Silver Hill Farm Senior Hurling Championship Final
Castleblayney v Inniskeen, Sunday, 2.45, Clontibret
Castleblayney and Inniskeen contest Sunday’s SHC Final: the eighth time in nine years these teams have met in the decider.
Blayney hold the edge (five-two) in the seven consecutive finals the teams have contested between 2010 and 2017, having dethroned Inniskeen at this stage last year. Inniskeen had never lifted the Mick Quigley Cup until 2010, but this is the Grattans’ ninth successive county final appearance.
30-time winners Blayney are in their 18th county final in 19 years and are chasing their 14th title since 2000. The holders cruised into first place in the group stage with four straight wins, including a five-point defeat of Inniskeen last month. That result left Inniskeen under some pressure after they had fallen to a surprise loss against Clontibret in the first round, but hard-earned wins over St. Macartan’s and Carrickmacross proved enough for them to pip the latter for the second berth in the decider. Blayney also currently sit top of the table in the Silver Hill Farm Senior Hurling League.
Blayney’s hugely experienced team is full of current and former county players, including Mark and Peter Treanor, Fergal Rafter, Brian McGuigan, Brian Flanagan and Patrick Finnegan. The Meegan brothers, Taidhg Campbell, Martin Murphy, Kevin Crawley, Pádraig McGahon and Pádraig Garland should backbone Inniskeen’s challenge to regain the title.
Silver Hill Farm Senior Hurling Championship Shield Final
Carrickmacross v St. Macartan’s, Sunday, 1.00, Clontibret
Sunday’s curtain-raiser in Clontibret sees St. Macartan’s and Carrickmacross clash in the SHC Shield Final.
Carrickmacross won the Shield last year, defeating Monaghan Harps in the decider. The Emmets went close to a place in the county final this time around after winning two of their four group games, but they were pipped for second by Inniskeen, having lost narrowly to the Grattans in their penultimate game. St. Macartan’s (a newly-formed amalgamation of Monaghan Harps and Truagh for this year) have had four tight games to date, defeating Clontibret and being edged out by the other three teams.
Conor Boyle, Cathal Power, Conor Flynn, Pearse McKenna. Cathal McAnespie, Matthew Flood and Aidan Burns could play key roles for St. Macartan’s, with Carrick looking to the likes of goalkeeper Patrick Bermingham and his county team-mates Jamie Guinan and Éamonn Collins (who starred in this fixture 12 months ago), as well as Luke McKenna and Oisín Wilcox.
U-21 Football Division One Final
Carrickmacross v Inniskeen, Friday, 7.30, Corduff
Friday’s U-21 Football Division One Final is a south-Monaghan derby between Carrickmacross and Inniskeen in Corduff.
Both teams got byes through the preliminary round, since when Carrick have seen off Killanny and Corduff, with Inniskeen hammering Scotstown and getting through a high-scoring shoot-out against Éire Óg. Stephen O’Hanlon, Conor Duffy, Ryan O’Connor, Karl McMenamin, Tiernan McCourt and Tadhg Kirk-Callaghan could play big parts for Carrick, with Aidan and Andrew Woods, Ciarán McNulty, Pádraig McGahon and Pádraig Russell central to Inniskeen’s chances.
U-21 Football Division Two Final
Aughnamullen v Emyvale, Friday, 7.30, Tyholland
Aughnamullen and Emyvale contest the U-21 Division Two decider in Tyholland.
Aughnamullen edged out Clones to reach this stage, while Emyvale got a walkover from Latton after they lost their Division One opener against Éire Óg. Aughnamullen are backboned by their MFC county finalists from 2016, with Micheál Bannigan, Stephen and Darren Geoghegan, Tiernan Duffy, Callum Blanche and Packie Marron key players. Emyvale should be able to call on the likes of Robbie McAlister, James O’Neill and Michael O’Brien.
Elsewhere on Friday evening, Truagh host Clontibret in the Platinum Tanks Reserve Football League Division 1A semi-final.
By cshalvey Fri 3rd Aug
