THE NATIONALIST | 8 November 2016 SPORT 5

PREVIEWS Connolly and friends stand in Palatine’s path CARLOW senior football champions Pala- Even though it is a different era now, Éire tine face a huge task on Sunday when they Óg and O’Hanrahan’s have demonstrated face up to St Vincent’s in Netwatch Cul- clubs in Carlow can make an impact in the len Park in the Leinster senior football club province. As Kane points out, it isn’t just championship. about winning a game. There are no cer- By beating Castleknock on Saturday, the tainties in sport so Palatine are respectful iconic Dublin club won their third county ti- of what they have achieved. They celebrat- tle in four years and the memories of their ed their county final success but want to All-Ireland club final win two years ago will embellish it with a run in Leinster. only motivate them even further. “We are delighted to be on this stage On Friday night, Vincent’s star Diarmuid again. You never know when you are going Connolly received an All-Star but it was vet- to win another county title so you have to eran Tomás Quinn who stole the limelight take these chances when they come and when scoring 0-5 in the county final. They enjoy it.” lost Ger Brennan to a second yellow card The team trained on Sunday morning. in the third quarter but bullied the opposi- So far they have no injury concerns. Even tion into submission coming out on top by though they face a huge challenge, they 0-15 to 0-10. are embracing this one. Nevertheless, Palatine have prepared well “We showed ourselves what we are for this and are in the mood to do battle as made of in Carlow and we are looking for- Jason Kane their captain explains. ward to doing the same in Leinster,” says “It is a huge task. We are playing a side Kane. who have been there and done that. They are former All-Ireland champions and it is a fantastic game to have in your own patch. Leinster Club Senior Football “Let us not get too far ahead of ourselves. St Vincent’s Diarmuid Connolly celebrates at the final whistle after his side’s win over It is going to be tough. They have pedigree Castleknock in Saturday’s Dublin county final. Connolly and his team-mates come to Championship and top-class talent but we are looking for- Carlow on Sunday Photo: Inpho/Tommy Dickson Palatine v St Vincent’s (Dublin) ward to it.” In the county final, Palatine absorbed ev- was no doubting who the winners were go- “We will take it as it comes. We will give Netwatch Cullen Park, Sunday, erything Rathvilly could throw at them but ing to be. That sort of performance brings it our all and if we are good enough, we are 2pm with the game going into injury time there confidence and self-belief. good enough.” Offaly champions a serious test for Myshall

LAST year when Myshall lost the “The score line never reflected they have to fear most on Sun- Leinster intermediate final to Tul- how tough it was. Ciara (Quirke) day. Ciara Quirke delivered a play- laroan in Kilkenny, many of the got us off to a brilliant start. The er-of-the-match performance as players expressed the view it was support we had on the line was Carlow won a junior All-Ireland ti- the biggest disappointment of unbelievable and it was nice to tle in Croke Park. She delivered in their lives. They were crushed. have it. Hopefully we will have it spades for Myshall against Glen- So this year when they drew again on Sunday.” more and O’Moore’s, netting six Kilkenny side Glenmore away from The Myshall captain doesn’t goals in two games. home in the first round of Lein- know a lot about the opposition. If Shinrone can stop her then ster, there was a determination “We did play them in Myshall they will feel that will bring them a to atone for previous disappoint- when we were both junior. Shin- long way towards a Leinster title. ments. A 3-8 to 2-8 victory was rone are very dominant in Offaly,” But this Myshall team have an hard-earned but deserved. says Quirke. ability to pull out results while “Glenmore was always going to Led by soaring All-Star nomi- their work-rate is huge. If the be tough,” says captain Niamh nee Mickaela Morkan, Shinrone Quirke goal machine is kept quiet, Quirke. “Especially when we were won the Offaly senior county final these could be the characteristics away. There was also a bit of pres- beating St Cillian’s by 2-16 to 1-6. which will make up for last year’s sure with the memory of having They subsequently beat Kilmacud defeat. lost the final last year to Tullaroan. Crokes in the Leinster semi-final Everybody came together and it Myshall captain Niamh Quirke and Shinrone captain Michelle Davis “We wouldn’t underrate them. was a great team performance.” pictured at the launch of this year’s Leinster club intermediate Offaly being a senior county, the Leinster Club Intermediate “We dug deep. It was a relief to camogie final at the Red Cow luas stop last week standard is high. They get tough Camogie Final beat the Kilkenny champions hav- matches at county level and those ing lost to Tullaroan and Piltown semi-final opponents was re- 3-8 to 0-3 win and home advan- matches bring up the standard Myshall v Shinrone the year before.” vealed. Camross had been the tage didn’t tell the full story with at club level as well,” cautions Parnell Park, Sunday, There was eyebrows raised in dominant force but O’Moore’s her sister scoring two first-half Quirke. Myshall when the identity of their came out of Laois. Niamh says the goals. Shinrone will be well aware who 12.30pm PREVIEWS

U21 FC A Final A decider approaches. tenders including Jamie Clarke, in this one. Saturday, 1pm Éire Óg v St Andrew’s “It drags the season out a bit but Darren Crooks and Alan Whelan. “We are there on our own mer- After their heart-breaking minor a final is a final which is always “We have good numbers in it and we are hopeful. We will be hurling defeat to Mount Leinster Netwatch Cullen Park, something to look forward to. We training and we would hope we going in as huge underdogs as Rangers in the county final, no- Saturday, 2.45pm have a full crop to pick from so it have learned from our interme- we are a young team. It suits us,” one but no-one would begrudge is about getting the right team on diate win,” St Andrew’s manager says Galway. the Myshall players some form As the season draws to a close the field really,” he admits. Shay Galway said. Verdict: Éire Óg of consolation if they were to win Éire Óg and St Andrew’s will con- That means a possible minor The Bagenalstown side put up here. In the group stages between test this final with the same en- and under-21 double is on for 3-14 and 3-9 against Naomh Eoin the two sides, Tinryland won thusiasm and ambition as if it was proven scorers Jordan Morrissey, and Mount Leinster Rangers while Minor Football B 5-12 to 2-7. That was a first round a county final in the height of the Ross Dunphy and Cian Dowling. Éire Óg grafted out narrow wins Championship Final game. The margin will not be as summer season. Joe Murphy, the On the other hand, having won against Michael Davitts and Tin- wide but it would take a huge ef- Éire Óg manager, could be speak- an intermediate championship, St ryland. The two form teams of the Tinryland v Naomh Eoin fort to change the result around. ing for both sides as the under-21 Andrew’s also have double con- championship come face to face Netwatch Cullen Park, Verdict: Tinryland