The Junior Football Championship is the main attraction over the weekend, while there is also plenty of league action.
Universal Graphics Junior Football Championship Preliminary Round
Drumhowan v Toome, Friday, 8.00, Blackhill
Toome and Drumhowan battle it out for the right to play Blackhill in Round 1A of the JFC when they contest the second preliminary match on Friday night.
Drumhowan have won this competition three times since 2006, most recently in 2012 before being relegated last year, while Toome reached the 2009 final, only to lose to eventual Ulster JFC winners Emyvale. Toome have started the JFL well, taking 11 points from eight games to sit third, four points and three places ahead of Drumhowan. Toome won by a single point when they travelled to Drumhowan last month and a similarly close game may be on the cards.
Gavin Flanagan, Gary Wilson, Alan Lambe, Mattie O’Reilly and Jason Murphy are big players for Toome, while Drumhowan are dependent on the likes of Colm Lambe, Kevin and Kieran Mooney, Darren Duffy and David Millar.
Universal Graphics Junior Football Championship Round 1A
Killanny v Scotstown, Sunday, 2.00, Blackhill
Killanny will attempt to transfer their impressive league form to the championship when they take on Scotstown’s junior team on Sunday.
Killanny won their first eight JFL games and even though their unbeaten record fell to Drumhowan last week, they are still top of the table. Scotstown, in contrast, have won just once so far, although they also drew two of their first eight. Neither of these teams made any impact on the championship last year, but Killanny ended up top of the league, only to lose to Oram in the semi-finals. The south-Monaghan men held off a late charge from Scotstown to win their recent meeting by the narrowest of margins.
Killanny are managed this year by former Carrickmacross forward Andrew Callan, who has also been togging out for the Geraldines, and they will be looking for big performances from the likes of Eddie Markey, Cian Wakely, Alan and Andrew Kieran and Michael Vernon. Micheál McCarville, Gerard McCrudden, Ruairí Sheehan, Elliott Maguire and David Caulfield could play central roles for Scotstown.
There are games in the Senior, Intermediate and Junior Football Leagues on Saturday.
County Monaghan Credit Unions Senior Football League front-runners Ballybay are away to Truagh, with nearest challengers Scotstown up against Magheracloone in Inniskeen. There is a mid-Monaghan derby between Doohamlet and Latton, while Clontibret host Currin and Monaghan Harps entertain Castleblayney.
Carrickmacross will attempt to make it eight games without defeat in the Monaghan Electrical Intermediate Football League when they host Tyholland, while second meets third when Donaghmoyne go to Clones. The two teams who currently share fourth place, Seán McDermotts and Inniskeen lock horns, while Emyvale make the long journey to Corduff and Cremartin have the chance to move off the bottom when they travel to Rockcorry.
Aughnamullen can close the gap on Killanny at the top of the Eurotech Junior Football League to a single point if they beat Aghabog, while Blackhill take on Éire Óg and Killeevan have home advantage against Oram.
The Platinum Tanks Reserve Football Leagues continue on Wednesday. Division 1A table-toppers Clontibret are away to Truagh, while nearest challengers Scotstown host Latton and the bottom two, Monaghan Harps and Magheracloone, go head-to-head. There are Division 1B joint-leaders Castleblayney and Cremartin meet Tyholland and Ballybay respectively. Donaghmoyne will go out on their own at the top of Division Two if they can extend their unbeaten run to seven games when they make the short trip to Carrickmacross, while there is another south-Monaghan derby between Corduff and Inniskeen, as well as Rockcorry v Doohamlet.
Round two of the Silver Hill Foods Senior Hurling League takes place on Thursday, with Clontibret up against Castleblayney and Truagh travelling to Carrickmacross.
The action in the Gerry’s Prepared Veg. juvenile competitions is centred on the Under-14 Football Leagues and the Under-12 Hurling League.
By cshalvey Fri 30th May
