Beirne factor dominates final talk as Mohill tipped for Leitrim SFC Final glory

Thirty players will take to the field next Sunday afternoon for the Connacht Gold Leitrim Senior Championship Final and maybe another ten will come on at some stage of the proceedings. But right now, all the talk among neutrals is of Mohill captain Keith Beirne and that's not hard to understand why.

 The last time I remember one player dominating the build-up to a County Final like this was when Declan Maxwell led Drumreilly to Intermediate glory back in 2007 and suffice to say that Beirne is now occupying that sort of rarefied company.

St Mary's Kiltoghert head into their second decider in three years against a team who have reached six finals in the last eight campaigns, including the last three in a row, and who have dominated League football completely for the last three or four years yet all the talk is of one man rather than the team.

I'm not sure if the idea of one player dominating the build up to a County Final has ever been as strong as what we're witnessed right now but that presents rather unique challenges for both teams - Mohill are very much more than one man as anyone who witnessed Jordan Reynolds, Shane Quinn, Alan Armstrong, Keith Keegan, Domhnaill Flynn and Ronan Kennedy in full flow in the semi-final against Leitrim Gaels can attest.

  Should St Mary's concentrate too much on the mercurial  Beirne, the danger is you leave yourself exposed to what Reynolds and company can do and the Carrick men got a taste of that in the group stages contest easily won by Mohill.

 But there is danger too for Mohill - should Beirne be held, does their confidence take a fatal knock as Beirne is their foundation stone, the rock on which the Mohill castle is built?

It is easy to categorise Mohill's challenge as potentially a one-man show but I find that  a bit disrespectful not only to St Mary's but Keith Beirne's teammates but there is no doubt that if Beirne hits form, then Mohill's chances to regaining the Fenagh Cup go up immeasurably.

I'd also be uneasy about heaping pressure on Keith Beirne's shoulders but if there is one man who seems to relish the big occasion, it is the Mohill captain. 

There is a sense out there that this Final may have come a year or two too soon for an emerging and exciting St Mary's team but I'm not sure that holds water. It is not that long ago that the Carrick men suffered at the hands of two 17-year-olds in Mark Plunkett and Pearce Dolan in the 2014 Final as Aughawillan shocked the defending champions, so youth is not a handicap to success by any means.

 What marks this St Mary's team out as remarkable is the sheer scale of boundless youth coming into the team - their team in the semi-final win over Fenagh St Caillins featured ten players aged 22 or younger starting the game and another two coming on which is a great sign for the future but can it deliver now is the big question?

Truth be told, they have nothing to lose and there is a certain fearlessness in having so many quality young players who have come up through  the ranks not only winning but dominating - nearly all of those ten starters against Fenagh have represented Leitrim at inter- county level so big stakes is nothing new to them.

It is not as if St Mary's lack experience  - Nicholas McWeeney, James McGrail, Conor & Daire Farrell and sub Brian O'Donnell have all been part of title-winning teams in the past and the reality is that there is a certain freedom in coming in as underdogs.

However, don't expect the St Mary's men to play with outright abandon and recklessness - the hallmark of Alan Flynn's superbly drilled outfit is   their discipline and adherence to a game plan that they believe will deliver the goods.

The system malfunctioned in the group stages encounter against Mohill but since then, St Mary's have refined and perfected it - keeping the ball for long periods, only taking shots when they are sure of scores and creating situations that lead to frees which leads to Paul Keaney tapping the ball over the bar.

It won't be edge of our seats stuff and many neutrals might be frustrated by the style that has taken hold of the club and county game but it is doubly effective, St Mary's believe in it, are adept at it, and in the sort of weather conditions we've experienced over the past two weekends, it could  be the most effective way for the Carrick men to triumph.

Keaney is  seen as the barometer of this St Mary's team - quite a burden for a young player but, no more than Keith Beirne, it is one he appears to relish and if he catches fire, St Mary's are going to be hard stopped. Mohill, as they showed in the 2020 Final with an often times overly  physical approach to the St Mary's man, are all too aware of the danger Keaney poses.

 The interesting thing, however,  is that Mohill experimented with a similar tactical approach  themselves early in the season before adopting a more freewheeling style - don't be surprised if Mohill meet fire with fire by flooding  their own defence with lots of bodies.

 That approach could have the added benefit of leaving lots and lots of room for Beirne, Jordan Reynolds, Ronan Gordon and Ronan Kennedy to roam and cause havoc and the running power of the Mohill men should see Shane Quinn, Domhnaill Flynn, Keith Keegan, Alan Armstrong, Jonathan Reynolds and the lightning quick Oisin Madden get up the field in support rapidly.

 One area where Mohill don't receive enough credit for is their ability to force turnovers, to dispossess an opponent seemingly charging through their defence and stop a team dead in their tracks. They did it against Ballinamore Sean O'Heslins in the quarter final and again in the semi-final against Leitrim Gaels and it is a potent weapon.

 The immense physical power and conditioning of the Mohill men has got to be an advantage against the younger St Mary's and there is no fear that Eamonn O'Hara's side will run out of legs judging from their performances in the knockout stages but it will be interesting to see how both teams adapt to the heavier ground conditions we're likely to experience next Sunday.

Pairc Sean Mac Diarmada is in amazing nick but given the rain that fell last Sunday during the Ladies Senior A Final, next Sunday's showpiece could be a test of endurance as much as of footballing ability unless the weather gods smile kindly on Leitrim over the next few days - it could be a big factor next Sunday.

I'd have no fear either team will be able to cope with a heavy pitch - St Mary's might be young but they are a fearsome physical unit while Mohill's conditioning is second to none. Mohill also have the advantage in experience and the matter of three wins over St Mary's in the past year alone.

 That sort of psychological factor is hard to quantify - St Mary's may be driven to end their record of losses against Mohill but the Mohill men have the confidence earned by those victories.

 Most Leitrim GAA people I meet can't see beyond Mohill next Sunday but there is a considerable minority who believe St Mary's can upset the odds - being underdogs will stand to them but if there is one team who have no problem in lining out as favourites, it is Mohill.

At the end of the day, Finals come down to who can deliver under pressure and you have to say Mohill have the advantage here - keeping Keith Beirne and Jordan Reynolds quiet is almost an impossibility and there is a feeling that St Mary's don't quite have the same firepower as Mohill.

St Mary's  may well prove us all wrong but it is hard to escape the feeling that Mohill will be celebrating the return of the Fenagh Cup next Sunday evening.