Mohill starting to find form says Domhnaill

He might have watched Ballinamore’s missed goal chance with feelings of dread but for Domhnaill Flynn, last Saturday’s Connacht Gold SFC quarter-final victory over champions Ballinamore Sean O’Heslins is a sign that things are finally starting to come together for Mohill.

“Delighted, we’ve really been building up the year, it is starting to come together at the right time,” was Domhnaill’s reaction when quizzed by the Observer after Mohill dethroned the champions  although he did admit to praying the Ballinamore would miss a goal chance that could have drawn the sides level midway through the second half!

Champions knocked out as Beirne leads Mohill into semi-finals

MOHILL 2-15 BALLINAMORE SEAN O'HESLINS 1-11

“I think I had the assist for that,” recounted the long serving Mohill player, “I was staring them in the back of the head hoping they’d miss but these are the things you have to take. We missed a few chances, they missed - it was an open goal really but thankfully they missed but I still think we had enough on the scoreboard to come through.”

Mohill got off to a blistering start and it was something Eamonn O’Hara’s charges had targeted according to Domhnaill: “Traditionally, we’ve been playing like that and try to blitz teams early on and then play the game on our tempo. We really did target the first 15 minutes because earlier this year, we played them twice and they got four or five points early on.

“We felt like we were chasing the game so we really went out today hoping to target those first 15 minutes.”

Clinical St Mary's coldly dismantle Aughawillan

ST MARY'S KILTOGHERT 2-15 AUGHAWILLAN 0-11

Mohill seem to be hitting form at just the right time although Domhnaill admits it has been a strange campaign for the League champions who lost two games in the group stages: “It was a strange year, a strange group because traditionally we coast through groups and that’s not been big headed but it has been very strange this year. 

“We got off to a great start we thought and then we got two losses and we were under pressure against Aughawillan and we could have been in a relegation series just as easily. 

“That’s a credit to the championship and there are eight to ten good teams in the championship now so anybody can beat anybody on their day.”

Neither was he surprised by Ballinamore’s fightback last Saturday: “There is absolutely nothing between us, a kick of the ball the last three of four years and it can go either way. In the County Final last year, they got their goal and we missed ours and that’s the way it goes, the give and take of football so you have to take your win when you get it.”

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As for taking on Leitrim Gaels in the semi-final, Domhnaill, for the first time, is a little non-committal as he says “It is always tough against Leitrim Village, they make life tough for everybody so looking forward to it.”