Stopping Mohill's Beirne key to Leitrim Gaels glory quest

Rarely does any game come down to one individual, certainly not in modern gaelic football but it is hard to avoid the feeling that Saturday's clash of Mohill and Leitrim Gaels could all come down to the impact Keith Beirne has on the day.

That's a staggering statement to make - after all, Padraig Tighe, Jordan Reynolds, Shane Quinn, Keith Keegan and Domhnaill Flynn have all delivered big moments for the League champions this year but so much of Mohill's gameplan revolves around the impact the Leitrim star can make.

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Much of what Paul Prior and Leitrim Gaels will plan to do this week will revolve on how they solve the Beirne conundrum - do they throw Leitrim captain David Bruen or his Green & Gold colleague Donal Casey into a specialised man marking job or will it be a double or even treble team effort to curb Beirne's influence.

The danger is that in concentrating so much about the Mohill captain, you forget about Jordan Reynolds, forging his own stellar reputation this year, or the darting runs from Keegan, Flynn and Quinn from deep.

There is a belief out there that if you can stop Beirne, Mohill are going to struggle but how do you go about that - defend deep and you leave room out the field for Mohill to shoot from distance and they can certainly do that. Flood the middle of the field to deny Mohill's engine room possession could be a winner but if it breaks down, one quick ball could leave you in a world of pain if Beirne gains possession.

David Bruen in action for Leitrim Gaels against Fenagh earlier in the Senior championship Picture: Willie Donnellan

It is a dilemma for Leitrim Gaels but funnily enough, they pose much the same threat to Mohill thanks to the influence of Enda Moreton. The Gaels forward is that bit rangier and loves to go wandering and if he catches fire, then Mohill are going to have a problem on their hands.

Again, concentrating on just Moreton could be dangerous with Stephen Goldrick, Aidan Flynn, Shaun Chandler and even David Bruen, more than likely deployed in a defensive role, capable of coming up with scores at the right time.

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"Born to Save" extract

In this extract from Martin McHugh’s just released autobiography ‘Born to Save’ the legendary Leitrim goalkeeper from the heady summer of 1994 reveals the joy of finally winning a first county championship at 47 years of age. ‘Born to Save’ is available in all good bookshops (and also on Amazon as an ebook €9.99, paperback €20 and hardback €25)

Curiously, and I'd be guilty of this myself, most people talk of the immense physical size Leitrim Gaels possess and you can't deny it - they are an imposing side size wise and boast frightening mobility and pace in all sectors of the field.

What people don't talk about a lot is their skill and that does them a wild disservice because when they get flowing and going at you from all angles, there are few teams with the skill and strength in depth.

What might have undone the Gaels in the past is strength in depth but with players like Eunan Treacy, David Regan, Shane Rinn and Oisin Curley in reserve, they have quality able to come on and make an impact and that is one area where they might have an advantage of the Mohill men.

Another dynamic around this game is expectation - last year, nobody expected the Gaels to test Mohill so thoroughly until the final quarter. They won't have that element of surprise this year but everybody I've been talking to are bestowing the title on Eamonn O'Hara's side at this point and we haven't even got through the semi-finals.

Mohill starting to find form says Domhnaill

Much of that is down to their semi-final win over Ballinamore  but for 15 minutes in the second half, they were on their heels and only for Mark McGrory's missed goal chance, they could have been in deep trouble. Yes, they were the better team for three quarters of the contest but a Ballinamore team that struggled to recapture their 2021 form had them in deep trouble for a while.

So the question is are Mohill as good as they showed against Ballinamore  or more like the team that lost two group games? It looks like the knockout stages bring out the best in this group of warriors but, and I know this will seem like I'm hedging my bets, if there is to a shock, it'll be here.

Leitrim Gaels are fiercely motivated and felt they let a great chance slip them by last year. They have the firepower and strength to take on Mohill head to head. But in the end, it could still come down to how they hold Keith Beirne!