Let the Club Stars debate begin
Sean Rice
THE ink won’t be dry on the page when the gasps of incredulity begin to resonate around the county.
What? No Ginger, no James Kilcullen, no James Nallen, no Mortimer ... none of the dead certs. A sign of the times, perhaps, that most of the evergreens – those whose selection might have been regarded as assured – have failed to make the nominations for this year’s Mayo News Club Stars.
Like any selection in any grade, arguments will rage about the merits or otherwise of those chosen. Devotees will agree with most of the nominations. They will be totally at odds, however, with some. It goes with the job.
Even among their own ranks, in the pubs, on the streets, wherever they congregate, there will be opposite views. And not all of them will centre on the exclusion of the older stars.
It must be emphasised that selection was confined to the senior and intermediate championships. League performances were not taken into account. The brief also included that five places must be accorded to players from the intermediate championship.
Therefore, three of the 12 nominated for the forward line – Paul Doherty, Alan Freeman and Adrian Freeman – come from that grade. In defence, David Kilkenny and Pádraic McDonagh also win nominations.
A glance at their scoring records ought to convince even the most sceptical of the justification of the forwards’ selection. Over the entire campaign Alan Freeman bagged a total of 8-4 (28), all from play; Adrian accumulated 4-10 (22), while Paul Doherty amassed a whopping 31 points.
Nobody at senior level emulated Alan Freeman’s achievement from play. Andy Moran came closest with 4-14 (26). In our championship previews we did not give Moran the credit he deserved for his contribution to Ballaghaderreen’s success. He had not exactly lit up the championship, we thought. His scoring record proves otherwise.
Barry Regan tops the scoring lists with 2-41(47), and when you combine that with Andy Moran’s haul, you get an idea of how productively the two front men fed off each other, and of their importance to the newly crowned champions.
There will be disappointment that James Kilcullen once again missed out on a midfield place, and that James Nallen and David Tiernan, still competing with the best in the autumn of their careers, were not chosen. Nallen’s selection for Connacht last Saturday is proof, if proof were needed, of his durability.
But no one can deny the impact the four chosen made in their teams’ progress throughout the championship. Jason Gibbons outshone many eminent midfielders, and Barry Kelly’s consistency was capped by a man-of-the-match performance in the final.
Brian Gallagher enhanced his reputation as a midfielder of the future while without reaching his best form the shadow of Tom Parsons still hung over most of his opponents.
The omission of Conor Mortimer is accentuated by his performance for Connacht, but it is generally agreed that the form of the Shrule man in the club championship did not reach its normal standard.
Pat Harte, who also was impressive for Connacht, might have been expected to win Club Stars favour, but because Ballina were ousted early from the championship, Harte got no real opportunity to make an impression. And only on county championship performances is selection determined.
The final selection will be announced at the Club Stars Charity Banquet in Knockranny House Hotel on Friday, November 28, details of which are to be found on page two, along with the full list of nominations.
Erris rise to the occasion for local cause
THERE’S nothing like a bit of a miff to arouse passion. And the men of Erris, out to remind John O’Mahony and his selectors that maybe they were dismissed too lightly from his panel over the past couple of years, got the opportunity on Sunday to make a statement.
Their seven-point defeat of Mayo at Bangor was characterised by a deadly earnestness to prove that when the challenge is thrown out, they will rise to the occasion.
This was no ordinary challenge. It had about it the intensity of a championship. If it was important for the footballers of Erris to get pencilled into John O’Mahony’s notebook, it was equally important for those already in it to ensure their names remained there. It all amounted to a guarantee of an uncompromising affair.
The Mayo side consisted of players on the fringes. It was a good opportunity for those who had come to the notice of management during the championship to make an impression. Only a few of what might be regarded as Mayo’s first 15 were included.
But it was from their opponents that the best of the football came. In their eagerness to see the potential of the players on the margins of the county side, management must have come away more impressed with what the Erris selection had to offer.
I don’t know whether the likes of Pat Barrett, Seamie Barrett, James McAndrew or Paddy Barrett were ever on a Mayo panel, or whether they have been as consistent as in this challenge. Sometimes, when taken out of their environment, players don’t always measure up. On Sunday, however, there was no doubt that the best players were on the Erris side.
Those four set the pace for the rest, and maintained it throughout the second half when they faced the wind. Up front Shane Lindsay and Mikie Sweeney grabbed the limelight.
Others – the likes of Derek Moran, Brendan Moran, Jason Healy and Thomas Gallagher – also made a big impact. Pride was evident in the way they tackled and fought for possession ... determined, it seemed, to make the point that there were worthy alternatives to the customary selections.
Johnno’s term is extended
THE extension of his tenure as manager by two years affords John O’Mahony the opportunity to finally mould an All-Ireland-winning Mayo team. Those extra two years will not shelter him from criticism, of course, if Mayo lose to Galway next July, but in the long run Mayo ought to benefit from his talents.
On the other hand, if in the likely event that Fine Gael win an early general election, promotion to a junior ministry is a distinct possibility for the Ballaghaderreen-based Dáil deputy, precipitating an end to his reign as manager.
Holmes is undecided
PAT Holmes, who along with Micheál Collins, was in charge of the Erris Selection on Sunday, has not yet decided whether to continue as joint manager with Collins and Noel Connelly of the county’s U-21 squad. “We have not met yet to discuss the matter,” said Pat, adding that the post consumes a considerable amount of time which he can ill afford.
