Portlaw and Geraldine’s fight it out for vacant Senior Football Position in 2017

Saturday is a big day for two clubs as Portlaw and Geraldine’s do battle in the last of this year’s big County Finals as they battle it out for the Intermediate Football Title.

Both sides head to Walsh Park on Saturday afternoon after Divisional Final wins last weekend, coincidently both after replays.

In the last 30 years the side from the Aglish and Villierstown areas have contested the County Final of this grade of football.

In 1984 they lost out to Rathgormack and eight years ago they lost out to Tramore.

Portlaw have appeared in four county finals in the last twenty years.

In 1989 they lost out to Sliabh gCua at Fraher Field. They lost out to Affane in 1992 and 1996 and two years ago they lost out to Brickey Rangers at Walsh Park.

Last Saturday in Dunhill, Portlaw qualified for this game when they had a goal to spare over Kill.

For the second game running against their near neighbours, Michael Donnelly finished as top scorer for his side kicking 1-7 of his sides tally of 1-10, the goal coming from a penalty and three of his white flag scores coming from frees.

He is a player that will likely keep the Geraldine’s full back line on their toes on Saturday afternoon at the Keane’s Road venue.

Apart for Donnelly, Portlaw have a number of good players in the likes of Frank Galvin, Niall Fitzgerald, Darren Rockett and John Hartley.

Paul Shankey and Blake O’Connor are also quality footballers but it remains to be seen what part if any they will play in this game as both picked up injuries in the win over Kill. Of the two Blake O’Connor is reported to be the player most likely to miss out in the team from the start.

The Geraldine’s reached the final twenty-four earlier when they beat Modeligo at Fraher Field.

They did much of the spade work for the victory in the first half when they outscored their opponents 0-7 to 0-2 with Danny O’Keeffe, Steven Kennefick and Aidan O’Dwyer kicking one point each and top scorer Alan Lawlor hit four first half scores for the eventual winners.

Modeligo proved to be the better side in the second half but much of the damage was done for the in those opening thirty minutes as they outscored the winners 0-7 to 0-4.

Throughout the Geraldine’s team they have some very experienced players.

The veteran Kieran Cotter who played for the county in the past is their number one. Former inter county hurler Jerome Maher plays directly in front of him, while Stevie Hally and Stephen Kennefick are also tough defenders.

In the middle of the field Matty O’Brien and Aidan Dwyer make up a good combination, while in attack Danny O’Keeffe, Eamon Mernin and Alan Lawlor are players that have seen a lot of action down the years.

Whether we like it or not, for now we have an East/West Division in the county.

In recent weeks we saw the numbers of clubs competing in the 2017 from the East of the County cut by one after Saint Saviours lost a relegation play off.

It is important for football in the county that football in the East of the county is as strong as it is in the West, and it’s important that teams are playing in as high a grade as is possible.

Just two teams as things stand from East of the Mahon River will contest the senior football championship in 2017, but it would be brought back up to three if Portlaw were to win here.

But when it comes to football in the county in recent years, history does not go with them, as the winners more often than not in this competition have come from the West of the county.

Once more The Geraldine’s should have enough in them to win here, especially if Portlaw are going to have to line out without one or both from Paul Shankey and Blake O’Connor.

If The Geraldine’s win straight away there will be many that will be looking forward to the Senior Football Championship draws next year, to first see if the current championship draw is retained and if it is to see will The Geraldine’s end up in a draw along with their neighbours Clashmore/Kinsalebeg on one side of the Parish and more over Ballinameela at the other end of the Parish, a Parish they play Juvenile and underage football and hurling with under the Saint Oliver’s name.

A Clash between the two would be welcomed by many who would surely see patrons turn up in large numbers to see the two sides do battle, but first they have to win this weekend.