Lusmagh to face Ratoath for place in Leinster final
By Kevin Egan
With ten clubs still standing in the All-Ireland intermediate club hurling championship, betting odds put Lusmagh as the outsiders of ten before a ball is pucked this weekend.
In no small part, this is down to the schedule facing the 'small parish'. Brian Mullins and his players are no doubt looking across the Shannon with no small amount of envy at the comparatively soft route facing their neighbours from Meelick-Eyrecourt.
The Galway side they will play their first game outside their own county tomorrow afternoon (Saturday) at Dr Hyde Park, taking on a Tooreen side that has a fine track record but is definitely facing an uphill battle with regard to age, starting three players that are 40 years of age or older. Win that, and Meelick-Eyrecourt will play the Ulster champions, either Lisbellaw or Carrickmore. It’s been 11 years since an Ulster team won an All-Ireland semi-final at this grade and there is no evidence to suggest that the Fermanagh or Tyrone champions are likely to break that run.
Meanwhile, Lusmagh’s run to Croke Park would see them go through the Meath senior champions, most likely a very strong Danesfort side from Kilkenny, and then the Munster winners, either Upperchurch-Drombane (Tipperary) or O’Callaghan’s Mills (Clare).
So the dream of a Shannonside derby in Croke Park in January is a little bit away, but there is plenty of reason to believe that Lusmagh can upset the odds and extend their season for another fortnight.
Ratoath, Lusmagh's opponents in Saturday's Leinster semi-final at St Brendan's Park (1pm), are a solid group with plenty of firepower upfront, including Meath Player of the Year Cian Rogers who will likely start at 14 and be picked up by Andy Flynn.
Darren Healy has had a superb year for Lusmagh and in all likelihood he will have to continue that form up against Meath intercounty full-back Darragh Kelly, who usually togs out at six for Ratoath.
Lusmagh have got better and better as the year has gone on, they’ve had different players step up to produce big performances at different stages of the championship, and with momentum behind them after a good win last time out, the least we can expect is for them to keep this one close and force a very tight finish.