AIB Ulster Club Junior Football Championship Preliminary Round
Drumlane v Emyvale, Saturday, 2.30, Kildallan
Emyvale begin their latest Ulster Club JFC campaign with a preliminary-round tie against Cavan side Drumlane in Kildallan on Sunday.
Emyvale won their sixth Monaghan JFC title at the end of last month and they have gone all the way in the provincial junior championship both times they entered it: in 2009 and 2013. Emyvale proved too potent for Drumhowan, Clones, Killeevan, Oram and Cremartin in the county championship, while Drumlane went unbeaten through eight games in the Cavan JFC. Group-stage wins over Maghera, Shannon Gaels, Denn and Kildallan were followed by knock-out victories at the expense of Templeport and Mountnugent for Drumlane, who then needed a replay to win their final against Killinkere.
Emyvale will be looking to Ryan McAnespie, Daniel McMahon, David and Robbie McAlister, Garreth McQuaid, Colin Hughes and Gregory Devlin to lead the way, with Ryan Connolly, Dónal Monahan, Gary Tubman and Dane O’Dowd are among the main men for Drumlane.
AIB Ulster Club Junior Hurling Championship Quarter-Final
Burt v Castleblayney, Sunday, 2.30, Letterkenny
Previous Ulster Club JHC winners Burt and Castleblayney go head to head in Letterkenny on Sunday.
Castleblayney retained the Monaghan SHC and SHL titles in convincing style this year, crushing Inniskeen in the championship final, and they now begin their provincial campaign against Donegal champions Burt. Blayney have won this competition in 2005 and 2014, while Burt also won it in 2011.
Blayney’s hugely experienced team contains the likes of Mark and Peter Treanor, Fergal Rafter, Brian McGuigan, Brian Flanagan and Patrick Finnegan. Burt can call on Donegal hurler Declan Coulter (formerly of Armagh) and other current and former county players like Kevin and Niall Campbell, Joe Boyle and Ronan and Christopher McDermott.
Maguire International Minor Football Championship Division Two Final Replay
Doohamlet v Seán McDermotts, Saturday, 4.30, Monaghan
The MFC Division Two Final Replay takes place in Monaghan on Saturday.
Doohamlet and Seán McDermotts are the teams battling it out for the title after they played out a tense draw in Scotstown at the end of September. Doohamlet are bidding to complete a double after lifting the league silverware against a St. Mary’s Na Mullaí team that had edged past the Seáns at the semi-final stage. Doohamlet, who got the better of the Seáns in an U-16 Division Three Shield Final last year, have seen off St. Mary’s Na Mullaí, Emyvale and Truagh to reach this stage, while wins over Cremartin and Clontibret have earned the Seáns a place in the final.
Doohamlet can call on some of their Division Three champions from 2017, including Oisín O’Neill and Seán Markey, who have been featuring in their IFC run, while they are boosted by the inclusion of a couple of Oram players, like Hugh Brennan and county minor forward Jason Irwin. The Seáns are set to be without James Clerkin through suspension, so they will be relying on Oisín McKenna (who has helped the Threemilehouse club to the IFC decider), Josh Hagan and Aghabog players Ryan Gleeson and Jack O’Hanlon.
Eurotech Junior Football League Shield Final
Oram v Scotstown, Sunday, 2.30, Monaghan
Gavan Duffy Park also hosts the JFL Shield Final between Oram and Scotstown on Sunday.
These teams also met in the JFC, where Oram came from behind to win en route to the semi-finals, where they lost to eventual winners Emyvale. Oram have also beaten Scotstown twice in the league, where four straight wins in the Shield section put them straight into the final. Scotstown had to play a semi-final last weekend, where they won after extra-time against Killeevan.
Pauric Graham, Jason McDonald, Ryan McGuinness, Christopher McGeough and veteran John Mone should play key roles for Oram, while Scotstown could be able to call on the likes of Conor Forde, Ruairí Sheehan, Mark Treanor and Pádraig Meehan.
Eurotech Junior Football League Cup Semi-Final
Drumhowan v Cremartin, Sunday, 2.30, Drumhowan
The first JFL Cup semi-final take places on Sunday, with Drumhowan hosting Cremartin.
Drumhowan made an early exit from the championship without winning a game, but they found their form during the Cup section of the league, where they finished second behind Clones on head-to-head records. Cremartin went all the way to the JFC Final, only to lose out to Emyvale, while they finished third in the league, both pre- and post-split. The Shamrocks won the sides’ first meeting of 2018, but Drumhowan reversed that result last time out.
Drumhowan will need big performances from David Millar, Darren Duffy, Kevin Mooney, Liam McGuirk and Colm Lambe. Cremartin will hope to have Barry Kerr, David Hanley, Ryan McVicar and Ronan Burke on form, while they could also call on Kevin Nolan.
The Shoe City Senior Football League continues with a couple of important five-point games on Sunday. The teams currently occupying the places between sixth and ninth are all in action, with SFC runners-up Ballybay facing a rematch of their semi-final against Clontibret and Inniskeen hosting Magheracloone.
The final round of the Monaghan Electrical Intermediate Football League is down for decision on Sunday. IFC finalists Seán McDermotts travel to Toome, who need points in the battle to avoid relegation, while their nearest rivals Tyholland are away to Aughnamullen. Third-placed Currin make the long trip to Corduff, while Donaghmoyne face the shorter journey to Killanny.
There are games in all three divisions of the Mallon’s Foods U-17 Football Leagues on Sunday.
By cshalvey Thu 11th Oct
