Blacks and reds get ready for the roulette of knockout
Ballyhaunis will be hoping that Mayo captain shakes off his recent injury trouble in time for Sunday's crunch game against Davitts.
Is attack the best form of defence or defence the best form of attack? That debate will go on again as the red-hot attack of Davitts faces the meanest defence in intermediate in the shape of Ballyhaunis in what will be an intriguing quarter-final tie.
With 8-52 to their name, no one has scored as many as Davitts in this year’s intermediate championship. They also lead the stats with goals scored, raising four green flags in each of their wins against Lahardane and Louisburgh and it is no surprise the game they did not find the net in was the defeat to Moy Davitts.
Niall Treacy (2-17) and Jack Melvin (3-11) have been in flying form, the latter even missing the first game against Lahardane, and the Ballyhaunis backline will have to be on point to prevent these two, as well as the other Treacy brothers Ciaran and Shane, and Mayo All-Ireland winner Fenton Kelly from taking control.
Ballyhaunis only played two games in the group stage (their final game against The Neale was not played following the tragic death of young club member Eoin Doyle) but they looked very impressive in sweeping Ballinrobe aside before seeing off the stubborn challenge of Castlebar Mitchels ‘B’ to wrap up top spot in Group 2 with a game to spare.
Across those two games, they only conceded 1-20 and Conor Henry, Liam Herr and Ja Carney form a back six that is as strong as any left in the intermediate championship.
Mayo’s All-Ireland winning captain Jack Coyne missed the win over Mitchels ‘B’ due to injury and was an unused substitute for the hurlers in their facile win over St Ciaran’s in their county semi-final last Sunday. He is likely to be back and a potential battle with Melvin or county teammate Fenton Kelly would whet the appetite.
At the other end of the field, dual stars Eamonn Phillips, Kieran Kiely and Fionn Conlon will hope to do the damage alongside Adam Kelly and Adam Noone.
This clash of the two blacks and reds could go the distance.
