Mayo men making their mark in Dublin and Kildare
There is never too much looking for a Mayo connection when the club championships reach their business end.
In Kildare and Dublin, there was plenty to keep an eye on over the weekend, with Mayo involvement prominent on both sides of the east coast.
There were quarter-final victories in Kildare for Alan Costello’s Celbridge and James Burke’s Naas, while Vinnie Walsh’s Sarsfields produced one of the performances of the weekend to sweep aside Moorefield.
And then, in Dublin, there was a particularly big moment for John Vahey and Sharoize Akram as Castleknock booked their place in the Dublin Senior Football Championship final.
For Vahey in particular, it was a landmark evening.
Vahey and Akram into Dublin final
Castleknock’s 0-26 to 3-12 victory over Thomas Davis at Parnell Park was one of those championship games where the final score only tells part of the story.
Castleknock had appeared in control for long periods of the first half, but Thomas Davis came roaring back after the interval. Two second-half goals left Castleknock in serious trouble before they showed the character required to turn the contest around.
And there was a significant Mayo influence in that response.
Former Breaffy goalkeeper John Vahey had already made his mark, kicking four points, including two excellent two-point frees. Former Ballaghaderreen man Sharoize Akram also got on the scoresheet.
For Castleknock, though, the significance went far beyond the scoreline.
This was their first Dublin Senior Football Championship final appearance since 2016 and only the second in the club’s history. The fact that they had lost eight of their previous nine quarter-finals was not lost on Vahey.
“It's obviously a really good feeling,” he said afterwards.
Thomas Davis had made life uncomfortable. They were energetic, thrived off chaos and, once the goals arrived, Castleknock suddenly found themselves chasing the game.
Vahey was honest about the areas that needed work, particularly conceding three goals, but what impressed him most was the response.
Castleknock had gone into the second half two points ahead before finding themselves four behind during a difficult fifteen minute spell.
This time, they did not fold.
“I've been told that we lost them games before,” Vahey said, reflecting on Castleknock’s recent quarter-final history. “But this was apparently a different Castleknock team this year.”
The Mayo man felt the players “died in their boots” to get the job done, and the contribution from the bench was crucial.
Shane Boland helped settle the game, Ger McDermott Roe came on and kicked important scores, Keith Boyle did likewise, while Darragh Warnock made a telling contribution under the Castleknock kick-out.
“Our subs certainly nearly, I'd say, won us that game today,” Vahey said.
It was, in his view, a victory for the entire panel rather than simply the starting 15.
That was one of the strongest themes of his reaction afterwards. He was delighted not only for the players but for the people of Castleknock who have waited years for a day like this.
The supporters came in numbers, and Vahey spoke about feeling their energy from the field.
“It’s great for the players and the lads who, especially, have been here for so long,” he said. “And it’s great for the supporters and everything.”
There was also a nice personal angle.
For Vahey, this will be his first Dublin county final.
He admitted that if somebody had told him a couple of years ago that he would be preparing for a Dublin Senior Football Championship final, he probably would have laughed.
Now it is reality.
There is little time for sentiment, however. Castleknock will face Cuala in the final after the Dalkey side defeated holders Ballyboden St Enda’s.
Vahey knows it will be a completely different challenge.
“Those are two of the biggest clubs in Dublin,” he said, with Castleknock now preparing for a final against a Cuala side that will bring a different test to Thomas Davis.
There are areas to improve, too. Vahey was particularly critical of his own kick-outs and knows the three goals conceded will need to be examined.
“We'll look back at that and see how I can get better and how maybe we can get better all round as a team,” he added..
But that can wait for another day.
For now, there is simply the satisfaction of getting there.
A Mayo goalkeeper preparing for a Dublin county final.
Not a bad story.
And alongside him will be Akram, another Mayo man who played his part in getting Castleknock over the line.
The Ballaghaderreen native’s point added to the Castleknock tally, meaning there will be two players with Mayo connections involved in the capital’s showpiece.
The final is set for October 18.
Baines comes up short this time
There was disappointment, meanwhile, for former Burrishoole man Ryan Baines.
Ballyboden St Enda’s had been chasing back-to-back Dublin titles and faced Cuala in a repeat of last year’s semi-final.
Last year, Boden came through that contest. This time the result went the other way.
Ballyboden were level at the end of normal time,but Cuala finished strongly, scoring four unanswered points to turn the contest in their favour.
For Baines and Ballyboden, it was a frustrating way for their championship to end.
They had opportunities to make more of the game, but Cuala were stronger when it mattered most.
There will be no Dublin final for Baines this time, but the Mayo connection will still be very much alive in that final through Vahey and Akram.
Costello’s Celbridge show their steel
Over in Kildare, former Wicklow manager Alan Costello’s Celbridge were also celebrating.
They beat Raheens 0-13 to 0-10 to book their place in the last four, but it was far from straightforward.
Celbridge lost a midfielder to a hamstring injury after only 10 minutes and then found themselves down to 14 men after a black card with 10 minutes remaining.
They were only three points ahead at that stage.
Instead of panicking, they found a way through.
“We're delighted to hold on,” Costello said afterwards. “We showed a lot of character and a lot of steel, a lot of determination.”
That was the aspect of the victory that pleased him most.
Celbridge had enjoyed a perfect group stage, but championship football is about dealing with adversity as much as playing well when everything is going your way.
They did that against Raheens.
“It was tight, went down to the wire there, but we're delighted,” Costello added.
The reward is another Kildare semi-final, where Costello’s side will face Sarsfields.
And that gives us a particularly good Mayo angle.
All-Mayo meeting in Kildare after Sarsfields win
Vinnie Walsh’s Sarsfields produced one of the weekend’s most emphatic performances when they put Moorefield to the sword.
The final score was 1-20 to 1-7, with Sarsfields particularly dominant in the first half.
They went into the interval 0-15 to 1-1 ahead and, from Walsh’s perspective, the difference was the intensity with which his team started.
“It was a bit different than the group games,” he said. “We were well up for it and we totally took over the first half.”
Sarsfields pressed high, forced turnovers and punished Moorefield on the scoreboard, with the two-pointers proving particularly valuable.
“We were thirteen points ahead,” Walsh reflected afterwards. “We were never going to lose it in the second half.”
The second half was less impressive.
Walsh admitted the game became “a bit pedestrian”, with Sarsfields content to control the contest rather than maintain the same intensity.
“I wouldn't be too happy with that side of it,” he said.
Still, it is hard to be too critical after beating your local rivals by 13 points and scoring 1-20.
“You can complain when you win 1-20 and win by 13 points against your town rival,” Walsh added.
Now comes the intriguing part.
Sarsfields will face Celbridge in the semi-final, meaning Walsh and Costello — two Mayo men — will be on opposite sides.
The St Colemans derby
Walsh was already looking forward to the prospect.
“We'll have a bit of fun having a crack at each other,” he said.
There will be plenty of competitive edge beneath that friendliness.
Sarsfields have been in superb form, while Celbridge have shown that they can win even when circumstances turn against them.
For one Mayo man, a county final will be within touching distance. For the other, the journey will end one step earlier.
Burke’s Naas keep rolling
James Burke also has plenty to smile about after Naas booked their place in the Kildare semi-finals.
Naas defeated Johnstownbridge 2-17 to 1-15, although the final margin perhaps does not reflect how much control they had for long periods.
Burke had identified Daniel Flynn and his brother as key threats, particularly around the middle of the field.
The opening stages were slow as both teams settled, but Naas soon found their rhythm and established a four- or five-point advantage.
An early goal gave them the platform, and they went into half-time five points ahead.
They then started the second half strongly, stretching the advantage to eight or nine before Johnstownbridge came back into the game.
“They went for broke a little bit,” Burke explained afterwards.
A couple of two-pointers brought the deficit back, but Naas had enough in reserve to see it out.
“It was a good workout for sure,” said Burke, who knows there is still work to do.
He was particularly pleased with centre-back Kyle Daly and the half-back line, where Rob Murray and Paddy McDermott also impressed.
“Very strong platform for us, that half-back line,” he said.
Naas now have two weeks to sharpen things up before the semi-final, with Burke conscious that reaching this stage is one thing and going all the way is another.
