PREVIEW: Mayo's Intermediate 'Special K' clash to go to the wire

Kilmeena v Kiltane

Saint Joseph’s Park (Knockmore)

Saturday, October 4 at 2.30 pm

Knockmore is primed and ready for a tie which is tantalising in the extreme on Saturday afternoon, as Damien Egan’s Kilmeena troops lock horns with the might of Kiltane in a Mayo Intermediate clash which is all but guaranteed to bring fireworks.

Both of these impeccable groups of ‘ballers have shown no want of talent, hunger, and dynamism in getting to this stage. However, two into one does not go, and by the close of business on Saturday afternoon, one group will be heading onto a team bus with aching hearts and their season over.

The other, though, will be bouncing back along the road full of anticipation, with just one more game to play before they potentially claim that all-encompassing moniker of Mayo champions.

We’ll start with Shane Lindsay’s crew. Few would have envisaged that in a tight group with Parke-KC and Davitts, Kiltane would have been making it out of this bear-pit.

In fact, when The Mayo News ran a poll on who would win the thing outright, the Erris army received the ninth-most votes.
Since then, they have gone on a generational run.

The 2013 Sweeney Cup champs topped their group with a game to spare, and also had plenty of breathing room and could pull up long before the dying echelons in their last-eight tie with neighbours Cill Chomáin.

Whether it be the towering Liam Donoghue ruling the roost in the centre of the park, the consistently excellent Owen Doherty making life hell for opposition forwards, or sharpshooter Ben Donoghue showing his unwavering panache for keeping scoreboard operators in a job, they are stacked with solid assets.

Kiltane found themselves slipping through the cracks from Senior football in 2021, but like so many before them, they have found the bounce back hard to achieve.

One team who will be looking to make their stay in Intermediate a brief one is Kilmeena.

They put in some solid showings in the Moclair Race last season, but ultimately found themselves back in Intermediate fare.

Their performances across the group saw them earn the right to welcome Kilmaine for a quarter-final where they yet again showed that they are serious operators.

The duo of John McGlynn and Darragh Keaveney are attackers to be feared when they get into gear.
Their talent isn’t just confined to the top end of the park. Jack Mulchrone is as capable a man marker as any in the county, and has already eaten some top forwards for lunch.

There are many interesting matchups around the pitch, but the most interesting ones may come on the sideline.
Shane Lindsay has instilled a serious belief in this Kiltane side, and even spending a minute in his presence reminds you he’s a shrewd operator.

In the other Knockmore dugout will be a man who has shown his capability to rejuvenate a band of brothers. Damien Egan’s men would have been dejected with bowing out of Senior in 2024, but he has injected new life and reminded everyone (as if it was needed) that this crop are no joke.

The one caveat for Kiltane is Josh Carey’s absence. His red card in the Cill Chomáin game precludes him from featuring here, meaning that Bangor Erris’ finest are down a proper baller.

This one won’t be won by much, but, in my opinion, it will be won by Kilmeena, setting up a grandstand final against either of the heavy hitters on the other side.

VERDICT: Kilmeena