Conroy expecting serious challenge from Gaels

Six years since their historic Connacht junior football title win, Lahardane MacHales will look to bring a second one home to the proud North Mayo village when they face the Sligo champions at Hastings Insurance MacHale Park on Saturday (1.30pm).

The celebrations were in full flow when the Black and Amber defeated Shrule/Glencorrib to win a second Mayo junior championship a month ago, and their loyal supporters were put through the mill once more after they came back from five points behind to defeat Menlough of Galway on penalties in the Connacht junior club football semi-final.

The players, management and supporters enjoyed another memorable win but for manager Eddie Conroy and his backroom, it was back to business the next day as they immediately made preparations for Owenmore Gaels. He even feels the manner of the win over Menlough has not properly hit him yet.

“When I was playing it was probably easier (to come down from the high),” Eddie told the Western People. “When you're on the sideline you can't do much.

“I'm kind of taking each game as it goes and then after each game you analyse it. Sometimes you'll be there thinking ‘Jesus, did you do that or did you not do it?’ 

“I'm a big believer in go and enjoy yourself because you don't know what the next day will be like so enjoy every moment that we get as a group and we went back at it again. We set out a program on Monday morning (after the semi-final). We had a program sent out to the lads and we were back at it again. Then Tuesday evening we did a rehab session with everybody so it was straight away back.

“They had a few pints Sunday night, sent out the rehab program for them to do on Monday to be ready for Tuesday and we're back at it again and on the pitch.” 

Considering the gruelling nature of the game, which saw many players cramping late on, Conroy is delighted to have a two-week break between matches to get the players re-energised as well as take on board the elements of their game that they need to improve on, with the manager dissatisfied with the accuracy of their shooting in particular.

“You need the two weeks, especially after a game like that. You would have seen the lads falling down with cramps. We were five points down, we put so much into it to come back from the five points deficit. They really struggled against that wind, they really dug deep to come back level. There was an awful big effort by everybody to come back in all kind of ways.

“It was hard and really tough on them to come back and they did it. You have to give them credit for coming back from five points down but as I said after the game, we shouldn't have got to being five points down.” 

Conroy added: “We were all over shop in the first-half. We had four shots into the goalie's hands, and five misses. That's nine shots that we missed that we normally would get and it's probably [down to] the three weeks layoff. If we got a match in between, it would have suited us better. It's rusty and a lot of stuff, especially our shooting. We were very rusty on that.

“At least we can now put things right the next day, what we got wrong. I think next day is going to be a bigger task for the lads. It's going to be a tougher game than we played last Sunday week.” 

Timing has been key for this Lahardane team all throughout the year. While many teams across Mayo were back on the pitch by February or March, Conroy and his backroom team elected not to return until April to get Lahardane peaking for the business end. He drew on his own experiences as a player.

“What did I hate? I hated going back in January. So we probably didn't hit the pitch until April. I suppose some teams went back in February or March but we did a lot of strength and conditioning with them and then went back once a week in April. We probably hit form at the right time, we kind of got our timing right.

“It's tough on any team with heavy ground (at this time of year). I suppose we were set up to being down in Bofeenaun with the wind and rain coming down every so often. It helps us a small bit but for both teams, it’s a heavy pitch. It's going to be down to fitness again the next day.” 

Standing in Lahardane’s way of a second Connacht title are Owenmore Gaels, who kicked late on to beat Glenfarne-Kiltyclogher from Leitrim in the other semi-final. Lahardane will need to be wary of centre-forward Aaron Mullen, who kicked eight points from frees, while Conor Davey and the Walsh brothers, Mark and Dillion, also carry a great threat. At the back of the pitch, Kyle Mullen and Jamie Callaghan are solid defenders who have a knack for scoring big points also.

Kyle Mullen and Dillion Walsh were part of Sligo’s minor winning side in 2021, the latter famously also scoring the winner against Galway to help Sligo retain the Connacht U20 title this year. He sadly missed the remainder of their run to the All-Ireland final after contracting meningitis but having also won a Connacht ‘A’ championship title with Summerhill College, Walsh is bidding to win his third provincial medal this year.

Sligo football has been on the rise the last few years particularly at underage level and Eddie Conroy is expecting a big test this Saturday.

“As I said after the game, this will probably be our biggest challenge. Sligo football is back up there with the Galways and Mayos of old club football.

“[Owenmore Gaels] have three or four lads involved in U20 panels. They have to be serious out there. You have to give every team credit and every team respect, that's the way I look at it. They'll probably be tougher than the last game that we played. They will be good, there's no question about it. They wouldn't be where they are if they weren't good.

“We have to prepare ourselves properly now the next day. We're a bit more tuned in and I suppose we have to see what they bring to us. It's kind of fifty-fifty but it will be a really tough team. To be honest, I’d say it's going to be one of the toughest teams we're going to play all year.” 

With the exception of Keith O’Malley, Jason Joyce and Liam Barrett, Conroy has a full squad to choose from. Seven substitutes were used in the semi-final and Conroy says every member of his 27-man squad will have to be ready for anything that comes their way.

“It's not about fifteen who start, given the demands of these games nowadays. It really is a squad game, it's 27 or 28 lads who are fully fit with three lads missing.

"We're in a great place, panel-wise, with a small community. To have thirty lads committed to what we're doing is fabulous. It's really brilliant."

Verdict: Lahardane MacHales