GAA team of the weekend

Niall McIntyre

Honestly you just can’t beat it.

The last eight weekends of club GAA have been unbelievable, the weekend just past was from another world.

Gaoth Dobhair played football from the Gods, Coolderry and Ballyboden played hurling from the heavens. And when so many teams and individuals play so bloody good, how the hell are you supposed to pick a team of the weekend?

We’ve been doing that for the last few of them but never before has there been as many outstanding performers to miss out. Christ, picking this forward line was like a parent being asked to pick their favourite child.

Cathal Dunbar, the man hurled a first half better than any man who makes the team but he still doesn’t get in. Rian O’Neill was another man hard-done by and so was Darragh Burke and Odhran Mac Niallais.

Here it goes.

1 Stephen O’Keeffe (Ballygunner)

Raced up the field and scored this peach of a penalty when the Gunners needed a goal. That changed the whole game.

Made a few decent saves too.

Stephen O'Keeffe scores a penalty for @ballygunnerHc just before Half-time pic.twitter.com/NhEIzedRjf

— The GAA (@officialgaa) November 18, 2018

2 Damien McArdle (Scotstown, Monaghan)

Any corner back who scores two points from play in a game won by one is a shoo-in. McArdle did that and he kept his Eoghan Rua man scoreless.

3 Joey Holden (Ballyhale Shamrocks, Kilkenny)

Kept Conor McDonald quiet. That’s enough.

4 Noelene Lambert (St Martin’s, Wexford)

Kept Thomastown at bay when they were threatening in the Leinster camogie final in Nowlan Park. Cleared ball and stopped attacks all day.

5 Fintan Burke (St Thomas, Galway)

Thomas’ are back in an All-Ireland semi-final and Burke, a member of the under-21 Team of the Year is doing the business for them. Hurled Liam Mellows from the half back line.

6 Wayne Hutchinson (Ballygunner, Waterford)

Plucked two skyscrapers when Na Piarsaigh were trying to get back into it in the second half. Led from the back and led like the leader he is.

17 years of hurt is over. pic.twitter.com/9IFmQxkbuv

— Wayne Hutchinson (@WayneHutchinso1) November 18, 2018

7 Shane Durkin (Ballyboden St Enda’s, Dublin)

Scored two points and stood tall for ninety thrilling minutes in Parnell Park.

8 Daire Ó Baoill (Gaoth Dobhair, Donegal)

Three goals in 24 first half minutes and this block.

Gaoth Dobhair had many heroes today but Daire Ó Baoill was on another level 💪
Joe Brolly got some telling off from a @gaothdobhairclg man for calling him the wrong name 😂
https://t.co/7GqfeEDr7O

— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) November 18, 2018

9 Darragh Fitzgibbon (Charleville, Cork)

The man has been running riot for Charleville and for months and he’s taken them with him to Cork and Munster crowns. His teammates have one job and one job only when they get the ball and that’s to pop the ball out to Darragh Fitzgibbon. He’ll take care of it from there. Scored nine, five from play against Feakle. Lethal.

Darragh Fitzgibbon: The pride of @CHARLEVILLEGAA, but he knows nothing about it | @NiallMcintyre https://t.co/DN9HwBth17

— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) November 17, 2018

10 Peter Hogan (Ballygunner, Waterford)

Hogan gets on more ball in one game than most hurlers would in seven. On Sunday, on Ballygunner’s big day, he was as industrious as a Clean Ireland employee.

Agallamh le laoch na hImeartha Peter Hogan ó @ballygunnerHc pic.twitter.com/OnJGWCDUoL

— Spórt TG4 (@SportTG4) November 18, 2018

Everything went through him, every Ballygunner player must have got a good pass off him at some stage and that’s what beat Na Piarsaigh for them.

11 Brian Carroll (Coolderry, Offaly)

2-16. 2 flippin 16.

Never has a man deserved to win a game as much as Brian Carroll today | https://t.co/y0affUzG3Q https://t.co/fPwjPv2cc9 pic.twitter.com/xLsBcxsBkN

— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) November 18, 2018

NEXT.

12 Doireann O’Sullivan (Mourneabbey, Cork)

Kicked seven points from play in an All-Ireland semi-final for her club. One of the most glorious shooters in the country, she picks off points like it’s the easiest thing in the world.

13 Colin Fennelly (Ballyhale Shamrocks, Kilkenny)

Fennelly will tell you himself that he hasn’t been in the best of from recently. His dander is up now though.

He scored 4-4 against Naomh Eanna, including points from all angles and goals from the top drawer.

He’s back and Ballyhale Shamrocks are looking like favourites.

Holy Moly @BallyhaleGAA are on fire 🔥 🔥 https://t.co/lMaDE4IGqC

— SportsJOE (@SportsJOEdotie) November 18, 2018

14 Kevin Cassidy (Gaoth Dobhair, Donegal)

A stylish wing back turned graceful full forward. Kevin Cassidy scores, or sets up a score the very minute the rest of the Gaoth Dobhair team look like they might be thinking about letting the opposition back into it.

15 Colm Basquel (Ballyboden St Enda’s, Dublin)

What a decision from Joe Fortune to call this man in. A footballer predominantly, he made his first senior club hurling appearance of the year in the Leinster semi-final.