Nicky Rackard Cup Qualifier Round 1
Donegal v Monaghan, Saturday, 2.30, Letterkenny
Monaghan will attempt to get their Nicky Rackard Cup campaign back on track in a tricky away game against defending champions Donegal.
Monaghan, who finished fourth in the NHL Division 3A, lost to Roscommon last Saturday, while Donegal won that league title, before being edged by Roscommon in their preliminary-round game last month. Monaghan have made three fruitless trips to O’Donnell Park in the last 15 months, including last year’s Rackard Cup semi-final, which Donegal won on their way to a first success at this level.
Danny Cullen, Lee Henderson, Kevin Campbell, Ciarán Mathewson and Seán McVeigh are key players for Donegal, while Monaghan, who will need free-taker Hugh Byrne to be fit to return to the team, will also need big performances from Trevor Hilliard, Peter and Mark Treanor, Éanna Mac Suibhne and Brian McGuigan and they will also have to keep 15 men on the pitch after Seán Leonard’s costly sending-off last weekend.
The joint-leaders of the Silver Hill Foods Development Hurling League meet on Thursday when Clontibret face Truagh, while Monaghan Harps are up against Carrickmacross. The Silver Hill Foods Minor Hurling League semi-finals take place on Sunday. Defending champions Clontibret finished fourth in the table and have to go to Truagh, while Monaghan Harps have home advantage against Cootehill.
It’s top versus bottom in the Monaghan Credit Unions Senior Football League on Sunday when the only unbeaten team, Scotstown, travel to the only team yet to win a game, Doohamlet. Ballybay and Clontibret, who currently share second place, have home advantage against Currin and Castleblayney respectively, while Magheracloone face Monaghan Harps in Inniskeen and Truagh host Latton.
In the Monaghan Electrical Intermediate Football League, Cremartin can move off the bottom of the table if they take points off Tyholland on Saturday evening. The top two, Donaghmoyne and Carrickmacross, go head-to-head on Sunday, with the other teams in the top four (Inniskeen and Clones) away to Emyvale and Rockcorry respectively and Corduff travelling to Threemilehouse to play Seán McDermotts.
Killanny will bid for a seventh straight win in the Eurotech Junior Football League when they host Éire Óg on Sunday, while the other games are Drumhowan v Scotstown and a basement battle between Oram and Aghabog. Second-placed Aughnamullen are away to Killeevan on Saturday evening, with third-placed Toome having a local derby against Blackhill. There is a rescheduled match between Blackhill and Aughnamullen on Wednesday evening.
There are local derbies on Saturday in the Platinum Tanks Reserve Football League Division Three: Truagh v Emyvale and Clontibret v Monaghan Harps and on Wednesday evening between Toome and Killanny, when Clontibret are back in action against Clones. There is also a RFL Division 1B game between Drumhowan and Emyvale on Wednesday, while Carrickmacross and Rockcorry replay their Platinum Tanks Reserve Football Championship Crawley Cup preliminary round.
The exam break has now started for most teams in the McElvaney Recycling Minor Football League, but there is one rescheduled game in each division on Tuesday evening. Carrickmacross will attempt to continue their good form in Division One when they face St. Patrick’s, while Smithborough is the venue for the Division Two game between St. Tiarnach’s and Truagh and Corduff are at home to Aughnamullen in Division Three.
The Gerry’s Prepared Veg. juvenile competitions continue with games in the Under-14 Football League and the Under-12 Football Spring League.
By cshalvey Fri 9th May
