Moycullen aiming to soar above Ravens

Date Published: 14-Feb-2008

MOYCULLEN are just one hour of football away from making history by becoming the first Galway or Connacht side to capture the All-Ireland Intermediate Club title when they face Fingal Ravens in the final at Croke Park (3.45pm) on Sunday.

In November 2006, when the Gaeltacht side were relegated from the senior ranks after a narrow defeat to Barna, nobody would have bet on them bouncing straight back and blitzing all before them. But that’s exactly what they did. Bolstered by the return from injury of the influential Paul Clancy, the team dusted themselves off, put the head down and won all of their 26 competitive matches in the 2007 campaign.

Moycullen have shown in their march to the final that they are capable of beating any team at this level, racking up impressive score lines in the process. Beating Roscommon’s St. Dominic’s 3-11 to 1-8 and Mayo’s Ballintubber 3-11 to 1-9 in the Connacht championship proved that they are a formidable attacking force.

Against Annascaul in the semi-final however, they demonstrated their weakness for giving lesser teams an even break. The Galway men should have been out of sight by half-time but a litany of first half wides allowed the Kerry side back into the game and, in the end, it took two late Paul Clancy points to secure a deserved one-point win.

That game, where they showed steely characteristics and an enormous will to win, will no doubt stand to Moycullen in the final where they face their toughest test of the season. In addition, they face into the final against the Dublin and Leinster champions with doubts hanging over the availability of the midfield pairing Mark Lydon and Gareth Bradshaw.

Bradshaw was sent off late in the Annascaul game and last week’s appeal of his suspension was turned down. Moycullen have lodged a second appeal to the Central Appeals Committee and a final decision is due later this week but it’s looking increasingly likely that the 20-year old star will miss Sunday’s decider.

If that is the case…..