Mayo Intermediate Final almost too close to call

It’s almost too close to call


Preview
Mike Finnerty
mikefinnerty@mayonews.ie

THEY get knocked down but they get up again. We can’t be sure if that anthem from Chumbawamba gets much airing in the pubs of Newport and Mulranny, but it could certainly be the Burrishoole senior team’s official song after their trials and tribulations over the last few seasons.
Next Sunday they return to McHale Park, Castlebar for their third successive Mayo Intermediate Championship Final and, after losing the last two renewals, most people outside of Charlestown will be hoping the West Mayo lads finally find what they’re looking for.
Colm McManamon has stayed on as manager in an attempt to lead his home club back to senior football, and not even the loss of two handfuls of players to injury and emigration have distracted Burrishoole from their chosen course this year.
After coming up short against Tourmakeady and Davitts in the last couple of finals, now it is the sleeping giants of Charlestown that stand in Burris’s way.
The East Mayo side are bidding to bounce back up to the senior championship just twelve months after being relegated, and at this stage are right on track.
Denis Kearney’s first season in charge of his native club has been nothing if not eventful; Charlestown almost slipped up on their first day out away to Achill and it took a replay last weekend to finally see off a gallant Kilmaine outfit.
In between they have put Cill ChomΡin, Islandeady and Moy Davitts to the sword at their relative ease, and have been building towards next Sunday steadily.
The Sarsfields have managed to blood some new, young players like the McLoughlin brothers, Enda and Gerry, Gareth O’Donnell and the Wards, Paul and Damien, all blending with experienced heads like Darragh McMeel, Aidan Higgins, Enda Casey, Richie Haran (who is a major injury worry with an ankle problem) and Mark Caffrey pretty seamlessly.
Neither the chemistry of the group or results have suffered, and the recent return of former Mayo midfielder Tom Parsons from his groin problems is a huge boost to their ambitions of a first Intermediate crown in 19 years. Parsons will be flying home from his base in Cardiff for the final and his recent displays would suggest that he is beginning to find his groove again. Oh, and David Tiernan is back too!
But Burrishoole have also been men on a mission this season.
Despite an uncharacteristic slip-up in their group against Kilmaine, Colm McManamon and his management team of Neil Chambers, Kevin Horan, John Chambers and John O’Malley have managed to plot a course to Sunday.
A hard-fought quarter-final win over Achill did Burrishoole’s title ambitions no harm at all and they showed against Parke last time out that they are starting to find some good form at the right time.
Defensively, Burris’ are as solid as a rock. Patrick Mulchrone and Liam O’Malley man the central positions and David Nevin, Davy Keane and Alan Moran have all been around the block.
Padraic Holmes and Padraic McManamon are a formidable midfield partnership and while Jason Doherty leads the attack, Mayo Juniors Michael Moran and Enda McManamon are also capable of doing damage.
This is an extremely difficult game to call. Charlestown have been playing senior football for years and were county champions just three years ago. They possess an abundance of classy footballers and, on their day, lads like Aidan Higgins, Tom Parsons, Mark Caffrey and Anthony Mulligan are hard to handle.
Three games in three weeks though will either make them or break them.
Burrishoole will have to play really well to win this final. They have been to hell and back these last two years after watching opposition captains lift the Sweeney Cup and that hurt has driven them back to the brink once more.
Under Colm McManamon’s direction, and with Liam O’Malley, Padraic Holmes, Jason Doherty and David Keane leading the way, we believe they can make it third time lucky.

VERDICT Burrishoole


HAVE YOUR SAY email mikefinnerty@mayonews.ie with your comments