Improving Raheen may have strength to take Clonbullogue young guns

WHILE the two senior finals on Sunday will command most public interest, one of the most enticing fixtures of the weekend is Saturday's Intermediate Football Championship final between Clonbullogue and Raheen.

It throws together two sides who have found a rich vein of form at the real right time and you can make an equally strong, convincing case for either of them triumphing.

It has been a somewhat strange championship. The two finalists have come via the quarter-final route but the extra game has served both of them very well. In the semi-finals, both came up against teams who had beaten them earlier and not only did they record comfortable wins but the results were quite easy to predict.

The earlier defeat served as a real wake up call for both and they have motored really well since then. Raheen were dismayed to lose by a point to their parish rivals, Clodiagh Gaels in the first round. It was a result that placed pressure on everyone involved, players and management but their response has been superb, their answers compelling.

They got their season back on track with a fine 3-14 to 0-15 win over Shannonbridge but the real season defining game for them was Ballycommon in the last group game. Ballycommon are a very decent side and Raheen really stood up to be counted as they beat them by 2-11 to 0-10. It was an excellent win for the Geashill based club and it was one that proved they had really turned the corner. It also showed that they were now real title contenders.

It was a hugely important win for Raheen. They had been poor in recent seasons and were actually closer to relegation than winning the title. It ignited their season and they have been very good in the knockout stages. They had to work a bit harder than they might have expected in the quarter-final against St Brigid's. The Croghan men went into it on the back of a shocking beating by Clonbullogue, 1-18 to 0-2 in their final group game and they pushed Raheen hard but at the samer time, the finalists were always likely to win.

Raheen produced a huge display in their renewal against Clodiagh Gaels in the semi-final. They showed no mercy as they went for the jugular and the 5-17 to 1-9 final scoreline showed how superior they were.

Clonbullogue have also found their best form. After a routine first round win over a Kilcormac-Killoughey outfit who showed almost zero interest in football this year, they then suffered a surprise 0-20 to 1-16 defeat to the 2020 junior champions, Daingean. The defeat was a bitter pill to swallow but the concession of 20 points raised particular questions. Their answers have been emphatic.

They had that big win over St Brigid's in the last group game and in the quarter-final, they had a much easier than expected win over Shannonbridge, 5-15 to 0-12. They made no mistake in their second game against Daingean. Their defence was much tighter, conceding just 1-5 and their forwards once again clicked, scoring 1-14.

It means that the two form teams are in the final and it should be an outstanding decider. Clonbullogue were beaten by Shannonbridge in the 2019 final and have been more competitive at this level than Raheen in recent years. The fact that they beat Shannonbridge so comprehensively in the quarter-final suggests that they have improved since 2019 but the Roscommon border side are also likely to have declined and the truth is somewhere in the middle.

Both sides have some outstanding talent. Clonbullogue have been an enigma for a few years now. They have had a lot of players who have played minor and U-20/21 football for Offaly in recent years. Keith O'Neill and Jamie Guing were on the Offaly side beaten by Meath in the 2020 Leinster minor football final earlier this year and O'Neill went on to play a key role for Offaly U-20 footballers as they won the All-Ireland – a high impact sub, his brilliant run set up a decisive goal for Jack Bryant in the final against Roscommon.

They have backboned successful St Broughan's underage side, yet not only have they not received the full rewards themselves at club level but they have also yet to produce an established Offaly senior footballer – despite a plethora of players who looked very good at underage level. The reasons for this are not obvious, the answers difficult to find but the questions all this raise are legitimate ones.

Yet Clonbullogue command total respect. They are a genuinely exciting side with a few flair players. They have very good forwards in Ruari O'Neill, Keith O'Neill, Jamie Guing and Shane O'Brien and if they all click, they will be very difficult to beat. They won't all click but anyone of them could emerge as a match winner.

Raheen are probably slight favourites. They have an outstanding forward in Dylan Hyland. A former Offaly minor and U-21 player, his return from Australia is one of the main reasons Raheen have moved out of the doldrums. They also got Paddy Rigney back in the fold this year. An accurate and skilful player, Rigney has worked hard on his fitness levels and is now giving great assistance to Hyland.

They have a very strong midfield with James Lalor back on the Offaly senior football panel this year and Declan Byrne, a former Offaly underage player. They have another former Offaly senior, Conor Carroll leading their attack from centre half forward and Raheen have a level of experience that Clonbullogue don't really have.

It is, however, a very hard game to call. In a dogfight, you would fancy Raheen but Clonbullogue could pull away for a convincing win. It will all make for compelling viewing.

MATCH ANALYSIS

PATHS TO THE FINAL

Clonbullogue: Group 2, Clonbullogue 2-17, Kilcormac-Killoughey 0-10; Daingean 0-20, Clobnbullogue 1-16; Clonbullogue 1-18, St Brigid's 0-2. Quarter-final, Clonbullogue 5-15, Shannonbridge 0-12. Semi-final, Clonbullogue 1-14, Daingean 1-5.

Raheen: Group 1, Clodiagh Gaels 2-12, Raheen 2-11; Raheen 3-14, Shannonbridge 0-15; Raheen 2-11, Ballycommon 0-10. Quarter-final, Raheen 1-12, St Brigid's 0-11. Raheen 5-17, Clodiagh Gaels 1-9.

MANAGEMENTS

Clonbullogue: Manager, Joe Kilmurray (Rhode); Selector, Niall McEvoy.

Raheen: Manager, Richie Dalton (Edenderry); Selectors, Hughie Bolton and Craig O'Halloran.

STAR MAN

Clonbullogue: Keith O'Neill.

Raheen: Dylan Hyland.

KEY PLAYERS

Clonbullogue: Ian Curry, Jack McEvoy, Shane O'Brien.

Raheen: James Lalor, Conor Carroll and Declan Byrne.

BIG BATTLE

Both sides will be very aware of the peril posted by the danger men. The performances of Raheen's Dylan Hyland and Clonbullogue's Keith O'Neill will be crucial to the outcome.

VERDICT

No result will be a surprise here. If anything, Clonbullogue should be slight favourites, based on the fact that they have been closer in the past couple of years and have really shot the lights out in recent games. Yet, it is hard to get away from the strength and power of this Raheen team, plus the form of Dylan Hyland in their attack.

Verdict – Raheen.