Ger Brennan: Connolly and Messi cast in same mould

AIB All-Ireland Club SFC semi-final: Corofin (Galway) v St Vincent’s (Dublin): Their lifestyles and, most probably, bank balances are poles apart but Ger Brennan believes Diarmuid Connolly and Lionel Messi are two players cut from the same cloth.

Brennan, Connolly and the rest of their St Vincent’s colleagues watched Messi in the flesh before Christmas when they travelled to a La Liga game as reward for a successful season. The Dublin football champions famously captured the AIB All-Ireland Club title last march and are just two more wins from a successful title defence.

They play Connacht champions Corofin tomorrow and are hoping for the same ease of victory as Barcelona enjoyed in that December tie when they beat Cordoba 5-0.