The Universal Graphics Junior Football Championship begins this weekend, while there are also a number of league games in the next week, including the Silver Hill Foods Development Hurling League semi-finals on Thursday.
Universal Graphics Junior Football Championship Preliminary Round
Killanny v Toome, Saturday, 7.00, Oram
Killanny and Toome get the JFC underway in Oram on Saturday evening.
Killanny go into this one on a good run of form, having won their last four JFL games to move into a share of second place. Toome have lost their last two to sit second from bottom. Neither side made much impact on last year’s championship, with Toome failing to build on a first-round replay win over eventual winners Drumhowan and Killanny unable to add to their replay defeat of Scotstown in their opening tie.
Peter Dooley, Daryl Traynor, Michael Vernon and Ronan and Tiernan Duffy should lead the way for Killanny, with Stephen Lambe, Gary Wilson, Gavin Flanagan, Seán McMahon and Jason Murphy central to Toome’s chances. Killanny beat their fellow south-Monaghan team by six points in their first league game and they will expect to be on the right side of the result again.
Universal Graphics Junior Football Championship Preliminary Round
Aghabog v Éire Óg, Sunday, 6.00, Scotstown
Sunday’s JFC game is between Aghabog and Éire Óg in Scotstown.
Just two points separate these teams in the JFL, where Éire Óg are in fourth place, two above Aghabog but with an extra game played. Éire Óg failed to win a game in last year’s JFC, but they have been improved so far in 2015, while Aghabog will hope to go further than their quarter-final loss to Scotstown.
Gary McBride, Seán and Shane O’Brien and Damian Smyth should be to the fore for Aghabog, while Marc McBride, Darach McCluskey, Ryan Sherlock, Michael Tierney and Dermot Gleeson (if available) could play big roles for Éire Óg. Aghabog were convincing winners over the Smithborough men in the league, but a much closer game is on the cards this time.
Latton host Donaghmoyne in the County Monaghan Group of Credit Unions Senior Football League on Friday evening, with Monaghan Harps at home to Clontibret on Saturday. Leaders Scotstown face Ballybay on Sunday, while Magheracloone take on Inniskeen. There is a full round on Wednesday night, when the fixtures are Clontibret v Magheracloone, Donaghmoyne v Truagh, Inniskeen v Ballybay, Latton v Monaghan Harps and Scotstown v Castleblayney.
The first of the weekend’s Monaghan Electrical Intermediate Football League games sees Doohamlet (who are currently top on their head-to-head record v Carrickmacross) host Aughnamullen on Saturday, while later that evening, two of the bottom three clash when Currin make the short trip to Clones. Joint-leaders Carrick are away to Cremartin on Sunday, while bottom-of-the-table Tyholland meet Drumhowan and Corduff travel north to Emyvale. A full round follows on Wednesday, with Aughnamullen v Carrickmacross, Corduff v Clones, Currin v Cremartin, Doohamlet v Tyholland and Drumhowan v Emyvale.
Eurotech Junior Football League table-toppers Rockcorry are up against Oram on Sunday, while Blackhill will attempt to reverse their recent slide when they play struggling Killeevan.
There are also some games in the Platinum Tanks Reserve Football Leagues on Wednesday, namely Truagh v Killanny in Division 2B and Aghabog v Emyvale and Killeevan v Monaghan Harps in Division Three.
The Silver Hill Foods Development Hurling League semi-finals are down for decision on Thursday evening. New entrants to the competition, Dungannon Eoghan Ruadh, face Truagh after the Tyrone side won four of their five games, going unbeaten until losing to Carrickmacross in the last round. Truagh squeezed into fourth place with four points and are unlikely to progress further. The other game is between Carrickmacross and Castleblayney. Just one point separated these teams in the table, with Carrick finishing second and Blayney in third. They both go in on the back of good results, with Carrick having shocked Dungannon last time out, while Blayney ran up a big score against Monaghan Harps. Carrick won by a point when the sides met in April and a similarly close game is likely.
The Gerry’s Prepared Veg. juvenile competitions continue with games in the Under-14 and Under-12 Football Leagues and Under-14 Hurling League and Championship.
By cshalvey Fri 29th May
