High Noone for experienced Lahardane duo

Two of Lahardane MacHales most experienced campaigners, Mark Noone and Adrian Leonard, believe they are more than capable of reaching an All-Ireland final.

Both men played in the club’s previous and only other All-Ireland semi-final to date against Multyfarnham back in January 2018, which saw them narrowly beaten by the Leinster champions.

“It was in the balance,” Adrian told the Western People. “They probably got the luck of the draw on the day. They got a goal back off the post then I think we actually got a man sent off nearly in the same play and [the game] just turned and lost by two points. For us, we felt we left it behind us and it's just huge to get that opportunity again. It doesn't come around that often, so we fully intend to take it this time.” 

To get to this position again was far from straightforward for Lahardane MacHales but when you have a player like Mark Noone in the form he is in, you always have a chance.

His two second-half goals proved the difference in the Mayo junior ‘A’ final and his performances throughout the championship earned him a spot on the Mayo Club All-Star panel. He was pleased with the news but it is all business at this stage, looking ahead to the battle with Listowel Emmets.

“I'm happy out with the year, sure why wouldn’t you be, into an All-Ireland semi-final? But at the end of the day it's about the team and that's what it's all about and hopefully the next day we can do the business and get to the final.

“It's nice to get recognised for the performances for the year. I was happy out to get on it but it's all about next week now,” insists Noone who sat out the Club All-Stars' match against the Mayo senior football team at the Connacht GAA Air Dome last Saturday - just in case.

Mark and Adrian are two men who have seen it all with Lahardane at this stage but little could prepare for them for the unique conditions that met them in MacHale Park for the Connacht final against Owenmore Gaels. The game was almost called off because of the fog, with Adrian revealing it could’ve been played in Sligo the following day had it been postponed. But once the game was given the go-ahead, the focus was back in an instant.

“I never played in anything like anyway before, that's for sure,” admitted Mark. “When we landed up an hour before the game, we didn't think it’d be going ahead at all. We were all just standing on the pitch, not togged with 50 minutes to go, and next thing the ref's just turned around and said it was going ahead.

Adrian added: “When we left Lahardane, it was 100 per cent, it was nothing. I think about halfway up the Windy Gap someone texted saying there’s word the game would be called off and we’re like 'What the heck was going on?'

“I suppose you build yourself up for a couple of weeks to play in a Connacht final. Your mindset is right and then to come in and say the game might not be played. I think it was going to be changed to the following day, which would’ve been huge.

“But the decision was made fairly quickly so it didn't throw us off too much per se.” 

A big plus for this group this year has been young players like Mickey Murphy and Benny Joyce stepping up to the plate, the former scoring the decisive penalty in the shootout against Menlough in the Connacht semi-final. It has bolstered the squad greatly. With rural clubs at times struggling for numbers throughout Mayo and beyond, Adrian says it bodes well for the club now and into the future.

“It's all about the 30-man squad plus the management, that is 34 of us together. It was a full squad effort, like seven subs came on (against Menlough) and it just shows the depth in it. If you have that in the panel, it's super.

“We come down training midweek and you get 22, 23, 24 lads, obviously a few lads away, but it’s massive and that's been all year. Especially the last few weeks, coming down from Limerick, Galway and Dublin. It's huge just to keep that group together.”