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sPaul Carey started yesterday’s game in Ballina as one of the brightest prospects in Roscommon club football. He ended it as Player of the Match, the topic of conversation all across the country, and a strong contender to feature prominently in Anthony Cunningham’s already-heavyweight attacking unit later this year.

Pádraig Pearses winning the AIB Connacht club football championship and becoming just the fifth club from the county to win the Shane McGettigan cup was the headline story of the afternoon, but anyone in attendance at James Stephens Park, or who tuned in to live coverage of the game on TG4, was blown away by the incredible display of scoring from the 21-year-old corner forward.

Two years ago, he played a key role as impact sub and eventually starter for Pearses when they won their first ever Roscommon title. Yesterday, he was earmarked as one of the main threats in their forward line, and still he ran riot, hitting the target with every shot on goal.

It was no less than manager Pat Flanagan expected.

“Paul had a super game today. He had a couple of quiet games in the past but he really stood up and showed the quality that he has. I said it to him before the game to have belief in himself” said the Offaly native.

“Sometimes Paul doesn’t believe in how good he can be but he really stood up to the mark today, I don’t know what he scored, but some of the points he kicked from play were exceptional”.

Flanagan particularly paid tribute to his score immediately after the water break, hooked over the bar from 30 metres out, that broke Knockmore’s run of scoring 1-2 without reply.

“It was the turning of the game. Had they scored another point straight after the water break it would have caused us a lot of tension and pressure on the pitch itself but for Paul to score that point, it kind of gave us back the initiative, and we needed every score we got at that stage of the game, as you saw at the end”.

Pádraig Pearses and Roscommon herald a new hero

Limerick hurler, William O'Donoghue, believes the GAA’s decision to condense the inter-county season into the first seven months of the year is a positive move for a variety of reasons.

It ensures a hectic programme of fixtures during the Allianz Hurling League and provincial championships, but O'Donoghue is adamant that more matches is exactly what players and supporters alike want.

“Yeah, whoever gets to the provincial finals it’s obviously a tough enough slog but I imagine all management have marked out blocks or phases,” he says.

“As a whole, isn’t it positive to have more games? If it wasn’t games, you’d be training three times a week for the same fixture. Supporters want to see games, players want to be involved in them and maybe it’s a positive thing that there’s that much games and there is more exposure and stuff like that.

“It’s a tough slog but under the old structure teams could have come back in November for a July championship. It’s what you make of it. It will obviously be tough and demanding - the round-robin is back and you saw how difficult it was for teams to win when they had three games on the bounce.

“I’m sure it will throw up all sorts of scenarios but it’s exciting, it’s brilliant and it’s what everyone wants, all the teams competing against one another and we’re going to see it.

O'Donoghue relishing Limerick's hectic hurling schedule

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A Fermanagh club has never won the AIB Ulster Club Senior Football Championship and Derrygonnelly Harps are determined to rewrite the record books.

They’ve learned a lot from six Ulster championship campaigns in seven years and now believe they’re ready to create some history when they play reigning provincial champions Kilcoo in Sunday’s Final.

Jones expects Derrygonnelly to rise to the occasion

Sunday’s AIB Munster and Ulster Club Senior Football Championship Finals will both be broadcast live by TG4.

First up is the Munster Final between Kerry champions Austin Stacks and Cork champions St Finbarr’s which takes place in Semple Stadium Thurles with a throw-in time of 1.45pm.

Then, at 3.45pm, it’s the meeting of Fermanagh champions Derrygonnelly Harps and Down and reigning Ulster champions Kicoo in the Athletic Grounds, Armagh.

The full fixture details can be viewed below.

Austin Stacks (Kerry) v St. Finbarr’s (Cork), Semple Stadium, Thurles, 1.45pm.

Kilcoo (Down) v Derrygonnelly Harps (Fermanagh), Athletic Grounds, Armagh, 3.45pm.

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