The championships continue this weekend with two Senior Football Championship quarter-finals and the Junior Football Championship semi-finals, while there is also plenty of league action in the coming week.
Gormley uPVC Senior Football Championship
Castleblayney v Scotstown, Saturday, 6.00, Clontibret
Old rivals Castleblayney and Scotstown battle it out on Saturday for a place in the SFC semi-finals. The duo are the traditional kingpins of Monaghan football, but both have been waiting a number of years to win the Mick Duffy Cup.
Castleblayney started their campaign with a win over Magheracloone, but they lost narrowly to Clontibret in a high-scoring match last Saturday, which saw the Faughs hit the highest ever losing tally in a Monaghan Senior Football Championship match. Scotstown suffered a shock defeat against Currin in the first round, but comfortable wins over Magheracloone and Carrickmacross have seen them get their campaign back on track.
Last year’s beaten finalists lost Darren Hughes and Emmet Caulfield to red cards last Sunday, however, and the absence of Hughes, in particular, will be a major blow to their chances. Blayney also suffered a couple of losses last weekend, with midfielders Conor Gurn and Ciarán Hughes set to miss out through suspension and injury respectively. The teams are separated by just two points in the league, where Blayney are in fourth place, two places above Scotstown, who have won their last six matches between league and championship, although Blayney won in Scotstown back in May.
Kieran Hughes, Orin Heaphey, James Turley, Donal Morgan, Mark Duffy and Shane Carey are key players for Scotstown, while Blayney will need big performances from Dermot Malone (who played well last week just days after returning from the USA), Martin McElroy, Ciarán Hanratty, Cormac Brady and Mark Treanor among others. Scotstown look to have hit form at the right time and should put the loss of their leader behind them to take another step forward in the championship.
Gormley uPVC Senior Football Championship
Currin v Latton, Sunday, 1.45, Aughnamullen
The last SFC semi-final place will be between defending champions Latton and senior newcomers Currin.
Latton’s title defence started with a defeat against Clontibret in a game where they had three men sent off, but narrow wins over Truagh and Monaghan Harps have them back on the right track. Currin shocked Scotstown in their return to the Senior Championship after a long absence and they also pushed Ballybay all the way last Sunday, only to fall to a narrow defeat. Currin are bottom of the SFL, but they are just two places and five points adrift of Latton with a game in hand and they beat the O’Rahillys in their only meeting of 2012 to date.
The game will see long-time county midfield partners Dick Clerkin (Currin) and Owen Lennon (Latton) go head-to-head. Currin have competed well at midfield so far, but they will be up against a strong duo in Lennon and Aidan Farmer on Sunday. Hugh McElroy, Bernard O’Brien, Owen and Kieran Duffy, Shane and Owen Coyle and Stephen Fitzpatrick are also central players for Latton, while Currin will need Jack McCarron, Stephen Smyth, Ciarán McCaffrey and Philip and Gerard O’Callaghan on top form if they are to cause another upset. Latton should do enough to book their place in yet another semi-final.
Universal Graphics Junior Football Championship Semi-Finals
Éire Óg v Emyvale, Sunday, 4.00, Scotstown
Clones v Drumhowan, Sunday, 5.30, Scotstown
The JFC semi-finals take place in a double-header in Scotstown on Sunday.
First up is the meeting of fellow north-Monaghan sides Emyvale and Éire Óg. Emyvale, who won the Ulster JFC title three years ago, have been in fine form this year and they are joint-top of the JFL, as well as having three championship wins to their name at the expense of Killeevan, Oram and Blackhill. Éire Óg beat Aghabog in the first round and although they were then edged out by Drumhowan, they bounced back to get the better of Killeevan. The teams have had contrasting fortunes in the league, where Emyvale have been the front-runners all year, despite last Sunday’s loss to Clones, and the Smithborough men, who were relegated from intermediate last year, are joint-bottom. Emyvale won their most recent meeting by two points.
James Bellew has been in inspirational form for Emyvale in the championship, scoring four goals along the way, while Daniel McMahon, John Flannery, Seán McMeel and Ryan McAnespie also have plenty to offer. Paddy Croarkin, Ronan Cassidy, Marc McBride, Pádraig McKenna and Darach McCluskey are the main men for Éire Óg
Éire Óg have saved their best form for the championship, but it is hard to look past Emyvale securing a return to the junior final.
The second semi-final sees Drumhowan take on Clones.
Drumhowan, who are on the bounce from two successive relegations, have gone through the front door in the JFC with a facile win over Fergal O’Hanlons and a narrow defeat of Éire Óg. Clones lost to Oram in the preliminary round, but have bounced back by beating Aghabog and Blackhill with some ease. Clones had a good win over Emyvale last weekend, which took them level with the north-Monaghan side at the top of the Junior Football League table. Clones have taken three points from their two games against Drumhowan this year.
Clones have plenty of firepower in the likes of David Freeman, Adrian Alford and Darragh Holland, while Fintan Kelly, Danny Rooney and the recently returned Colm Connolly are also important players. Drumhowan will be looking to Darren Duffy, Colm Lambe, David Millar, Kevin and Kieran Mooney and Anthony Mulligan to lead the way. This looks set up for a close game, but if Clones, who have been involved in the business end of junior competitions on a regular basis without finishing the job in recent years (including last year when they lost both league and championship finals), can replicate their league form, they may justenough to get over this hurdle.
The Silver Hill Foods Senior Hurling League semi-finals take place on Thursday evening, when Castleblayney and Inniskeen will be expected to set up a repeat of the championship final by defeating Carrickmacross and Clontibret respectively. The Silver Hill Foods Minor Hurling Championship semi-finals take place on Tuesday, when Clontibret and Castleblayney are away to amalgamated sides Emmet Grattans and Truagh Harps.
GRM Minor Football League Division Two Final
Emyvale v Magheracloone, Tuesday, 6.15, Blackhill
Emyvale and Magheracloone contest the MFL Division Two Final on Tuesday evening in Blackhill.
Emyvale topped the league table with six wins out of seven, just ahead of Donaghmoyne and four points clear of third-placed Magheracloone. Emyvale then beat Latton in the semi-finals, while Magheracloone got the better of Donaghmoyne, just a few days after losing to their south-Monaghan rivals in the championship. These teams were separated by just a single point in late June, when Emyvale made home advantage count.
Magheracloone reached the MFC Division Two Final last year, where they lost narrowly to Killanny, so the likes of Killian Rudden,, David Kirk and Daniel Irwin will be determined to atone for that, but Emyvale can call on three county minors in Ryan McAnespie, Colin Hughes and David McAlister and may just have enough to sneak this one.
GRM Minor Football League Division Three Final
Corduff v St. Patrick’s, Tuesday, 6.15, Oram
Also on Tuesday, the MFL Division Three decider sees Corduff go up against St. Patrick’s in Oram.
Ballybay and Drumhowan amalgamation St. Pat’s finished second in the league, two points and two places above Corduff, while both sides are also through to the championship semi-finals, so there appears to be very little between these teams, particularly when you consider that they played out a high-scoring draw in their only meeting to date. Corduff overturned table-toppers Blackhill in the league semi-finals, while St. Pat’s saw off Inniskeen.
Corduff have an inspirational leader in this year’s county minor captain Pádraic Keenan, as well as the likes of Christopher McMahon, Hugh Larkin and Blain McEnaney, while St. Pat’s will be depending on big performances from Ryan Wylie and Dessie Ward.
There are two games down for decision in the Drumlin Group of Credit Unions Senior Football League on Sunday, when Ballybay host Carrickmacross and Clontibret take on Magheracloone.
Cremartin and Rockcorry start off the weekend’s Monaghan Electrical Intermediate Football League action on Friday, while there is also a full round of games between Saturday and Sunday. Corduff are at home to Aughnamullen on Saturday. The pick of Sunday’s games sees the top two clash when Doohamlet travel to Donaghmoyne, while Tyholland make the long trip to Inniskeen, Seán McDermotts host Rockcorry and Cremartin face Toome.
There are also two games to be played in the Eurotech Junior Football League on Sunday, with Aghabog up against Killanny and neighbours Blackhill and Oram going head-to-head.
It’s also a busy week in the Gerry’s Prepared Veg. juvenile competitions. The Under-12 Football and Hurling League Finals take place over the next few days. There are twelve football finals between cups and shields split between Ballybay and Drumhowan on Saturday (six games at each venue), while Pearse Park and McKeown Park also host the hurling cup and shield deciders on Monday evening. There are also games to be played in the Under-16 Football and Hurling Championships.
By michael Thu 30th Aug
