PREVIEW: Kilmeena aim to keep Mayo clubs’ Connacht run alive

On Saturday afternoon, Damien Egan’s Kilmeena side will welcome the Sligo champions to Castlebar for what promises to be an interesting last four clash.

With a ticket for the Connacht Final up for grabs, a fascinating battle can be expected on the MacHale Park turf.

Fresh from their epic battle with Galway’s Caltra, the Kilmeena bodies are sure to be suffering after the West Mayo men were made to work for their victory in Tuam.

In the home of Galway football, a battle for ages took place and extra time was needed to separate the youthful sides.

Caltra’s Alan Naughton kicked 17 points across the 80 minutes and was unfortunate to be on the losing side but Kilmeena deserve huge credit in the manner they claimed victory with a great sense of resilience.

The big question is can Kilmeena steady the ship and go to battle again when the Sligo kingpins arrive into the county town this weekend?

Coolaney Mullinabreena claimed the spoils in Sligo when they overcame Enniscrone Kilglass on October 19.

Four weeks on, the men that play in blue and white have not seen competitive action in that time period, which suggests Bernie Finan’s side will be fresh and raring to go.

The south Sligo side have been kicking big scores throughout their campaign. Relegated from senior ranks in 2022, Coolaney Mullinabreena have a fair balance of youth and experience across their side.

Nathan Mullen who is a Sligo intercounty regular is a speedy player and he could cause problems for the Kilmeena men on Saturday.

Talented players such as Eoin Barrett and Conor Johnston were both part of the Sligo U-20 side last year, while Johnston was crucial for the side in 2023 that conquered Connacht and reached an All Ireland Final. 

Going into Saturday’s game, Kilmeena are favourites to advance but given that the Sligo outfit have not seen game time in four weeks, they will be rested and ready for this one.

However when it comes to battles between Mayo and Sligo clubs, Mayo sides have come out on top in the majority of those games. Ciaran Kilcoyne, Jack Mulchrone and Liam Moore who were all members of the Mayo U-20 panel of 2024 have been influential this season.

Mulchrone has been the leader at the back while senior county player Jack Carney is having a big season and he produced a man of the match performance against Caltra.

Up front, joint captain John McGlynn has been in fine form while Darragh Keaveney, Daniel Kelly and Darragh Slattery have been contributing in the scoring department.

Teenager Cormac O’Malley has been showing well when coming off the bench in recent games and star forward Caolach Halligan could feature on Saturday as the Meath native is returning from an injury setback.

One thing for certain, Kilmeena won’t have it all their own way but one would have to fancy the Mayo men to advance.

Manager Damien Egan has brought an ice cool calmness to the operation and the Intermediate kingpins who have lost just one game in league and championship this season may retain that record after the weekend.

VERDICT: KILMEENA