Preview- Mooncoin must be wary of O’Shea and Salthill
Mooncoin are once again within 60 minutes of a Croke Park All-Ireland final appearance as they get set to meet Salthill-Knocnacarra this weekend.
Like in 2016, they come into the All-Ireland series on the back of Kilkenny and Leinster junior success but the ultimate aim for the club is to claim that elusive Celtic cross.
Willie Coogan’s team come into the game on the back of a Leinster final success against Shamrocks of Offaly where they ran out 10 point winners but they know more improvement is still needed.
Preparations have been far from ideal for Mooncoin with the club’s under-21 team playing in a championship semi-final against Dicksboro only last Sunday and the vast majority of that side are also part of the senior panel.
The team that are standing in the way of Mooncoin are a Salthill-Knocnacarra side that would be much more well known for their football prowess.
The Galway club claimed All-Ireland senior football success in 2006 when beating St Galls of Antrim but they have made a big move on the hurling side of things recently. While they were defeated in the county junior semi-finals, the resultant winners Craughwell already have a team in the senior ranks so Salthill have gone forward to represent the county.
Like in the Leinster final Mooncoin will go into the game as strong favourites, but Salthill do have the sizeable threat of Donal O’Shea available to them.
O’Shea is the son of former Tipperary boss Eamonn O’Shea and he has already caused a fair bit of damage to Kilkenny teams in the recent past.
The Galway youngster scored 10 points in the 2018 All-Ireland minor final as the Tribesmen secured a 0-21 to 0-14 victory over the Richie Mulrooney-managed Kilkenny side.
The Salthill star was at it again last summer when he notched 1-7 in Galway’s Leinster Under 20 semi-final victory over the Cats in Tullamore so he’s a man that will need to be watched this weekend.
It’ll be interesting to see where O’Shea lines out and after Mooncoin full back Sean Walsh went off in the first half last week, Salthill may try him very close to goal.
Mooncoin aren't without their own threat though and after Patrick Walsh netted a hat-trick in the Leinster final victory over Shamrocks, much will be expected of the destructive full forward.
Walsh is a man that is capable of winning a match on his own but with the likes of Mairtin Gannon, Adam Croke, Ciaran Quilty and Killian Hogan alongside him in attack, they seem to have all the artillery to put up a match winning score.
Mooncoin will see this as a huge opportunity to get back to Croke Park and if they continue with their hugely efficient goal scoring exploits, it looks to be within their grasp.