The Senior, Intermediate and Junior Football League Finals are all down for decision on Sunday, along with the RFL Division One decider and Donaghmoyne ladies’ Ulster Club SFC semi-final.
Drumlin Group of Credit Unions Senior Football League
Ballybay v Magheracloone, Sunday, 2.30, Inniskeen
Ballybay will attempt to complete a rare league and championship double when they take on Magheracloone in the SFL Final at Páirc Grattan on Sunday.
Ballybay already have the Mick Duffy Cup safely in the trophy cabinet for the winter, but they will be keen to maintain their winning run and keep their confidence high ahead of Sunday week’s Ulster Club SFC clash with Kilcoo. For the second year in a row, Ballybay were top of the league for most of the year and they finished two points ahead of nearest challengers Clontibret and three points clear of third-placed Magheracloone. The Pearse Brothers weren’t at their best in last Sunday’s semi-final against Castleblayney, but, not for the first time, their goal-scoring prowess saw them through. Magheracloone made a tame early exit from this year’s championship, but they have regrouped to finish the year strongly and they showed character to come from five points down inside the last ten minutes to score two goals and edge a high-scoring semi-final in Clontibret. One of Ballybay’s rare defeats this year came with an understrength team against Magheracloone in June, but they got their own back on the south-Monaghan men about six weeks later.
Ballybay captain Paul Finlay gets married on Friday, but he could still lift the Ward Cup on Sunday, with the help of the likes of Drew, Brent and Ryan Wylie, Christopher and Shane McGuinness, Tommy O’Neill and Thomas Kerr. Magheracloone will need big performances from Tommy and Damien Freeman, James and Pete Ward, Gavin Doogan and Paudie Finnegan. Ballybay have momentum behind them and will be hard to deny.
Monaghan Electrical Intermediate Football League
Doohamlet v Rockcorry, Sunday, 2.30, Drumhowan
Doohamlet also have a double in their sights in Sunday’s IFL Final against Rockcorry at McKeown Park on Sunday.
Like neighbours Ballybay, Doohamlet turned league dominance into championship success after leading the way all season and they will be keen to go one step further as well as maintaining momentum for their Ulster IFC game against Lacken on Sunday week. Rockcorry, whose IFC campaign ended at the quarter-final stage, secured promotion to senior football for the first time in their history last Sunday thanks to a combination of their league semi-final win over Donaghmoyne and Doohamlet’s comprehensive defeat of Inniskeen. Rockcorry were the only team to take three points from Doohamlet in the league, but they fell to a heavy defeat when their paths crossed in the championship.
Doohamlet had to field without Shane McManus last weekend, but even if the full-forward is unable to return to the team, they still have more than enough in the tank, with the likes of Colin Walshe, Paul McArdle, Ciarán McManus, Martin Hughes, Greg Duffy and Gabie Casey in good form. Rock should have Paul McKeown available despite his sending off on two yellow cards last Sunday and they will also need Mark and Keith Daly, Fergal McGeough, Mark McGuirk, Niall McKeown and Damien Matthews in good form.
Doohamlet did Rockcorry a favour last weekend by helping to confirm their promotion, but that may be where the charity stops and the O’Neills should prove too strong.
Eurotech Junior Football League Final Replay
Aghabog v Clones, Sunday, 1.45, Scotstown
Local rivals Aghabog and Clones go to battle once again in the JFL Final Replay at Scotstown on Sunday afternoon.
The sides couldn’t be separated at the same venue last Sunday, when they went in level at the end of a topsy-turvy first half before sharing out eight points in a low-scoring second period. Clones were one of the front-runners in the league all year, while Aghabog struggled for long periods, before finishing strongly to edge into fourth place, two places and four points behind Sunday’s opponents. Clones had a six-point win when they met in the championship and they also beat them in the league in August, although Aghabog eased past an understrength St. Tiernach’s side in the last round. Both teams showed good form in the semi-finals, when Aghabog dumped Emyvale out and Clones cruised past JFC winners Drumhowan.
Seán and Shane O’Brien, Gary McBride and Aidan and Shane Brady are among the main men for Aghabog, while Fintan Kelly, David Freeman, Adrian Alford, Darragh Holland, Danny Rooney and Paul Shiels will need to be on form for Clones. This one could go either way, but Clones perhaps have more improvement in them from the drawn game and they may just get it right this time.
Platinum Tanks Reserve Football League Division One Final
Castleblayney v Scotstown, Sunday, 3.15, Truagh
The RFL Division One Final brings together defending champions Scotstown and four-in-a-row O’Duffy Cup winners Castleblayney.
These two teams have been the front-runners for most of the season and Blayney finished top of the league, three points clear of Scotstown. The Faughs also, of course, retained the O’Duffy Cup, while Scotstown have also had success at reserve level this year, with their third string winning the RFL Division Three and Crawley Cup.
Much will depend on how much Wednesday night’s semi-final took out of Blayney, although the fact that they won that one so convincingly should stand to them. Scotstown have had a couple of weeks to prepare for this final after they saw off Magheracloone. The first game between these teams in the league produced a draw, but Blayney had eight points to spare in their most recent clash.
Blayney can call on players like Brendan McElroy, Pauric Greene, Damien Hughes, Ryan Treacy and Stephen Lynch, while Scotstown also have a good mix of young players like Conor McCarthy and Seán Mohan alongside more experienced figures including William Carroll, Dermot McCrudden and Paul Grant.
Blayney look poised to complete a league and championship double, but not without a battle.
Ulster Ladies Club Senior Football Championship Semi-Final
Clann Éireann v Donaghmoyne, Sunday, 2.00, Lurgan
Donaghmoyne’s senior ladies team will attempt to book their place in yet another Ulster Club SFC Final when they play their semi-final away to Armagh champions Clann Éireann on Sunday.
Donaghmoyne have been flying on two fronts in recent weeks, with their junior team already through to their provincial final. They will be expected to follow that up by winning this one, although they will be given a much tougher test than in their first-round annihilation of Lisnaskea, who Donaghmoyne manager Francie Coleman admitted had thrown the towel in early on.
Clann Éireann have six of the Armagh team that won the All-Ireland Intermediate title this month in Mags and Catherine McAlinden, Caroline O’Hanlon, Laura Brown, Shauna O’Hagan and Niamh Henderson, but Donaghmoyne have provided many of the players to the successful Monaghan teams of recent years, including Cathriona McConnell, Sharon Courtney, Amanda Casey, Eileen McElroy and Linda Martin. Donaghmoyne should do enough to justify their status as favourites.
Meanwhile, St. Macartan’s College, Monaghan will attempt to get off the mark in the Danske Bank MacRory Cup Group B match when they play St. Michael’s, Enniskillen on Saturday.
By michael Thu 25th Oct
