Guide To The County Hurling Final 2012

De La Salle v Dungarvan

3.45 at Fraher Field
Referee: Michael Wadding (Roanmore)

Betting
De La Salle 1/7 Draw 12/1 Dungarvan 5/1

Probable Teams
De La Salle: Stephen Brenner, Conan Watt, Ian Flynn, Stephen Daniels, Brian Phelan, Kevin Moran, Eoin Madigan, Dean Twomey, Eddie Barrett, Shane McNulty, Jake Dillon, Paidi Nevin, John Mullane, Jack Kennedy, John Keane.

Dungarvan: Darren Duggan, Luke Egan, Derek Barry, Kevin Daly, Shane Kearney, Kenny Moore, Conor Sheridan, Jamie Nagle, Sean Ryan, Cormac Curran, Gavin Crotty, Eoin Healy, Cathal Curran, Ryan Donnelly, Colm Curran.

Story To Date
Dungarvan recovered from a three point defeat to Lismore in round 1 and took seven points from their remaining four group games. This included a surprise win at over Ballygunner and that result spurred them on to finish top of the group. Tallow kept them on their toes in the quarters before pulling clear in the final quarter. Another strong second half showing against Fourmilewater saw them overcome their early nerves and create history. The only blot on De La Salle’s copybook came against Fourmilewater in the second game of the group phase. In response, they dished out three hammerings to Tallow, Roanmore and Dunhill as they finished in second spot. Ray Barry and Dan Shanahan found some gaps in their rearguard during the last eight rollercoaster ride with Lismore before Eddie Barrett eventually squeezed them through in injury time. They outgunned Mount Sion down the home straight to return to the final.

Leading Scorers
De La Salle are no longer dependant on John Mullane’s goals and points but they would still like a more prolific return from the four time All Star. He has scored 1-8 in seven games so far. Jake Dillon is their leading marksman on 5-32 with Jack Kennedy and Dean Twomey sharing second spot with 3-13 apiece. The Blues’ free taker Cormac Curran holds top spot for them with a tally of 1-49 so far. The chasing pack includes Gavin Crotty (2-13) and Colm Curran (1-13).

Key Battles
Jamie Nagle and Dean Twomey played starring roles a fortnight ago but will their paths cross on Sunday? Nagle likes to sweep up around the half back line and plays a much deeper role than his inter county colleague. Twomey can also cover a lot of ground but he prefers to join in the attack whenever he can as his high scoring returns confirm. Both players carry a weight of responsibility and whoever can get their hands on enough ball will influence proceedings. The hard working supporting cast of Sean Ryan and Eddie Barrett will also have their say in which pairing comes out on top. The battle between the Dungarvan half forward line and De La Salle’s formidable half back line will also be worth watching. Gavin Crotty cut loose in the second half of the semi final and it will be interesting to see if Kevin Moran polices the man in the white helmet. Will the De La Salle captain be forced to curb his attacking instincts to keep tabs on a forward that looks determined to regain his spot on the county panel? If Moran, Madigan and Phelan start to dictate, Dungarvan will be in all sorts of bother.

Under The Radar
The young forwards on both sides can prove match winners this weekend. Shane McNulty usually operates on the wing and he struck seven points from play against Tallow and 1-15 in the championship overall. He forced his way onto the starting fifteen as a result of these sharp touches in front of goal and he will hope to produce another free scoring display. For Dungarvan, Ryan Donnelly received an overwhelming supply of ball against Fourmilewater and probably should have raised more than two white flags. His pace can hurt De La Salle but his accuracy requires attention. In the other corner, Cathal Curran has made a positive return from injury to pop over three points from play in his last two outings.

Off The Bench
Both teams seem reluctant to use their back-up options. De La Salle put on one substitute against Mount Sion (despite listing numbers up to 39) and Dungarvan didn’t roll the dice at all against Fourmilewater. If the Blues decide to change tack on Sunday, Karl Duggan and Michael Power look most likely to get the call. Oran Keevers, David Greene and Thomas Kearney have been on the fringes of the De La Salle team and they can also look to stars of the future like Adam O’Sullivan.

Prediction
Dungarvan simply cannot afford to crawl out of the blocks like they did in the quarters and semis. They will obviously need the sort of leadership shown by Shane Kearney and Jamie Nagle throughout this championship and some spectacular high wire acts like Darren Duggan’s shot stopping in the semi final. The game plan is unlikely to change. They picked out their corner men last time around and eventually held their nerve in front of a goal by shooting ten second half points. They depend greatly on Cormac Curran and how he would like a couple of early tap over frees to settle him down. He hasn’t let the side down so far. The imponderable is how all their young players will react to the heat of a county final considering their average age of twenty. The evidence from their seven games so far suggests that they can handle the pressure and not roll over like Tallow twelve months ago.

De La Salle also realise that their performance levels in the knock out stages haven’t been up to scratch. The concession of six goals in those two games will probably grate with them the most. Doubts persist over the full back line and Dungarvan can target them for pace in this sector. The Blues cannot match De La Salle in terms of power and physicality however. They also hold the edge in experience. It’s a totally new ball game for the entire Dungarvan squad while the majority of Derek McGrath’s charges will be lining out in their fourth county final. And even if one or two of their forwards misfire, there is enough quality available to take up the slack.

For a shock to occur, Dungarvan need to maintain a high tempo and keep the ball moving. They will try to use their mobility and run at the De La Salle defence like Lismore did. A positive start is mandatory for them to sustain a challenge and keep the home crowd buzzing. All that said, De La Salle have already displayed this year that can ride out a bumpy patch and emerge on the other side. They know that they must improve however. After blitzing inferior opponents at the tail end of the group stages, they have taken the foot of the gas. They may be ready to unleash a big, all round team display on Dungarvan this Sunday. Mullane will also emerge from his barren scoring run sooner rather than later. Dermot Dee has assembled a fine team that have captured the imagination and they won’t let him down on Sunday. They come up against a battle hardened bunch however that have the scars to prove it. That half back trio should offer a platform for Twomey and that dynamic attack to shake off Dungarvan’s resistance.  De La Salle should have matters under control by the final quarter and reclaim the News & Star trophy but may not beat the six point handicap.