Paths to the final: How the novel pairing came about
Sunday’s Irish Wire Products Senior Football Championship final sees Fr Caseys put their 100% record on the line against Kildimo-Pallaskenry
SOMETIMES in championship football winning the right games can be as valuable as winning every game.
No more is that true than with Sunday’s Irish Wire Products Senior Football Championship final where Fr Caseys put their 100% record on the line against a Kildimo-Pallaskenry side who have been beaten twice in the competition to date.
Their loss to Mungret-St Pauls in the round robin stage is a moot point now given the debut finalists defeated the defending champions in the semi-final after extra time.
So too has the round 1 reversal against Askeaton-Ballysteen-Kilcornan faded into irrelevance. Subsequent victories over Ballylanders, Adare and Rathkeale were enough to see Declan Nash’s side progress to the knockout stages.
While they edged over the line to reach the final, Kildimo-Pallaskenry were mightily impressive in their quarter-final win over Newcastle West.
For the third knockout game in a row, they come into the contest as underdogs - a tag they won’t bother them in the slightest.
The return to the big ball code of Kyle Hayes has added a new dynamic but the likes of Tony McCarthy and Peter Nash remain the heart of soul of this team.
Given the volume of dual players in the side, how they have recovered from the setback of relegation from the senior hurling ranks earlier this summer is also something that should be admired about this side.
And admiration certainly isn’t in short supply when people talk about Fr Caseys.
It may be 20 years since the Abbeyfeale men last won SFC honours but they have played like champions to date in the competition. Early wins over Newcastle West and Monaleen laid down a marker for Keith Hartnett’s men.
From here, professional performances ensured there was no slip up in the games they were expected to win - with Galtee Gaels, St Kierans and Oola all dispatched.
This all led to their best effort of the campaign - a 3-12 to 1-6 semi-final win over Monaleen.