Preview: Allenwood, just one step away from provincial champions

When it came to the local football championships of 2023, most would have fancied Naas to capture the senior title; many would have felt Milltown were in with a great chance to take the junior title, but in all honesty few would have chose Allenwood to go all the way and lift the Hugh Campion Cup.

And when Sallins defeated The Blues in Group A (Round 2) well, some were suggesting that Allenwood might struggle to retain their intermediate status and a second defeat by Castledermot left them hanging by a thread but they hung in, qualified for the knock-out stages going on to progress, reach the final and then, in another upset defeated Castledermot to bring home the spoils.

If anything it emphasises, once again, there is very little between teams in the intermediate grade; extremely difficult to predict (says he after tipping Castledermot) but it fairness what Noel Mooney has achieved with this side is a credit to him, a credit to the team management of Noel Mooney; former county man Mark Hogarty, Darragh Johnson and Darren Maher, and, of course, tremendous credit to each and every player on the entire panel.

Manager Mooney, has emphasised after every game, whether it was in the local championship or in recent weeks, the Leinster Club, the importance of his panel.
And how right he has proved to be.

It may be a bit of a cliche, maybe easily to say after a win, any win, that this Allenwood side has a never-say-die attitude. But if ever a description to describe a team was right and proper it certainly is of the Allenwood team of 2023.

Time and time again they have shown their willingness to put their shoulder to the wheel; to refuse to lie down and roll over; to fight to the bitter end, let that be in normal time; time added on or, on the last two occasions, in extra time.

Character was the word manager Mooney used time and time again following his side's win, after extra time, against Laois champions Ballylinan.

“They showed some character, they didn't panic at the end when a point down, we brought on lads and it took some character from Daz (Darren Judge) to take that last free that forced the game into extra time.”

Remember added Noel, “that was his first time to have the ball in his hand; that was his first kick of the ball and he didn't flinch; he looked to take it and when, we on the line saw that from him, we had full confidence he would converted it which he did.”

If Darren, and in fairness, the rest of squad, have shown character, another lad who has come off the bench and make a major impact on more than one occasion in this campaign is Jack O'Brien.

The 20-year-old apprentice electrician did the business in the county final at Cullen Park, Carlow, against Castledermot, with that late winning point; made a huge contribution once again in the game against St Malachy's and he did it once again in the semi-final coming on late against Ballylinan and hitting 1-2.
Some story.

That all emphasises the strength of the panel available to Allenwood and as win came after win, the confidence began to soar and soar and is surely now at a peak that these boys in blue have a belief that tells them no matter who they meet they are capable of taking them.
And who would disagree with them at this stage.

The opposition in Saturday's decider comes from the capital, in fact from Scoil Uí Chonaill, the Clontarf who have just one previous win in their local intermediate championship to their credit before 2023 and that was all of sixty years ago in 1963. However they have two senior titles to their credit, 1983 and 1986.

Scoil Uí Chonaill defeated Meath champions Rathkenny in their semi-final, the game finishing level, after extra time 2-8 to 1-11, the Dublin boys getting through after a penalty shoot-out 3-2.
So it is not just Allenwood games that go right down to the wire, at least The Blues have not gone down the road of spot-kicks — well not yet any way, but the way things have been panning out I wouldn't be ruling anything out at this stage.
But back to Allenwood and they had a major boost before their semi-final when dual star Mark Delaney was declared fit to tog out.

He made an appearance for the second half, replacing the energetic Eric Judge, who by all accounts did very well to even play that opening half having picked up a knock in the week prior to semi-final.

Eric Judge has been one of the big guns for Allenwood this year; he covers an amount of ground, sweeping, linking-up and getting on the score sheet. A fit Eric Judge would be a big boost to Allenwood as they prepare for this final.
Elsewhere, well what can you say of the Great One — Johnny Doyle — the man is just unreal.

How many times have we seen him down, looking like he was out on his feet and then suddenly up again, running like a two-year-old. There was one occasion against Ballylinan, in the second half, when he went on a 25m sprint with an opponent to a loose ball, his opposite some 17 or 18 years his junior, was not able to keep up with him and he (Johnny) duly picked up the ball before his opponent even arrived at his destination.
Superb or what.

Manager Mooney was at paints to point out, and not for the first time after the semi-final, that this is no one or two man team as he emphasised this is a team effort and no one player is a winning player; it is a collective thing; a collective bunch of players from Luke Anderson in goals to Eric Judge at no. 15.

And in between a full back line that is solid and reliable with Fionn Moran, Sean Moran and Brendan Hanafey.
Mark Delaney, the absolute outstanding Darragh Malone at no. 6 and Ronan Guilfoyle, make up a fine half-back line.
In the middle JD himself along with Rory Moran (scored 1-1 in extra time the last day).

Arron Dunne, the athletic Johnny Byrne and team captain Billy Maher is the usual half-forward line while up front Cormac Denagher (or Darren Judge), their scorer-in-chief Eoin Bagnall, and Eric Judge will test the best of defences.
Gavin Malone, Colm Moran, Alex Lenehan, Oran O'Sullivan, and Cillian Moran, and of course, we have already mentioned Jack O'Brien.
A formidable squad.
A formidable team.

What they have achieved this season has been remarkable and it would be a brave man that would suggest they cannot finish off this season to remember with a Leinster title.
Here's hoping!