Antrim Fire Stop & Seal Ltd senior championship quarter-finals
Tuesday
6.45pm in Randalstown : Loughgiel v Portglenone
7pm in Armoy: Dunloy v Ballycastle
THE 87th Antrim senior camogie championship sponsored by Fire Stop & Seal Ltd throws in tonight with two quarter-finals that will most likely deliver contrasting results.
Five in a row chasing Loughgiel are strongly tipped to defeat Portglenone, but the Dunloy v Ballycastle game is likely to be pretty close – just as it was 12 months ago at the same stage.
The Shamrocks have been unbeaten in Division 1 of the Antrim league this season and are clear favourites, not only to take out Portglenone, but to go the whole way to extend their record haul of titles to 21.
They seem to be rejuvenated this season under a new management team headed by PJ O’Mullan who of course spearheaded the club’s All-Ireland hurling success at the start of this decade.
He has a lot of options at his disposal as a result of Loughgiel’s dominance of under-age camogie in the county for more than a decade and it is doubtful whether Katie McAleese, Jane Carey and the rest of the Portglenone team can do anything more than a damage-limitation job.
Dunloy have lost just two games in Division 1 this season, both to Loughgiel, but they also dropped a point in a draw with Ballycastle.
This time last year they led Ballycastle into injury-time only for Niamh O’Neill to fire home from close range and secure a 2-7 to 0-12 victory for the MacQuillan’s who went on to contest the county final with Loughgiel.
Dunloy’s good form this season was built on the performances of Aileen McManus whether at the centre of defence, midfield or indeed more regularly at centre-forward. However McManus sustained a cruciate knee injury at the end of July against Loughgiel and is out of the game.
Despite the presence of the likes of the Conlon sisters, Chloe Drain and exciting young minors such as Kathryn Mullan, Eilish Kearns and Caitlin Crawford, they may struggle against a young and speedy Ballycastle side.
Last year’s minor champions have brought over half of that team through to senior and that includes Maeve Kelly who played in the last two Antrim senior games in the All-Ireland series and still has another season at minor level.
More seasoned figures such as Emma Connor, Niamh and Kathryn Donnelly and the O’Neill twins provide the experience that should see Ballycastle progress to an expected semi-final showdown with their closest neighbours Loughgiel.
Meanwhile in the Darragh’s Coaches Intermediate championship in Antrim the big game of the quarter-finals on Thursday should be in Randalstown where the local Tír na nÓg side take on Brídíní Óga. This is a repeat of last season’s quarter-final played at Glenravel when the home side edged the issue and then went all the way to the Ulster final.
Ballycastle and Dunloy second teams are favourites to win the other two quarter-finals. Ballycastle host Belfast side St John’s while Cargin make the short trip up to Dunloy.
There are also three preliminary games in the Doherty Woodshavings Junior championship.
Rasharkin should beat St Enda’s although they do have to travel to Glengormley, Gortnamona should win the west Belfast derby with Rossa II, while St Paul’s should take out Armoy on the Shaw’s Road.
