Depleted Rangers to feel the heat of An Ghaeltacht

Wednesday July 11 2007

ON first view this quarter-final looked like a fairly straight one to call – a strong and tight-knit club team, not unaccustomed to wining the county championship, against a divisional side that has had it’s problems over the last few campaigns in terms of gettintg their act together.

On closer inspection, however, the meeting of An Ghaeltacht – the 2003 county champions – and Feale Rangers – a team that hasn’t won the title since Jimmy Deenihan was togging out – could be a lot closer than it might seem. Or that would certainly be the case if Feale Rangers were at full strength, which they aren’t.

Manager Johnny Mulvihill and trainer Jerome Stack have been dealt a number of blows ahead of a match that they can scarcely afford to have a single set back. The major news from the Feale Rangers camp is that Kerry minor star Patrick Curtin is ruled out with a knee injury, picked up the recent Munster Final, which will keep the Moyvane player sidelined for five or six weeks.

The management are also factoring in the loss of Liam Keane, who it seems will be missing on Sunday due to work commitments, while Fergus Reen is abroad and won’t be available. Those two absentees will leave the Rangers full back line severely diminished.

And, of course, Maurice Corridan will be serving his one-match suspension following his sendinf off in their win over Ardfert in the last round.

Selector Christy Killeen says the team won’t be selected until later in the week but with Corridan out of contention, one option open to the management is to move Eamonn Fitzmaurice to centrefield with Brendan Guiney deputising at centre back. With so many absentees, the St Senans pair of Padraig Somers and James O’Donnell, along with Finuge’s Conor Galvin ahve been drafted into the panel this week as cover. Anthony Maher, Derek Galvin and Brian Scanlon are all reported to be still nursing slight injuries but all three are expected to start.

An Ghaeltacht manager Fergal Ó Sé reports a clean bill of health back west, and he is expected to stick with a side similar to those who saw off Rathmore and Shannon Rangers in the earlier rounds. Ó Sé admits that, unlike other years, the quartet of inter-county players are “gelling into the side very well this year” and the manager is pleased with the recent form shown by his side.

The three Ó Sé brothers and Ronán Ó Flatharta played an important part in An Ghaeltacht’s two-point win over Kerins O’Rahillys at the weekend in the County SFL, and the signs are that the Westerners are coming into form at just the right time.

The MacGearailts, Tom Ó Conchúir and Dara Ó Cinnéide are others highly experienced championship campaigners who lend a great balance to this An Ghaeltacht side, who are shaping up to be real contenders for a third county title in six years.

Feale Rangers will look to Paul and Enda Galin and Noel Kennelly in attack, and the Gaeltacht defenders will be kept busy by this trio, but An Ghaelatcht are a very disciplined side, and if the Ó Sé boys can reproduce their Kerry form then they should be one step closer to regaining the title on Sunday night.