New York old timers to strut their stuff

By Pierce O’Reilly

When New York Minor Board captain Pat Ryan sits down to name his side for the upcoming masters football clash with their senior counterparts, he’ll have little difficulty naming his side.

Ryan has some former greats to call upon. Tommy Traynor, Donie O’Sullivan, Ken Reilly, Noel O’Connell and Mike Keane will set the stage alight with some nifty footwork in attack when the teams meet in a two-game series Nov. 4 and 11 at 2:30 p.m. at Gaelic Park. Ryan himself will man the middle of the defense with a little help from his friends.

Andy O’Grady will have a lot more headaches in naming his side. Seamus Dooley and Monty Moloney will jostle for the full back position. Moloney is sharper and fitter right now, but Dooley may get nod because of his ability to read the game and trip his opponent without anyone seeing it.

The half-back line is also up for grabs. Roadrunner Frank Brady will man one of the wings, while the experience of Pat Gavin should see him get the No. 6 shirt ahead of Mike McNamara, Teresa Crow and John Marron.

Up front, Terry Connaughton will lead the attack. He’s unlikely to pass to Moloney, however, if the Galway man breaks forward. Connaughton will have his buddy Jimmy Naughton inside at full forward, and if Jim can’t fix it, nobody can.

GAA Vice President Liam Bermingham isn’t sure yet which side he’ll line out for. It’s not the first time this year he has mooted. Andy O’Grady will run all day at midfield, but it’s Seamus Collins, Ann Marie Dowd, Noel Lennon and dual player Dessie Costello who will steal the show. Costello moves with the flow, and if Monty gets in trouble at the back, The Westmeath man will be always available to bail him out.

Seamus Collins will refer to the rule book if anyone objects to the chief Frank Molloy playing in sneakers. The terrible twins in the form of the Kiely brothers will blame the media for lack of coverage. They might even demand the bar to be closed until after the game.

Pat Ryan can be reached at (914) 237-8706 for training while Andy O’Grady at (212) 737-8350 will train “in camera” until the big day. It should be a cracker, don’t miss it.