Dundalk Gaels and Hunterstown meet in IFC showdown

Dundalk Gaels and Hunterstown Rovers will battle it out in the CTI Business Solutions Louth Intermediate Football Championship final on Sunday, 13th October at DEFY Páirc Mhuire, Ardee at 3.30 pm.

Both sides have each shown solid form throughout the competition as they navigated tough opponents to reach this final stage.

Each team has a nice blend of youthful and experienced players who will leave everything on the field as they look to bring home the Séamus Flood Cup.

The Gaels campaign kicked off in Group 3 with a draw against Mattock Rangers in a game where defences dominated and neither team could find a decisive edge.

A stronger performance followed in their second group game as they dismantled Glyde Rangers with a convincing 2-9 to 0-4 win to showcase their attacking talents.

Their quarter-final clash against Kilkerley Emmets was another intense affair as the Rampart side emerged winners thanks to a 2-9 to 1-9 win.

However, the semi-final was a test of character as they played Mattock Rangers once again.

The Gaels were pushed to the limit in a nail-biting encounter that went to extra-time but they held their nerve to come out on top by a single point to secure their place in the final.

Speaking ahead of the big day, Dundalk Gaels manager, Kevin McKernan, reflected on their journey. He told the Dundalk Democrat:

“We have done very little only to recover because the boys have gone through 80 minutes of absolute battle in a semi-final of championship football.

“When a championship match goes to extra-time, you've played 80 minutes and all the extra emotion that goes with it – the preparation really just is recovering the bodies and giving us one really good go now again.

“Preparation has been good. We've had no injuries that we have to worry about and we are looking forward to making sure that we give a performance that the club are proud of, that the boys are proud of, and that I'm proud of.

“If we find those performance levels then we will give ourselves a chance.”Hunterstown Rovers began their campaign in Group 2 with a narrow 1-11 to 2-7 victory over Dundalk Young Irelands before turning on the style in their second group match to comfortably see off O'Raghallaighs by 2-19 to 3-8.

They were resolute defensively in the quarter-final to defeat St. Kevins 0-11 to 0-7 and in the semi-final they battled past a stubborn Sean O'Mahonys side to win by three points in Stabannon.

Hunterstown manager Seán Kelly spoke candidly about the team’s preparation: “We are delighted to be there, to be honest. We just have to make sure how our injuries are that is our big issue.

“We will try and get everybody out if we can and hopefully, people might enjoy the day that is an important thing. I think people realise that this is why you play and you want to enjoy the occasion.”

Captain, Ryan Burns, remains a doubt after picking up an injury in the semi-final but Kelly believes his team’s form this season will stand them in good stead.

When assessing his injury, Kelly said: “We don't know yet. That is being honest. We had two other injuries off by halftime as well and we don't know. It's the hazards of the game and you have to deal with that. So we will have to wait and see.

“We have worked hard and I suppose like everything else we are a young team. People have kind of got a bit of belief, when you win it brings belief.

“There were a couple of key moments this year. To be fair we played Dundalk Young Irelands three times and they were very tight games.

“We just got over the line in them in the league and championship. There were a couple of games we were probably fortunate to win but you get a belief from that, that's the way it works.”

Dundalk Gaels captain, Dylan McKeown, has impressed for the boys in blue. His leadership and ability to perform in crucial moments have been vital to their success.

Reflecting on reaching the final, McKeown said: “When we won that game against Kilkerley (Emmets) in the quarter-final you could feel that something was building within the group.

“In the week up to training, it was just a case of whether we did perform. We had a saying that day in the huddle 'If it's not now, then when? When are we going to step up and win a big game?'

“The Kilkerley game was the first time that I have ever won a championship game and I've been playing for five years.

“It sat with a lot of us and we were uncomfortable that we weren't stepping up to the plate when it came.

McKeown also spoke about the lessons learned during his championship campaign: “In the first game against Collon I was nearly too keen to shoot the lights out a wee bit. I think I took nearly 11 shots and only scored six of them.

“I sat down with Kevin (McKernan) then on Tuesday and he told me that you are key to the team but you need to set up other players too.

“Your goal tonight in training is that you aren't allowed to score, you have to set people up so that was how we built into it.

“Then obviously for the Kilkerley game, my role changed a wee bit, I moved back to wing forward sort of had a tracking role and then Tony McDonnell (one of the young lads) stood up and kicked 1-3 Thomas kicked 1-2.

“It just shows that we have a spread of scorers and we aren't relying on one man and trusting that each player on the team on any given day any man can do the job for us.”

Hunterstown Rovers will look to their captain Ryan Burns for inspiration, though his fitness remains a concern after picking up an injury in the semi-final.

Burns has been a key figure for the Rovers and his presence on the field would be a huge boost. "It's day-by-day for myself. We will play it by ear and see what happens," Burns said.

“It's a great achievement for the club and a long time coming since 2013. We have been knocking on the door ever since and we always wanted this day so we are looking forward to it. We have a young team here and it will be a great day.”

Dundalk Gaels have shown their defensive grit in tight matches, but also have the firepower to put teams to bed as seen in their group-stage win over Glyde Rangers.

McKernan admitted his side will face a tough task against Hunterstown: “We're looking at Hunterstown and we are seeing a team that has won 14 games in the league, they've drawn a game and they've lost a game in the championship as well.

“The games that they have won they have won pretty comfortably so we are coming up against a team that is probably further down the line than we are.

“We would love our fellas to be two years older but they are what they are and we know they're in a really good place but this Hunterstown team will give us absolute massive headaches with how they play the game.

“It's a good headache to have because we can try to set up a game plan that allows us to hurt them, but equally so we have to be so respectful of how they play the game.

“We are playing the best team in the competition at the minute. They are the highest-ranked team left, they finished first in the league.

“We have to play a relegation game after this so we are under no illusions it is going to be a tough game and we hope that we can get to the performance levels that this team has got to and hopefully it gives us a shout.”

Hunterstown on the other hand have built their campaign on a solid defensive platform, as shown in their quarter and semi-final wins where they conceded just 15 points across both games.

However, they are also capable of high-scoring performances as displayed by their dominant win over O'Raghallaighs in the group stage.

Kelly spoke on the challenge Dundalk Gaels will pose: “They are a very athletic team. Sometimes with a team it's when you come and to be honest they are the team that is coming.

“They have been producing their performances in the championship and they have been improving. In a sense they have come at it a little bit differently maybe than where we are.

“The other thing is Dundalk Gaels is an experienced team. I know this might be a young team but as a club they are used to being in these situations. They are a good team.

The final promises to be a tight contest with Dundalk Gaels hoping their momentum from the semi-final win over Mattock Rangers carries them through.

Hunterstown Rovers will be determined to add the Intermediate Championship to their Division 2 title.

For Gaels, the final represents a chance to break a drought that has seen them fall short in recent years, while Hunterstown will be aiming to lift the Intermediate trophy for the first time since 1999.

When speaking about how much winning would mean, McKeown said: “It would be a huge honour. Even thinking about the final and thinking of the lead-up to it, it's giving me goosebumps.

“The joy it would bring to the club, the joy it would bring to the older members of the club, especially family members. The joy it brings to their faces.

“We saw after we beat Kilkerley the older members of the club were clapping us off the pitch and the number nearly doubled the last day.

“That's what it is all about. It's not about the 44 men who turn up to training, we are just the lucky ones who get to play the matches, it's them who can't play, they are supporting us.

“They are the ones on a Friday night that are taking the young lads down to training. If you come down on a Friday the nursery is hopping all the way up to the U14s.

“It's the likes of them and Niall Lambert. It's the people who can't control our performance but they are wishing us on every time.

Meanwhile, Hunterstowns' Burns is keen to make the most of the opportunity: “I think 1999 is the last time that we won the Intermediate so that tells you how long and how hard it is to win it.

“It would be great for the club. We are a proud wee club in the rural countryside so all we can do is be a little bit prouder on Sunday and we will see what happens then.”