Regan’s men aim to put a halt to Saints’ march

JHC FINAL PREVIEW

This hasn't been the best of years for St Peter's, Dunboyne when it come to the senior football and hurling fronts. The club's first teams in both codes have not sparkled. The hurlers, for example, finished bottom of Group A in the SHC with just one point from their five games played. They drop down to Group B next year. Not a good sign for any club.

Yet St Peter's could make something out of an otherwise forgettable 2022. They will secure with a precious piece of silverware if they defeat Kiltale in Sunday's JHC final. That, however, is a big if. Kiltale topped the JHC table after round-robin series of games with a formidable record - five wins from five played. Championship winning form and that winning streak is likely to be maintained in the final.

Managed by Ollie Regan - who has been busy this year as he has also refereed games - Kiltale are a side typical of this grade, made up of seasoned campaigners and eager youngsters at the foothills of their careers. Players such as Philip Garvey, Stephen Donoghue and David Donoghue bring a wealth of know-how and guile to the panel. Kiltale also have Conor Ryan a fine young goalkeeper who would be on most club's senior side.

St Peter's earned their place in the decider with a 1-12 to 1-6 victory over Drumree at the semi-final stage. It was Dunboyne's fifth victory in their campaign.

They had played their group schedule losing only once in the five games played and finished that phase of their journey with a scoring difference of plus 50, better than Kiltale's plus 39. St Peter's have the typical mix of older players mixed in with youngsters including Daire Rowan, Shane Moran and Conor Deering. They are strong, focused.

Managed by Fergal O'Neill, who is only 31, St Peter's only defeat so far was a loss to Kiltale, 0-19 to 2-15 on a hot day. They usually have a wide spread of score-getters capable of racking up big scores but they face a formidable foe here. Verdict - Kiltale.