Castletown and sharpshooter Ross ready for duel with Fossa stars
MAIN MAN: Supporters look on as David Clifford of Fossa prepares to take a free against Kilmurry at Mallow Picture: Michael P Ryan/Sportsfile
They will come in their droves to watch the genius of David Clifford in club colours but don't be surprised if Castletown's very own scorer and sorcerer steals the show.
"Probably the best footballer that I've seen come through the ranks in Castletown," says manager Aidan Young, who played into his 40s himself with the Meath club, of talisman full-forward Kevin Ross.
Rewind back to early November and the cheekiest of lobbed goals by Ross in the Leinster junior quarter-final defeat of Wicklow side Laragh in Aughrim did the rounds on social media. Intercepting a Laragh kick-out on the 45, Ross slashed across the ball with a sumptuous left footed kick and watched as the backpedaling goalkeeper did his best Paddy Cullen 1978 impression, the ball flying in over his head to the net.
Rewind again to the summer of 2019 at Croke Park and Kildare great Johnny Doyle, playing in the Leinster junior final, was alerted to the Castletown man's artistry. Ross struck 1-2 for Meath that day while, in 2017, he played for Meath in an All-Ireland junior final against a Kerry side inspired in attack by future senior stars Conor Cox and Killian Spillane.
This afternoon, Ross will experience the brightest Kerry star of them all, reigning Footballer of the Year Clifford, and his All-Star brother Paudie, and it promises to be a duel worth travelling for.
"He probably doesn't get the recognition he deserves, probably down through the years," says Young of Ross, who has been largely overlooked by Meath senior managers. "I know he did get a stint with the Meath team a few years ago but look, he's one of these lads that you can always rely on to get the scores for you.
"I think what's helping him at the moment is that we have Declan Cribbin there inside in the forward line with him. They complement each other. We probably used to rely too much on Kevin but now you have the two lads that can contribute to scoring and take a little bit of the pressure off Kevin."
Relegated from the Meath intermediate ranks in 2020, Castletown required two seasons to win the junior championship, consigning Dunsany to their fourth junior final defeat in eight seasons back in October. Ross was terrific that day too though Castletown's pace and ability around the pitch stood out most.
"Down through the years, as long as I've been playing football, we never had pace and we have it at the moment," admits Young. "That means an awful lot on a football field."
Killian Price, a prototype modern half-back, full of running and attacking endeavour, is a key figure in this regard. Killian Smyth and Rian McConnell, both All-Ireland minor winners with Meath in 2021, bring more dynamism around the middle third. Young was a selector in that successful Meath setup and believes that it is in this middle third of the field that they can ultimately do most to curb David Clifford's impact on the game.
"I think the area we need to work on is stopping the ball getting in there and that's what we really have been working on in training," said Young. "Paudie Clifford is probably more of a threat actually because he puts an awful lot of ball towards David so we have to cut out that threat around the middle of the field, get bodies in there and make it so difficult that if there is ball going in, that it's not the perfect ball."
Young still shrugs and acknowledges that Clifford the younger could very well fill his boots.
"I keep saying, David Clifford is going to get eight to 10 scores, whether it's from frees or four, five, six points from play, but it's what we do with the rest of the players, that's how we can stop them most on the scoreboard."
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