and aggressive and are also capable of being creative with industrious players like Sean Corrigan, Mairtin Doran and Enda Keogh. It is likely that Tony Fox with revert to midfield and that will be a boost against a Kiltale side that will dominate the game if they can get a stranglehold in that area. If Kildalkey can get the upperhand at midfield then players like Noel Kirby, Sean Heavey and Padraig Geoghegan will cause problems for the Kiltale rearguard. Dunboyne did cause them a few nervy moments, but when the temperature was raised Kiltale were up to the challenge. Manager Paddy Kelly is aware that Sunday will be a major test for his team who carry the burden of defending champions into the game. 'It will be a tough game. All four teams that are through to the semi-finals are even enough. Kildalkey have always played well against us over the years. Kildalkey will look back at last year"s quarter-final against us and see it as one that got away. 'We have improved since then. In the run-in to this game we haven"t been able to do much hurling because a lot of the lads were involved with Moynalvey in last Sunday"s JFC final. 'It should be a good game. Good players should be able to flourish in Pairc Tailteann so I expect a good game. We will be cautiously optimistic, I"m fairly confident, but I wouldn"t rule anything out because the four teams that are left are good sides,' said Kiltale manager Paddy Kelly. Kiltale"s mix of youth and experience is the perfect blend. The experience gained from winning the Jubilee Cup last year will be a help and if the Donoghue brothers can combine to close down the threatening Kildalkey attack then that will be half the battle. Kiltale have a few promising forward players themselves in Mark O"Sullivan and Peter Durnin. Throw in the experience of Cathal Sheridan, Damien Dixon and others and it is easy see why they are a formidable force. It promises to be a game worthy of the final itself. It is next to impossible to confidently predict a winner. If Kildalkey can repeat their early season form then they should advance, but if they are below their best then Kiltale are likely to have too much in hand on them. A draw is very much a possibility.