Kildalkey hurlers poised to make it three-in-a-row

Considering what they have achieved over the past two years it's hardly surprising that Kildalkey will line up for Sunday's SHC final as firm favourites - and that's a situation that will suit Navan O'Mahonys just fine. Johnny Gorry and his charges have no problem if they are portrayed as the perennial no-hopers, dismissed at every turn and given little or no chance of grappling the crown from the reigning champions, the big boys. The O'Mahonys manager could, with some justification, point to the fact that last year O'Mahonys had to battle hard to avoid relegation and just about managed to do that by winning a play-off against Rathmolyon. How can they now be suddenly expected to turn around and do what few teams have managed in recent years - and beat Kildalkey in a big championship game? One strong argument in their favour is that they are a team with plenty of experience when it comes to playing - and winning - county finals. A sizeable contingent of the O'Mahonys team contains players who helped the club win six successive u-21 HC titles from the mid 1990s onwards. Others such as Niall McKeigue, Paddy Smyth, Barry Regan, were on the O'Mahonys team that won the Keegan Cup in 2008 The early years of this millennium represented a golden era at under-age hurling for the Brews Hill club with a slew of minor titles also garnered. It looked like they were on the cusp of dominating Meath hurling for years to come. It didn't happen for them. Just about every player on the O'Mahonys team has u-21 or MHC medals. It's a fact that begs the question as to why O'Mahonys are still looking for their first Jubilee Cup success since 1986 (their last apperance in a senior final) when they had a team built around the likes of Joe Cassells and the late Ben Tansey. An obvious and straightforward answer is football. The demands of the big ball game has undoubtedly interfered with the quest for hurling success at O'Mahonys. This time around, as the club's hurling chairman Donal Fitzsimons pointed out, a special effort has been made to find the "right balance" when it comes to the demands of football and hurling. A strong communication line has being maintained between the respective sections. This new approach appears to have worked well with hurlers, who in previous years might have gone into games drained by their efforts on the football front, now better prepared for the unique challenges of hurling. It may have been one of the reasons why O'Mahonys won the JHC. Any sense of complacency that Kildalkey may feel about Sunday's showdown should be eroded by the fact that O'Mahonys are unbeaten so far in this year's championship. It looked like that impressive record was to be blown out of the water when they trailed Kiltale by five points going into the last eight minutes of their semi-final tie. Undaunted they hit back to win by a point, 1-12 to 1-11. O'Mahonys showed they had the self-belief to dig themselves out of trouble. Throughout their campaign they have displayed a mental and physical strength that has got them through some sticky patches such as their group game with Trim. It was a similar scenario against Kiltale. They are performing like at team who believe that they want to fulfil the kind of potential they showed at under-age level before the sands of time run out. Strong in defence, potent in attack, O'Mahonys have in Paddy Skehan a marksman who can make opponents pay. They can garner scores from a variety of sources; don't rely on just one or two attackers to get the bulk of their scores. Against Kiltale eight players got on the scoresheet. A concern for them is that a few players are carrying knocks including McKeigue. Will it be enough to get the better of Kildalkey? When it comes to possessing a strong esprit de corps Kildalkey are right up there as they demonstrated in their semi-final victory over Kilmessan. That was a real test of their resolve and they came through it, their reputation as a team, strong in mind and body, further enhanced. During his spell as manager Pat O'Halloran has demonstrated an uncanny knack of getting his team to peak at the right time. Padraig Keogh has returned from America and brought his customary mixture of craft and graft, Noel Kirby, another returnee is playing well, Mairtin Doran is fit again. These are all big plus factors for the champions. They lost Dan Fagan and Daire Laharte to injury yet others have stepped up to the mark. Some Kildalkey forwards didn't perform as well as they can in the semi-final largely because Kilmessan didn't allow them time or space. It came at a cost as Kilmessan flooded their defence weakening parts of the team further upfield. O'Mahonys must come up with some strategy to help the defence contain Derek Doran & Co without weakening their overall effort. It's a real challenge for Gorry and his selectors. This Kildalkey team is at the height of its considerable powers. It is a potent fusion of craft, commitment and motivation. They will need to be on song to get past a hugely motivated O'Mahonys. They should do it and achieve the cherished three-in-a-row.