Cargin manager, Damian Cassidy (Right) hoping to continue a winning start when his side visit St. teresa’s on Sunday.
Football takes centre stage on Sunday as the second round of the leagues are scheduled for completion.
The opening round continued without a hitch and the CCC will be hoping that the second list will progress with the same expediency.
The Reserve championships, as the ‘Cup’ and ‘Shield’ competitions have reached the final stages and will likely complete in the near future.
Sunday 29th April
Division One (all games at 3.00pm)
O’ Donovan Rossa v St Enda’s
‘New kids on the block’ St Enda’s did not take long to signal arrival back in the top grade when they travelled down to Ahoghill and returned with both points secured.
Former county supremo Frank Fitzsimmons has taken hold of the reins up at the Hightown road and he will lead his charges down to Rossa in some confidence as they look for another good return.
Rossa have also started with a spring in their step as an opening win over the visiting St Teresa’s would suggest and they will be ready for this second challenge.
A close one in prospect if the Hightown men retain the form as seen at Ahoghill but Rossa may well gain the day.
St Joseph’s Glenavy v St Gall’s
The Glenavy boys are also back in the big time but the St Joseph’s side found the going extremely tough when they visited Cargin in their opening game in the top division after a lengthy absence.
The current league champions provided a test which the men in tangerine and white failed to pass and they will look to gain in improvement from the experience as they return to their ‘Chapel Hill’ abode with St Gall’s set to call.
The Milltown men may well have descended the ratings a little of late but St Gall’s can never be discounted and an opening win gained at Corrigan underlines current wellbeing.
Sean Kelly’s men are on their travels again in round two as they travel to the South West and they may well gain another couple of points.
Lamh Dhearg v St John’s
This looks like a cracker as Lamh Dhearg play hosts to the Johnnies up at Hannahstown and a good crowd looks likely to witness a meeting of the senior championship finalists 2017.
The Lamh’s having done well to see off the challenge of the Portglenone men in their opening round game will look to continue in the winning habit.
St John’s under new management of Gearoid Adams and John Kelly disappointed in round one when they lost out to the visiting St Gall’s and the Whiterock men will not want to suffer a second defeat so soon.
Lamh Dhearg will look to continue in winning ways but this one could go either ways and indeed a draw and a share of the points is possible.
Casement’s Portglenone v St Mary’s Aghagallon
Jude Donnelly’s Casement’s have been working hard in their pre-season and did come close to the reigning county champions in round one of the league and were only a couple of points in arrears of Lamh Dhearg at the end.
The Bannsider’s are back on their own turf this time and may well fancy their chances here as Aghagallon pay a visit.
The St Mary’s men did well last term in their return to the top division and with consolidation achieved they will be hoping for further progress in 2018.
They did lose out to the visiting Creggan in round one and will travel hoping for better.
Casement’s will start as favourites but they will have to work for the points.
Kickham’s Creggan v St Mary’s Ahoghill
Creggan have been thereabouts in the race for honours for a while and Kevin Madden’s men underlined the fact that they are well prepared for another tilt at the silverware when they returned from Aghagallon in round one with points secured.
They are back on home turf this time and will play hosts to Ahoghill in a confident mode.
Ahoghill disappointed in round one when they proved no match for the visiting St Enda’s and they will take the road up to Creggan seeking a better return.
The Clooney men are certainly better than they showed in round one and will hope to improve on that performance.
Creggan will start as firm favourites and should gain the day but the Ahoghill men are not to be underestimated.
St Teresa’s v Erin’s Own Cargin
The Cargin men seem to have wintered well under their new management team if a comprehensive victory gained over the visiting Glenavy in round one is a reliable guide.
Damien Cassidy’s men were not asked any serious questions to gain their opening points and will head to the Glen road in Belfast and a date with St Teresa’s with confidence.
St Teresa’s lost their opening game at Rossa when they finished seven points in arrears of the Shaw’s road side and back on home soil they will look for better as the reigning league champions pay a visit.
The home side may well give this a real lash but Cargin will start as firm favourites and the Toome men should claim the points.
Division Two (all games at 3.00pm)
O’ Donnell’s v All Saint’s Ballymena
O’ Donnell’s are the new kids in town having gained promotion from basement level at the end of 2017.
The Mc Crory Park residents ran Rasharkin close in their opening game and will look to have learned from the experience as they return to home base and the visit of the Ballymena side.
All Saint’s were pipped at the post in no uncertain fashion when Dunloy came from off the pace to sneak the verdict in round one and smarting from that disappointment they will travel to the West Belfast hoping to put that loss behind them.
O’ Donnell’s may well stand tall in defiance but a win for the South West men is anticipated.
St Brigid’s v Gort na Mona
St Brigid’s are favoured in many quarters to top the pile in the second grade this term and the South Belfast side underlined such possibilities with a good win gained over the visiting Aldergrove in round one.
They play hosts to Gort na Mona this time and the men from the west side of the city will come across in confidence following their opening win over Sarsfields.
A close one in prospect but a home win looks the most likely outcome.
St Paul’s v Patrick Sarsfield’s
Having both lost on day one, St Paul’s losing to Moneyglass, and the Paddies having failed to cope with the Gorts the points at stake in this one will be keenly contested.
St Paul’s enjoy the advantage of home turf under their feet and they should prove the stronger in this one.
Michael Davitt’s v St Ergnat’s Moneyglass
The Moneyglass men were not far off the promotion spots last term and the St Ergnat’s side look to have wintered well after their opening round victory over St Paul’s.
The South west side won that one by a six point margin and will travel to Davitt’s looking to double their points total.
Davitt’s can prove a trifle enigmatic but an opening win over the visiting Tir na nOg suggested they are an improving side.
Another close one in prospect but the Moneyglass men are awarded the vote.
Tir na Nog v Cuchullian’s Dunloy
Damien Hagan’s Tir na Nog came a cropper in their opening game, losing to Davitt’s and the Randalstown men will be hoping for better this time as they play hosts to Dunloy.
Dunloy came from off the pace to gain a win over All Saints in round one and they will take the road up to the Whitehill in confidence.
The Randalstown men will be striving to open their 2018 account in this one and they may well just prove equipped to do so.
Division Three (all games at 3.00pm)
St Malachy’s v Con Magee’s Glenravel
The Con Magee’s are favoured by many as contenders in this division and the Glensmen started in stylish fashion with back to back wins over St Patrick’s and Laochra Loch Lao.
They travel to Belfast this time as they meet up with St. Malachy’s who lost to Ardoyne last time and another victory for the Con Magee’s looks in prospect.
Kickham’s Ardoyne v St Comgall’s Antrim
Kickham’s Ardoyne came good last time when after an opening round defeat inflicted by Pearses made amends with an away win gained over St. Malachy’s.
They play hosts to St Comgall’s who suffered a surprise defeat to Pearses last time out and this one could go either way.
Mc Quillan’s Ballycastle v Patrick Pearses
Pearses remain undefeated in their brace of games to date celebrating wins gained over St Comgall’s and Ardoyne and will travel down to Ballycastle intent on extending their winning run.
McQuillan’s opened the present campaign with a win over the visiting Aggies but this looks harder.
The sea-siders will provide stiff opposition but Pearses may well retain the winning habit.
St Patrick’s Lisburn v Eire Og
St Patrick’s Lisburn went down to Glenravel in round one but the North Belfast side underlined improvement with a 0-12 to 1-08 win at St Agnes next time and will line out against Eire Og in a better frame of mind.
Eire og have failed to gain a point from their two assignments to date and unless improvement is forthcoming they may struggle to break the mould in this one with the Lisburn men awarded the vote.