Na Fianna can shade the IHC decider
If that often-quoted 'rule' of the GAA that you have to 'lose one before you can win one' is applied then Na Fianna have to be considered shoo-ins for Saturday's IHC decider at Pairc Tailteann suggests FERGAL LYNCH.
However, just because they lost last year's final after a replay to Navan O'Mahonys doesn't mean that all Na Fianna have to do to claim the Mick Leonard Cup is just turn up against Gaeil Colmcille - if they come with that attitude then they are in for a rude awakening.
Put aside the romantic notion of having to 'lose one to win one' and apply some commonsense and investigation of the form then it is fair to assume that Na Fianna should have too much in the tank for Gaeil Colmcille.
From the outset Na Fianna were flagged as potential champions, not just because they lost out in such dramatic fashion last year, but because of the exceptional wealth of talent they possess.
Clann na nGael, who were relegated from from senior hurling at the end of the 2017 campaign, were expected to be their closest contenders, but in the IHC semi-finals Gaeil Colmcille upset that apple-cart and now they are the latest pretenders to the crown.
The champions-in-waiting have a rebel on their hands and Gaeil Colmcille do not intend lying down and letting the hot favourites Na Fianna march to a title the Kells men believe should be theirs after such an impressive victory over Clann na nGael in the semi-final.
As well as going so close in 2017, Na Fianna's other justification for favouritism is that they have already beaten Gaeil Colmcille on the way to topping Group A with a 100 per cent record, but closer examination of that result might shorten the Kells men's odds significantly.
In a tough, tense and uncompromising encounter in Athboy back in July Na Fianna secured their third successive win with a 0-15 to 0-13 victory over Gaeil Colmcille, but there were enough words of caution from that encounter that should cause Na Fianna a few anxious moments next Saturday.
Na Fianna's two toughest games in the group stages came against Wolfe Tones and Gaeil Colmcille and if they do eventually go on to lift the Mick Leonard Cup then they will have beaten both those teams twice and can claim to be deserving winners.
That loss to Na Fianna in July was Gaeil Colmcille's only defeat, but while they didn't lose again there were a few performances that suggest they might just lack the consistency necessary to get over the line at the second time of asking against Na Fianna.
Rathmolyon failed to win a game in the championship with their only points coming from a walkover against Navan O'Mahonys, yet Gaeil Colmcille were only one score better off (2-15 to 1-15) when they clashed with Na Fianna's parish neighbours back in June.
However, at that stage of the year Gaeil Colmcille's IHC expectations were survival, so from that perspective it was job done.
A hammering of Navan O'Mahonys in round two started to stir a bit of belief in Kells and even though they lost to Na Fianna, narrowly, in round three Gaeil Colmcille sensed something significant building.
A draw with Wolfe Tones was a temporary setback, but it was the 1-17 to 0-8 hiding they dished out to Kilskyre/Moylagh that made the other contenders sit up and take notice.
The easy win over Donaghmore/Ashbourne wasn't a major surprise, but the two-point win over Clann na nGael in the last four stunned everyone and with Na Fianna making hard work of seeing off Wolfe Tones in the semi-final Gaeil Colmcille are brimming with hope.
Of late Gaeil Colmcille have been able to translate chances to goals and they will look to players like Dylan Roche, Keith Reilly, Stephen Reddy and Liam Ferguson to boost their challenge.
However, with players of the calibre of Barry Slevin, Sean Martin, Ethan Devine, Johnny McCloskey, Diarmuid Bailey and Ronan Byrne Na Fianna might prove to be too strong for the Kells side.
THE PANELS
Gaeil Colmcille - Conor Murray, Seamus Mattimoe, Colin Tormay, Evan Keegan, John Murray, Robert Burke, Adam Muldoon, James Hennigan, Dara Gibbons, Patrick Beggan, Shane Morgan, Gary McGovern, Barry Tormay, Stephen Reddy, Dylan Roche, Fionn Ferguson, Keith Reilly, Liam Ferguson, Evan Sheridan, Paul Tormay, Barry Smith, Daniel Muldoon, Darren Tormay, Michael Foley, Jordan Muldoon.
Na Fianna - Sean Griffin, Eoin Gorry, Shane Burke, Peter Slevin, Sean Martin, Cormac Redmond, Nially Reilly, Oisin Coffey, Cian Slattery, Diarmuid Bailey, Jonathan McCloskey, Oisin Coffey, Kevin Coffey, William Flynn, Kean Flynn, Ethan Devine, Mark Slevin, Michael Burke, Ronan Byrne, Barry Slevin, Noel O’Sullivan, Daniel Gleeson, Stephen Slevin, Christopher Cosgrave, Evan Mullally, Sean Coffey.