St Jarlath's vs St Mary's, Edenderry in Longford on Saturday

By JIM CARNEY AFTER two action-packed Championship contests in their own province, with victory left late on both days, Connacht champions St Jarlath's, Tuam step up in class when they take on the newly crowned Leinster champions St Mary's, Edenderry in the All-Ireland semi-finals this weekend. Also in the last four are St Michael's, Enniskillen who defeated St Patrick's, Maghera in the Ulster final on Monday of this week, and the Munster champions Pobal Scoil Chorca Dhuibhne, Ciarraí. Both semi-finals will be played on Saturday: St Jarlath's vs Edenderry at Pearse Park, Longford at 2.00 o'clock, and Dingle vs Enniskillen at Portlaise, also at 2.00 p.m. Of the four semi-finalists, St Jarlath's will field the most experienced team, with seven of their 2012 panel having started last year's Hogan Cup final, while an eighth member of the panel, Martin Farragher, was introduced as a sub late in the first half and played all of the second half. The seven starting players against the winners St Colman's, Newry at Croke Park on April 9th last were Conor Cunningham, Patrick Glynn, Adrian Nolan (all defenders), Liam Silke (midfield; centre half-forward this year), and forwards Shane Walsh, Seán Silke and Michael McWalters. Spare a thought for the 2011 goalkeeper, James Healy from Annaghdown, who misses all of this year's Championship because of cruciate ligament damage; but he's been in the dugout for every game, putting his personal disappointment on hold so that he can support and encourage his team-mates. Young full-back Cathal Reilly from Corofin, outstanding against Roscommon CBS, is also out injured. Shane Walsh's hamstring injury was a huge setback for the Tuam school's Connacht Final clash with Summerhill College, Sligo and the star forward and first-choice freetaker was so badly needed in the closing stages that it was decided to risk him on 'one good leg.' It's already gone into colleges football folklore how Shane's 15 minutes on the field at Ballyhaunis (eleven of â€Ëœnormal' time plus four minutes of injury-time) yielded five points to help St Jarlath's wipe out a five-point deficit. Sensationally, from a scoreline of Sligo 2-8 Tuam 0-9, it finished in a Tuam victory by 0-16 to 2-9. In fairness, freetaking wasn't a problem for the St Jarlath's forwards in that game, as Joseph Donnellan pointed three right-footed from the left and Seán Silke one from the other side, off his left. But Shane Walsh's arrival dramatically lifted all the attacking play of the defending Connacht champions who'd also beaten Summerhill in last year's provincial final. It's now three Connacht finals in a row lost by the Sligo college, who haven't won the West since 1985. Looking ahead to Saturday, St Jarlath's are keeping their fingers crossed that Shane Walsh will be able to start the All-Ireland semi-final but undoubtedly there must also be a focus on the need for all-round improvement. No team can keep coming from five and six points down in the final quarter of such big games. It's difficult to know why it happened against Roscommon CBS and Summerhill, especially as team spirit wasn't a problem; they were also a very well prepared team, and to hear their enthusiastic supporters (from all over the county) cheering them on must have had them feeling they had a 16th man on the field. To repeat something I wrote last week, I believe they have one major problem (of their own making) that hasn't yet been solved â€â€ they are not winning breaking ball in the middle third of the pitch, in particular from breaks after the midfielders jump for the kick-out. That's not to say the half-back line aren't working hard; they are, but they also need more support from the half-forward line and at times even for the full-forward line to win 'dirty' ball if they're dragged out the field. Against Roscommon CBS and Summerhill, Martin Farragher and Michael McWalters did particularly well at crucial stages but in general the forwards are not firing on all cylinders as a unit. In the Connacht Championship, as I saw it, St Jarlath's got through on both days because of: 1) hard work by the defence as a unit; 2) the all-round hard work and aerial power of Conor Gleeson at midfield, and 3) the scoring ability of Shane Walsh. That's all excellent, and hugely encouraging, but it doesn't amount to a 100 per cent team effort.   St Mary's, Edenderry made a big breakthrough three years ago when, after successes at B levels in earlier decades, at long last they became a force in the A grade, going all the way to the 2009 Hogan Cup final which they lost to Coláiste na Sceilge, the Kerry college coached by the Kingdom's county senior team manager, Jack O'Connor. This year, with a new team, Edenderry came through Leinster with by all accounts an impressive run, including a last-gasp one-point win over Coláiste Eoin of Dublin in the Leinster final, 1-14 to 2-10. Best of luck to all involved, on and off the field, with St Jarlath's in Longford on Saturday.