Ratoath can scale new heights among the Wicklow hills

LEINSTER CLUB IHC PREVIEW

After Ratoath defeated Kiltale in the SHC final replay in late October their manager Andy Dermody gave some hint as to why his team made it to the top of the mountain and claimed the Jubilee Cup for the second successive year.

"You need to have competition within the team and the lads need to drive each other on every day. Nobody is safe in the team," he said.

Successful teams can be like that. Nobody, or nearly nobody, is certain of a place ensuring players are kept on their toes knowing there is somebody else on the bench just itching to get on and show what they can do.

Having shown what they can do on the domestic front Ratoath embark on a provincial campaign at Aughrim on Saturday, 1.30pm, when they take on Carnew Emmets in the Leinster Club IHC.

There are some noteworthy similarities between the Emmets and Ratoath. Both normally wear Tipperary-style blue and gold jerseys, so someone will have to change on Saturday. Both also went close to achieving something that is devilishly difficult to do - win senior hurling and football titles in the same season.

Ratoath's double ambitions were thwarted when they lost out to Summerhill in the Keegan Cup showdown. It was a similar tale for Carnew Emmets. Their aspirations of bagging a Wicklow SFC crown were dashed when they lost to Baltinglass 1-20 to 0-15, although, like Ratoath, they did find some solace in the way they won a senior hurling crown when they overcame Bray Emmets, 0-16 to 2-8, in the final.

Carnew are clearly made up of a talented bunch; players such Padraig Doran, who was hugely influential in that victory over Bray Emmets with Eoin Kavanagh real threat for them in attack.

Carnew are sure to be gritty, difficult opponents to overcome especially as the game will be played Aughrim, a place they will know a lot better than Ratoath, something that is surely a factor. Also last year Ratoath had their Leinster ambitions clipped by Bray Emmets who won by the narrowest of margins, 2-17 to 1-19 in Aughrim. They know going to Wicklow carries with it all sorts of threats.

Despite the scope of the challenge they face the Meath champions have reasons to be optimistic that they can win Saturday's quarter-final tie and push on.

In the county final replay they really whipped up a storm, playing at a high tempo from the start, combining aggression and skill in a potent mix even their highly motivated opponents found difficult to live with.

Eight players contributed to the scoreboard in Ratoath's 2-22 to 4-10 victory that day. Not surprisingly a man who has played brilliantly throughout the year, Cian Rogers, made a major contribution, underlined in the way he hit 1-2. Ratoath's six starting forwards all scored including another of their marquee players, Podge O'Hanrahan, who fired over eight points, five from frees.

Ratoath have a sustained run in the Leinster championship in their sights. We were reminded of that by another of Dermody's quotes after the win over Kiltale. "We want to give Leinster a good run," he said adding that he watched the Wicklow hurling final a few weeks before Ratoath won in Meath.

That was tempting fate a little bit perhaps. On the other hand he was showing faith in his own team, where places are difficult to nail down. A faith that has so far proved entirely justified.

Ratoath to win among the Wicklow hills.