The second SFC semi-final is the big fixture on a busy Saturday, while there are a couple of other games spread across the weekend.
Gormley uPVC Senior Football Championship Semi-Final
Ballybay v Clontibret, Saturday, 5.30, Clones
Ballybay and Clontibret battle it out in Clones on Saturday for the right to play Scotstown in the SFC Final.
2012 winners Ballybay got the better of Castleblayney in the first round, but they then fell to a fairly heavy defeat against Scotstown and they needed a replay to get past Truagh; escaping in a nervy finish last Saturday after leaking two soft goals in the closing stages. It has been a more straightforward path to this stage for Clontibret, who held off a late charge from Monaghan Harps, before finishing strongly to kill off Latton. Ballybay had a convincing win in Clontibret back in April, but the O’Neills have been the league’s form team in recent months, moving top of the table, three points ahead of the Pearse Brothers, who have a game in hand.
There will be county players galore on the familiar turf of St. Tiernach’s Park for this one; five from Ballybay (Drew and Ryan Wylie, Paul Finlay, Christopher McGuinness and Thomas Kerr) and four from Clontibret (Conor McManus, Vincent Corey, Dessie Mone and Conor Boyle). All of these players will have big parts to play, but particular attention will focus on how well Ballybay deal with McManus, who is Clontibret’s main source of scores. With other players of the calibre of Ballybay’s Shane McGuinness, Shane McQuillan and Ciarán Galligan and Clontibret’s Colum Greenan and Darach Mooney (albeit in the likely absence of Aodh Curran and Fergal Greenan) involved, a cracking game is in store.
Maguire Transport Minor Football Championship Division Two Final
Clontibret v Doohamlet, Saturday, 3.45, Clones
The first of this year’s MFC Finals takes place as the curtain-raiser to the SFC semi-final in Clones on Saturday, as Clontibret and Doohamlet battle it out for the Division Two title. After missing out on the top four in the league, Doohamlet have shown character to reach this final with a high-scoring extra-time win over Emyvale and a narrow defeat of their other parish rivals, Cremartin. Clontibret defeated Truagh in the semi-finals, before losing to the same opposition in the league final. Doohamlet’s star man is county minor captain Barry McGinn, with Conor Marray, Damien Ward, Matthew Byrne and McGinn’s young brother, Hugh, other big players. Killian Lavelle, Francis Hughes, Cormac Boyle and Stephen Mohan are among the main men for Clontibret.
Doohamlet minor manager Gerry Malone acknowledged that Clontibret will be regarded as favourites, but added that his team “will hold their own and will be hoping to sneak it.” Malone said :”A Division Two Final is a big thing for our club; we are short on numbers but we have a great structure within the club and it’s a fantastic achievement to get into this final.”
Clontibret mentor Paul Curran also believes it will be a close game on Saturday, saying that “league positions mean nothing. Doohamlet, like ourselves, have some very strong individuals along with some younger players”. He said that players going back to school and to college had disrupted preparations somewhat, but that “interest remained strong” and his side “would like to come away from the year with some silverware.”
McElvaney Recycling Minor Football League Division One Final
Carrickmacross v Donaghmoyne, Friday, 6.00, Oram
Donaghmoyne will bid to achieve the first part of a possible Division One double in Friday evening’s league final against Carrickmacross in Oram.
Donaghmoyne have gone through the year unbeaten so far, including two wins over their final opponents, and they ran up a big score when putting Killanny to the sword in their semi-final. Carrick finished second in the table before defeating Scotstown last time out. An impressive Donaghmoyne side featuring quality all over the pitch in the likes of Mikey Murnaghan, David and Shane Garland, Ronan McDonald, Stephen Finnegan, Niall Keenan and Aaron Courtney will be favourites to keep their unbeaten run going against a Carrickmacross side dependent on Aaron Jones and Conor Duffy, particularly with Stephen O’Hanlon having started a basketball scholarship in New York earlier this month.
Silver Hill Foods Senior Hurling League Final
Castleblayney v Truagh, Sunday, 1.00, Monaghan
Sunday’s sole fixture is the SHL Final at Gavan Duffy Park, when Castleblayney will be expected to complete another double.
Blayney regained the SHC title with a convincing final win over Inniskeen last month, on the same day that Truagh won the shield. Truagh went through the league unbeaten before conceding to Blayney, who got another walkover from Inniskeen in the semi-finals, while Truagh ran out comprehensive winners against an understrength Clontibret team.
Mark and Peter Treanor, Brian McGuigan, Fergal Rafter, Byrne, Paddy Finnegan, Tony Forde and Cormac McNally should play key roles for a vastly-experienced Blayney side, while Truagh will need big performances from Noel Flood, Cathal McAnespie, Conor McKenna and Damian McCarron, particularly in the absence of rising star Conor Boyle, who suffered a broken hand in All-Ireland MHC ‘C’ Final for Monaghan recently.
The County Monaghan Group of Credit Unions Senior Football League continues on Saturday when Scotstown and Truagh host Latton and Castleblayney. Truagh are back in action on Wednesday night with an away game against Currin.
It’s still all to play for in the very competitive Monaghan Electrical Intermediate Football League, where Rockcorry turn their attention away from their excellent championship run when they travel to Emyvale on Friday night. It’s first versus ninth when Inniskeen host Cremartin on Saturday, while Donaghmoyne make the lengthy journey to Tyholland, Carrickmacross host neighbours Corduff and Seán McDermotts host Clones.
Eurotech Junior Football League leaders Aughnamullen should continue their winning run at home to Killeevan on Saturday, while long-time front-runners Killanny will attempt to regain form when they play away to Éire Óg. Next week’s championship finalists Blackhill and Drumhowan are up against Toome and Scotstown respectively, with Oram facing Aghabog.
The weekend of Gerry’s Prepared Veg. juvenile action is dominated by a double-header of Under-16 Football League finals in Castleblayney on Saturday and the Under-16 Football Championship Division Two decider in Cremartin later on the same day.
By cshalvey Fri 19th Sep
