There are a lot similarities between the two teams contesting the AIB Leinster Intermediate Club final but if the bookies are to be believed, there is very little in the way of stopping a mouth watering All-Ireland semi final clash between Kerry Champions Rathmore and Dunshaughlin on the weekend before Christmas, even though both have yet to play their provincial finals. The Bookmakers expect both to win those finals without encountering much of a challenge. 

However, before that is to become a reality, Dunshaughlin who are bidding to become only the fifth Meath team to win the Leinster Intermediate Championship, have to travel to Wexford Park on Saturday to take on the Wexford champions St. Mogues of Fethard on Sea in the Leinster Final. The final forms part of a double header with Castletown who are also taking on Wexford (St. Abbans’s) opposition in the Leinster Junior Final.

Both Dunshaughlin and St. Mogue’s have been very impressive in the Intermediate grade this year and both were promoted back up to Senior Championship in their respective counties at their first attempt. The Black and Amber hoops have a 100% record to show from their nine championship games in 2022 and the margin of victory in eight of those games varies between 10 points and 18 points. 

St. Mogue’s won ten of their eleven championship games (drew one) in 2022 but their winning margins were smaller and mainly in the low single digits. 

St. Mogue’s only scored seven points in their Leinster semifinal win over Kilkenny Senior champions Mullinavat, winning by two points. Dunshaughlin themselves weren’t overly impressive up front either, in their semi final only managing fourteen points in their win over Cooley Kickhams.

That Leinster semi final was Dunshaughlin’s lowest score in championship and the first time this year that the Dunshaughlin half forward line out scored their full forward line, although that may also be due to Dunshaughlin surprisingly alternating starting their two top scoring forwards (Luke Mitchell and Aaron Murphy) in the two Leinster championship games, based on those two rotating it will be Luke Mitchell’s turn to start tomorrow. Dunshaughlin are so rich in attacking talent that in those two Leinster games, up stepped wing forward John McDonagh and scored 1-6 from play and of course they also have Meath Young Footballer of the Year Ruairi Kinsella and Meath Senior player Mathew Costello in the forward unit. Kinsella along with Ciaran McCarrick will be looking to make it double silverware in a week, as they were on the Maynooth University team that won the Senior league cup for the first time in their history on Wednesday night. Hard working Matthew Moyles is always good for at least one point a game and leaving Cert student Conor Duke who started the two Leinster championship games scored a point against Cooley.

If St. Mogue’s are to win the game and  give Dunshaughlin a shock, the biggest danger and what Dunshaughlin manager Richie Kealy will probably fear most going into this game, is complacency. In his post match interview Richie alluded to it when he pointed out, that a repeat of the lacklustre performance against Cooley would not be good enough in the final. After taking a commanding lead in that game Dunshaughlin took the foot off the gas and went twenty minutes in the 2nd half without scoring but at the same time never looked in danger, because Cooley themselves only managed one point the whole 2nd half.

Fethard have kept their opponents goalless in their three Leinster championship games to date although they did concede three goals in their County Final, Dunshaughlin themselves didn’t score any goals in two of their last three games

Home advantage to St. Mogue’s should be worth a few points and especially as it will be Dunshaughlins first time to play anywhere other than Pairc Tailteann in the last three months, having played their last five games in their home from home.

With the one sided nature of nearly all of the Dunshaughlin games this year, apart from the Meath Quarter Final against Rathkenny, the Dunshaughlin backs have  never really had to deal with a long period of sustained pressure, where they were put to the pin of their collar and that is unlikely to change in this game. The veteran Niall Murphy playing at centre back was Dunshaughlin’s top performing back against Cooley Kickhams. 

Ben Duggan and Conor Gray have won almost all of the midfield battles this year (although Dunshaughlin struggled at midfield against Rathkenny when Duggan was out injured and Gray picked up a hand injury).

Dunshaughlin’s twenty year wait to get their hands on Leinster championship silverware will come to an end on Saturday afternoon in Wexford Park and they should do so with a good few points to spare.

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