THE draw for the semi-final of the London Senior Hurling Championship has thrown up a mouth-watering clash between last year’s county champions Kilburn Gaels and this year’s Collins Cup winners Robert Emmetts.
Supporters of the sport in the capital are going to see top-class hurling in Ruislip this Saturday afternoon. Frankie Keating, Kilburn Gaels manager, is eagerly anticipating the clash with a club he has the highest respect for, and he knows they’ll be formidable.
He has no injuries to worry about at present and with Kilburn hoping to successfully defend the county title, they’ll rely on Luke Gaule, Conor Hickey, Christopher McAlinden, Noel Brophy, Henry Vaughan, Martin Duggan, Willie Hoyne, Mark Dwyer each going full throttle in this encounter.
Hats off to Robert Emmetts manager Kevin McMullen. At the start of 2015 he had a panel of about 12-14 senior players, now he has 24 to choose from. McMullen is one of the Robert Emmetts greats, a player who would chew iron for the cause.
The general consensus is that Emmetts’ experience at this level after winning an All-Ireland title in 2007 and their knowledge of the intensity required for this type of battle will be a deciding factor.
Robert Emmetts will go into the game as slight underdogs which no doubt suits them down to the ground. They will be led from the back by an old veteran in Fergus McMahon, a hell of a player who has fought his way back into the fold on numerous occasions after horrendous injuries threatened to end his career.
Sean Ryan is an outstanding goalkeeper, Paul Horkan is the best full-back in London, Kiernan Fitz will do a man-marking job on Martin Duggan while Stephen Griffin and Paddy Breen are playing the best hurling of their careers.
Robert Emmetts have the best midfield partnership in London, while Denis O’Regan, Rory Costello and Cathal Keogh are a tasty half-forward line, but the highlight of the afternoon will be the tussle between Daryl Roberts and Kilburn’s Conor Hickey.
Eoin Chalke and Luke Gaule should have a battle at the edge of the square. It’s a hard game to call, but the speed and guile of Martin Duggan, Mark Dwyer and Ross Horan will see Kilburn through to the final.
As for St Gabriel’s v Sean Treacy’s in the other semi, Tommy Duane’s side had 10 points to spare over Sean Tracey’s in the early rounds of the Championship. Duane should have a full squad to choose from as Enda Collins, Eoin Kelly, Michael Ivors and Shane Egan should all be available for Saturday’s clash with Treacy’s.
During the 90s there were some titanic battles between Sean Treacy’s and St Gabriels, with great players like Tony and Willie Lohan, J.J. Shiels, Donal Murphy, Bill Hayes and Billie Dolan, while Sean Treacy’s had Dan McKenna, Martin Carroll, Martin McGrath, John Quinn and Ken Morrissey.
Treacy’s will not be overawed by their opponents after their good win over Cú Chulainns, but Gabriel’s should qualify for the final even without the injured star player Dan Morkham. I predict Gabriel’s to win by six points.
