Kerins O’Rahilly’s will face Feale Rangers in the ‘losers round’ of the Super Valu Senior Football Championship this weekend in Strand Road at 4pm.
HAVING been quite easily brushed aside by South Kerry in last weekend’s opening round game, O’Rahilly’s have one last chance to keep their championship ambitions alive.
As it currently stands, a realistic shot at championship glory looks unlikely after the performance in Cahersiveen which saw the Strand Road side lose by seven points, when really it should have been more.
Giles O’Grady in action against St Micheals Foilmore in the league
The threat of a potential relegation play-off to retain senior status next year makes this game a must win.
A drop down in grade would be an embarrassment and run shivers down the spine of any hardened ‘Narie’.
O’Rahilly’s are a shadow of their former selves having to endure numerous absentees through injury, emigration and retirement from last year’s side that got to the semi-finals of this competition and won the league.
They now bear the hallmarks of a side in transition.
“We’ve lost so many players, we’ve been in transition really since the start of the year and will likely be for the next few years. It’s all about trying to bring young players through now for the next year and a half,” said manager Barry O’Shea
O’Rahilly’s were also dealt a massive blow yesterday, with the announcement that county star David Moran will miss the game due to a knock he received to his knee in the South Kerry game.
“What can you do? David is injured now we’ll have to get on without him, but losing the other players is massive as well,” O’Shea said.
All told, the side is down five players since last week’s game. Ciaran O’Mahony has been ruled out due to injury and Greg O’Connell’s emigrated to America during the week. They will also be without Mitchell Donnelly and Tommy Begley.
“We’re losing so many players we could do with a massive support this Sunday to balance it out!” O’Shea added.
Looking at this, with so many players missing none more so then their main man around the centre of the field David Moran – it’s hard to see how O’Rahillys can win this.
But Feale Rangers late capitulation against Stacks at the weekend and the absence of their Finuge players suggests they may not have bonded as a unit.
O’Rahilly’s are at home and will be fighting for, not only to stay in the competition, but also their senior status. Something the Feale Rangers players don’t have the burden of.
I think that – with a bit of luck – could be the deciding factor in the end.
Verdict: Kerins O’Rahilly’s by a point
