It’s a busy weekend on the club scene, with the start of the Gormley uPVC Senior Football Championship taking centre stage, featuring all ten senior teams. There is also a rescheduled game in the McGuigan Builders Intermediate Football Championship as well as finals in the Crawley Cup and the Reserve Hurling League.
Gormley uPVC Senior Football Championship First Round
Clontibret v Inniskeen, Saturday, 6.00, Ballybay
Doohamlet v Latton, Saturday, 7.30, Ballybay
As is traditional, the defending champions get the Senior Football Championship underway when Clontibret face Inniskeen on Saturday evening.
Clontibret are chasing a third championship in a row for the first time in half a century and a fifth in six years after they retained the title by edging past Magheracloone in a replayed final last year. Their SFL form has been mixed so far this year and they have lost their last two games since Declan Brennan stepped down as manager, but they are safely in fourth place in the table and can be expected to raise their game once again for the championship. Having disappointed in the Intermediate Championship last year, Inniskeen only secured a place in the senior ranks this January when they beat Doohamlet in the IFL Final and they have had a very tough season, taking just one point so far from 12 games. Clontibret found the net four times in their league win over the Grattans.
Clontibret have various current and former county players like Conor McManus, Vincent Corey, Dessie and John Paul Mone and Colum Greenan, while Inniskeen will need big performances from Paul and Ronan Meegan, Michael Lennon and Stephen Callan if they are to have any chance of causing a major shock.
In part two of the Ballybay double-header, Latton will be expected to get their campaign off to a winning start against Doohamlet.
Having made their traditional slow start to the league by losing their first two games, Latton are unbeaten in their last ten, with eight wins and two draws taking them to joint second in the table. Doohamlet are second-from-bottom with just two wins to their name. Latton
Latton suffered a disappointing exit from the championship last year, losing to Scotstown and Carrickmacross, but they did turn things around by winning the league. Doohamlet won the Monaghan IFC and reached the Ulster final, going nine games without defeat on the way, before eventually losing to Lisnaskea.
Latton can call on four current county seniors in Owen Lennon, Kieran and Owen Duffy and Bernard O’Brien, as well as the likes of Hugh McElroy and Edmund Lennon. Doohamlet will hope to have Colin Walshe and Darren Connolly available after recent injury lay-offs, while Ted Duffy, Niall J. Connolly and Ciarán McManus are also crucial to their chances.
Gormley uPVC Senior Football Championship Preliminary Round
Magheracloone v Truagh, Sunday, 2.00, Aughnamullen
Magheracloone and Truagh clash in the SFC preliminary round for the second year in a row on Saturday. Magheracloone won last year’s game easily, but with a number of absentees this time and with Truagh having progressed since then, a closer game is in store.
Magheracloone, of course, went on to reach the county final, where they lost after a replay to Clontibret, who had knocked Truagh out at the quarter-final stage, but with Tommy Freeman, Paudie Finnegan and Francie Doogan abroad and Gavin Doogan still injured, the Mitchells have lost some key players. Magheracloone have coped well in the league, however, and they are currently joint second with 18 points, six points ahead of Truagh, who they beat by three points last month.
Damien Freeman, James and Pete Ward and James Hand will need to be on form for Magheracloone, while Daniel McKenna, Mark Counihan, Keith Sheerin, Neil McRory and Niall Coyle are among the main men for Truagh.
Gormley uPVC Senior Football Championship Preliminary Round
Ballybay v Monaghan Harps, Sunday, 6.00, Clontibret
Gormley uPVC Senior Football Championship First Round
Castleblayney v Scotstown, Sunday, 7.30, Clontibret
The weekend’s games conclude with a double-header in Clontibret on Sunday evening. First up, Ballybay take on Monaghan Harps in a repeat of last year’s preliminary round, which they won after a replay.
Ballybay are the form team in the county going into the championship, as they are three points clear at the top of the SFL with 21 points from 13 games, eight points clear of the Harps, with their ten wins including one at the expense of Sunday’s opponents. Both sides made early exits last year, with Ballybay losing to Magheracloone and Carrickmacross and the Harps beaten by Truagh.
Ballybay have a very dangerous forward line, including Paul Finlay, Christopher and Shane McGuinness and Thomas Kerr and they are the county’s leading goal-scorers this year, having found the net 21 times. Drew Wylie and Thomas O’Neill are likely to line out in midfield for the Pearse Brothers, who have also been boosted by the availability of Shane McQuillan, who had his recent red card overturned. Neil McAdam, Shane Smyth, Conor Galligan and Donal Hahessy are key players for the Harps, who they have a few injury worries, as well as a number of players in America for the summer, although Aidan Óg McAnespie, like McQuillan, recently had a red card rescinded.
The traditional ‘big two’ of Monaghan football clash once again in the championship in the second part of Sunday’s double-bill. Despite not having lifted the Mick Duffy Cup since 2003, Castleblayney are well clear at the top of the SFC roll of honour with 37 titles, but Scotstown have been overtaken in second place by Clontibret, who have won seven times since the Blues’ last success in 1993.
Just a point separates the teams, who are both in the bottom half of the table, in the league. Blayney have beaten Scotstown twice this year – by a point back in April and a comprehensive victory two weeks ago against a depleted opposition. Both teams reached the SFC semi-finals last year, where Blayney lost tamely to Scotstown, while Scotstown were beaten by Magheracloone after a replay. Scotstown had beaten Blayney in the early rounds, but the Faughs came out on top in the championship in the previous two years.
Blayney will be looking for big performances from Ciarán Hanratty, Cormac Brady, Dermot Malone, Martin McElroy, Keith Hill and Dermot McArdle, while Darren Hughes, Donal Morgan, James Turley and Mark Duffy are central players for Scotstown, who recently welcomed Kieran Hughes back after a long absence, although Pádraig Keenan is still out. The sides look to be well-matched, but Blayney’s superior forwards could be the difference.
McGuigan Builders Intermediate Football Championship
Aughnamullen v Currin, Friday, 7.30, Emyvale
The fifth and final first-round game in the IFC sees Aughnamullen and Currin go head-to-head. This was due to have been played last Saturday, but was postponed due to a bereavement in the Aughnamullen club.
Both teams had to go through the preliminary round, where Aughnamullen edged a low-scoring game against Drumhowan and Currin saw off Rockcorry. Currin are third in the IFL, while Aughnamullen are third-from-bottom, but the intermediate teams are all capable of beating each other on their day. A late goal saw Aughnamullen steal a narrow win against Currin on their way to last year’s championship semi-final, but Currin were comprehensive winners in the league this year.
Currin have big players like Dick and Ben Clerkin, Ciarán and Conor McCaffrey and two reliable free-takers in Jack McCarron and Stephen Smyth. Aughnamullen’s main men are Sam Dooney, Chris Keenan, Lee Conlan, Mark McArdle and Mark Meegan, but Pete Dooney, who is in America for the summer, is a big loss.
Platinum Tanks Reserve Football Championship Crawley Cup Final
Clontibret v Scotstown, Friday, 7.30, Monaghan
Clontibret and Scotstown contest the RFC Crawley Cup Final at Gavan Duffy Park on Friday evening. Clontibret won this competition three times in a row between 2006 and 2008 and they will be keen to regain the title
Clontibret have beaten Currin, Emyvale and Blackhill to qualify for the final, while Scotstown got past Aghabog, Monaghan Harps, Castleblayney and Truagh
Clontibret are third in the RFL Division Three with 11 points, five points more than Scotstown, who have two games in hand. The sides clashed in the league just two weeks ago when Clontibret won by a goal.
Both teams can call on players with senior experience, such as Kevin Ward, Philip Rooney, Darran Murphy, Kieran Greenan and Pádraig McShane on the Clontibret side and Damien and Damien F McKenna, Adrian Carbin, Niall McCarville and James Hamill for Scotstown.
Silver Hill Foods Reserve Hurling League Final
Monaghan Harps v Truagh, Thursday, 7.30, Scotstown
The Reserve Hurling League Final takes place on Thursday when Monaghan Harps take on Truagh.
Truagh have lost the last two RHL finals, both to Inniskeen, and they won all four league games this year to finish top of the league, while the Harps won three games to take second place. Truagh have already beaten the Harps three times this year – in the RHL, SHL and SHC.
Truagh will be looking to Pat O’Connell, Conor McGinnity and John McAnespie to lead the way, while Raymond and Jack Lee and Aidan Connell are big players for the Harps, who welcome Alan Lee back from suspension.
The McQuillan Staircases Under-21 Football Leagues continue on Monday evening, while the GRM Minor Football Leagues resume on Tuesday.
By michael Thu 21st Jul
