St Mary's on red alert in Ruislip as they look to extend a magical year

So far 2022 has been the stuff of dreams for St Mary's Kiltoghert but the new Leitrim Senior Champions will be desperate to avoid seeing their year turn into a nightmare when they travel to London next Saturday for the AIB Connacht Club Senior Championship.

Saturday's game in McGovern Emerald Park (1.30pm throw-in)  is historic as it will be the first time a Leitrim team takes on the London champions in Provincial championship.

Connacht GAA confirm fixture details for Men's Club Championship games

Aughnasheelin at home in Intermediate grade, St Mary's Kiltoghert (Senior), Carrigallen (Junior) & Carrick-on-Shannon (Junior Hurling) on the road for provincial club campaign

As countless Leitrim county teams will attest, travelling to Ruislip is never an easy task and a young St Mary's would appear maybe a little more vulnerable than your normal champions, their inexperience at this level and youth are factors that could play against them  against St Kiernan's.

But youth also brings fearlessness and certainly St Mary's are well stacked in that department and their winning run will have added to the natural confidence of players who have won all the way up through the grades. 

Saturday is a step into the unknown - St Mary's will never have had to plan for a hotel stay let alone plane flights for a championship match - that all presents challenges but there are also a major advantage as manager Alan Flynn will have his team corralled together for two days which should help sharpen his team's focus.

In many ways, Kiernan's are the more experienced team - they've won back to back London titles, have played in the Connacht club before while just Conor Farrell, Nicholas McWeeney and Brian O'Donnell were members of the Mary's team that last lifted the Fenagh Cup back in 2013, the anomaly being that James McGrail had gone travelling that year. 

Kiernan's are steeped with experience - manager Cathal Og Greene was famously part of the London team who beat Leitrim in 2013 to reach the Connacht Final but this year's London success was their first back to back victories although they now have won three in six years so they are clearly a team with pedigree. 

Kiernan's set out their stall early in the replay, leading by eight points at the break against Fulham Irish. The drawn game saw Fulham  force a replay after an injury time goal from sub Joe Rock almost landed St Kiernan's the title.

If there is pressure on St Mary's in Ruislip, there is also pressure on this St Kiernan's team - they felt they left it behind them last year against Tourlestrane but that game was in Markievicz Park and next Saturday, they are at home in McGovern Emerald Park - that's brings it's own pressures so the Leitrim champions are not alone in that regard.

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 What we know is that Alan Flynn's team will be organised, structured and very deliberate in what they do and be sure the St Mary's manager has his homework done on what St Kiernan’s will bring to the table. 

Paul Keaney, Nicholas McWeeney, Conor Farrell and Mark Diffley are the key figures for St Mary's but I suppose, even within that quartet, Keaney is the corner-stone of St Mary’s effort - the Carrick men don’t possess what you’d term a marquee forward but flourish with an approach that could be described as “attack by committee”. 

They hold onto the ball for prolonged periods, waiting for opportunities but when they do strike, they do so with deadly purpose. Keaney's dead ball accuracy, anywhere within 60 yards of the goal, is crucial if Mary's are to capitalise on their possession based game approach.

The “attack by committee” approach may actually be a bonus because Kiernan's won't know who exactly to watch with Diarmuid Kelleher, Jack Casey, Cian Singleton and David O’Connell ghosting between the lines to finish off a prolonged move or win frees that Keaney strokes over the bar. 

The surging runs of Farrell & McWeeney is another potent weapon, either scoring or creating overlaps that lead to goals and McWeeney’s pace in particular is something that Kiernan's will be very well aware of but stopping it is a different thing altogether.

One advantage St Mary's do have is their immense size and  physical conditioning  - winter football demands those very qualities and while London teams traditionally rely on their physical power, St Mary's won't be found lacking in that regard by any means.

THE FUTURE IS NOW FOR ST MARY'S

THE LAST POINT

Saturday’s game is the first visit by a Leitrim club to Ruislip but the scenario is what normally faces Leitrim county teams - everyone expects a win but there is always the creeping worry that you might be the team who  suffers the ignominy of defeat in Ruislip, notwithstanding the quality of the teams coming out of London in recent years.

That adds to the pressure but this young St Mary’s, who will bring a decent travelling support with them, have risen to big challenges in the past and are proven winners, they’ll not underestimate St Kiernan’s one little bit!

St Mary’s are looking towards a bright future but they could be vulnerable on Saturday - recognising that and coping with that could be the key to seeing St Mary’s travelling back home with a victory.