Kilcormac-Killoughey's expanding dreams to be defined by Kilkenny kingpins

WITH the pressure and shackles off them, Kilcormac-Killoughey face into a defining Leinster Club Senior Hurling Championship semi-final showdown with Kilkenny kingpins, O'Loughlin Gaels in Tullamore on Saturday next.

While the Offaly champions are keeping their feet very much rooted to the ground, there is no escaping the reality that they are now serious contenders for a second provincial title.

Winning the Offaly Senior Hurling Championship has lifted a huge weight off their shoulders. You might be stretching things to suggest that they are in bonus territory as a defeat on Saturday would be a very bitter pill to swallow. However, the repercussions for losing this one are in a a different world compared to the fallout that would have emerged if Shinrone had beaten them for a second successive year in a county final.

That would have been of nuclear proportions and the immediate outcome would have been the ending of Shane Hand's reign as manager and powerful calls for a quick changing of the guard in the team. Now Hand finds himself on steady ground having earned the right to make his own decisions while some of Kilcormac-Killoughey's elder statesmen are enjoying an epic Winter to their long careers.

Conor Mahon was man of the match in the final against Shinrone while James Gorman had a super game in the first round Leinster club win over Naomh Eanna of Wexford, scoring 1-3 from full forward. Two more veterans, Enda Grogan and Damien Kilmartin, as well as vastly experienced goalkeeper, Conor Slevin, are also flourishing and their importance to Kilcormac-Killoughey can't be understated, especially at this time of year when the conditions are such a factor, hurling so raw and physical. While younger than all of those, Cillian Kiely is also in the bracket of experienced players and he is playing the best of hurling of his career, displaying tremendous leadership qualities.

Kilcormac-Killoughey were brilliant in their Offaly final demolition of Shinrone and if anything, they brought that to a higher level again as they dismantled Naomh Eanna, 2-22 to 0-14 in Wexford Park. Make no mistake about it, that was a mightily impressive K-K performance. They came flying out of the blocks, scoring four points in a few minutes and only for getting sucked into some physical stuff by Naomh Eanna, they may have had the game in the bag at half time.

As it was K-K trailed by 0-11 to 0-9 but had a strong wind to come and they would gladly have taken that position before the throw in. They were magnificent in the second half, grabbing quick control and never giving Naomh Eanna a scent of a win.

K-K have been so good in their last two games and the most encouraging aspect has been their ability to sustain a fierce pace and intensity for longer periods than may teams either can manage or do produce.

They now find themselves in a very good position and nothing would surprise you. Their season could end on Saturday but equally, they could be hurling in January, watching what they eat and drink over the Christmas season. January hurling would mean a second appearance in the All-Ireland club final and all of a sudden, that has emerged as a very tangible and realistic goal for K-K.

They can't and won't look one minute past Saturday but they also have to dream big and anything is possible for this Kilcormac-Killoughey outfit. They have a huge amount going for them and are bang in form.

With Dublin's Na Fianna and Kildare's Naas in the other semi-final and the Leinster champions facing the Ulster winners (Derry's Slaughtneil, Antrim's Ruari Og or Down's Portaferry) in the All-Ireland semi-final, there is a tremendous opportunity there. All of those teams command the height of respect but K-K have a real chance now of prolonging their season.

O'Loughlin Gaels, however, will dictate so much. They ended Ballyhale Shamrocks' reign as Kilkenny, Leinster and All-Ireland champions and they are favourites for Saturday's game. They have a super team, All-Stars in Mikey Butler and Huw Lawlor, a nominee in Paddy Deegan and they ooze quality all over the field. Those three players backbone an excellent defence and the likely match up between Adam Screeney and Butler could provide one of the highlights of the hurling year.

Kilcormac-Killoughey have one selection dilemma ahead of them. Midfielder Cathal Kiely is back in training after missing the Naomh Eanna game through an injury sustained late on in the county final. Leigh Kavanagh came on in his place in Wexford, doing very well at wing forward with Colin Spain moving to midfield. K-K will have to decide whether to start Kiely or stick with the team that started against Naomh Eanna.

It will be hard to leave anyone off but the expectation is that Kiely will start. With a fiercely physical, intense game absolutely certain to emerge, Kiely has real strength and pace and there is a powerfully strong case to be made for returning him to the starting lineup – albeit with the usual warning that will go to K-K players to be very careful about picking up cards and ending up on the sideline.

Apart from that, the K-K team will pick itself. They gave debuts to another couple of their golden generation of young players in Wexford, Ter Guinan and James Mahon while Daniel Hand is waiting patiently for his chance.

Already Brecon Kavanagh and Adam Screeney have nailed down certain places on the team and they will start again. Guinan or Mahon won't start unless injuries force K-K's hand but they now have a lot of options on the sideline, players that won't weaken the team if called on.

It should provide one of the hurling games of the year, club hurling at its best and most intense. O'Loughlin Gaels will be the best team K-K have faced in the championship this year, and by a distance. They could very well win and maybe even with a few points to spare but equally, K-K have an excellent chance of another huge performance, a big win.

There is a growing sense of excitement about K-K and what they are capable of. They brought a huge crowd to Wexford and this will be substantially bigger in Tullamore where the wider county will get behind them. All the pressure in this one is internal and that gives them a sense of freedom but they will be very keen to perform, to be competitive. It could unravel for them here and they could certainly lose but there has been something very convincing, compelling about the way Kilcormac-Killoughey have been playing. They have been improving with every game and anything is possible here.