Monivea men miss out on AIL qualification again

Rob Murphy

MONIVEA have missed out on the All Ireland League for another year after they were beaten resoundingly 33-7 by Seapoint at the Castle Grounds on Saturday in a game where only a bonus point win would have kept alive their hopes.

Losing twice in a week on home soil by big margins will lead many to surmise that they were a long way short of what was required, but it doesn't begin to paint the full picture.

For starters the bonus point victory over Richmond in round one shows their credentials. That game had originally being scheduled for round two, but changes were made to the fixture list to accomodate City of Derry who had come through a manic run of games to take the Ulster title on the previous Monday evening in a play off with Armagh.  

The Ulster champions have huge resources and were favourites for promotion but a plucky Seapoint toppled them up north in round one to put them on the back foot. They then came down to Galway fully focused on staying alive in the competition with no hope of complacency the following Saturday.

Monivea needed them to be a little switched off, that didn't happen and the 33-18 scoreline says it all. That all left the Connacht champions needing a bonus point win against unbeaten Seapoint without key front row players Cathal Divilly and Fergus Farrell among others and desperately seeking momentum. The Dublin side had all the energy.

All that is not to say that Monivea should have gone up. No question about it, they were beaten by two better sides (City of Derry qualified for a play off, Seapoint won promotion) but it does explain why such heavy defeats were inflicted. Had the sides met in round one, Monivea would have mounted a much stronger challenge.

So where to now? Much like Seapoint, Monivea have withstood the urge to look beyond the catchment area for solutions and judging by the influx of talent on the horizon from a promising under 19s league winning side, they don't need to deviate from that.

Time and again they have fought back from disappointment. Next year the challenge from Sligo in Connacht could be a little stronger as well, but another big push in the All Ireland Junior Cup should be a priority too as it gives them valuable game time outside the provinces.

Kevin Higgins got their try on Saturday to put them 7-6 ahead after 30 minutes but a Brian Keegan penalty and Stephen Verso's try after some poor defending turned the game on its head before the the break. The challenge sparked again after half time but nothing came from it and a superbly well drilled Seapoint cut loose.

Monivea's plight merely highlights once again the desperate need for a restructure of the Connacht Junior leagues. The power here lies with the clubs and some fresh thinking is needed. A 12 team top division is too big and doesn't foster good competition, an eight team home and away format is a must if the club game is to move forward at that level.

For more, read this week's Galway City Tribune.