Minor hope for St Patrick's

Colleges Football All-Ireland senior final: Every so often the GAA at colleges level throws up a perfectly balanced game. Two teams of the same pedigree and at the same stage of maturity. Sunday's All-Ireland final between St Jarlath's, Tuam, and St Patrick's, Maghera, is clearly one such occasion.

On tradition alone St Jarlath's are more synonymous with success, with victory last year increasing their record number of titles to 12. St Patrick's have just three titles in all and last won in 1995, but this year come back-boned by four members of the Derry team that won last year's All-Ireland minor final - including captain Gerard O'Kane.

For Dermot McNicholl, the St Patrick's manager, the fact St Jarlath's are the opponents in Cavan on Sunday may help. He knows what his team must do to win.

"We played them in a challenge last January," he says, "and they beat us by a point. That will have no reflection on Sunday but I felt then we were two very similar teams. We definitely both play the same brand of football, and I think we both have good footballers all over the pitch.

"But we're very happy with the way preparations have gone. It's been intense but the lads have responded well and we're going in on Sunday with a clean bill of health. We've actually got two lads back from injury who were missing up to now."

St Jarlath's have six players from last year, including star defender Ger Ahearne and midfielder James Kavanagh, and their semi-final win over St Mel's, Longford, was convincing. But there is no lack of talent in the Maghera college, with the win over Coláiste na Sceilge equally conclusive.

"Of course having four Derry minors of last year is a good start," adds McNicholl, "but all the other lads have rallied behind them. And to be quite truthful, we're just happy to be in an All-Ireland final. At the beginning of the year we wouldn't have dreamed of going this far.

"But I'd say the semi-final was our best performance of the year, by a mile. The only downside was that we conceded three goals, and we know if we allow that against St Jarlath's it's game over."

Having come into college management with the team that won in 1995, and taking over fully in 1998, McNicholl is in a fair position to judge St Patrick's.

"They are a hard-working group. And potentially there are many players who have a good career ahead of them. So I think it will be a very interesting final, and the first 15 or 20 minutes will be crucial. But the thing about Jarlath's is they seem to get better and better when they come out of the province. So I can see this one going to the wire."