Football Championship this Week-End
A week-end of championship action on the menu with games in grades, senior, Intermediate, and junior down for decision with a couple of ties in the senior championship relegation play off also scheduled.
Reserve Cup & Shield finals tonight (Wednesday)
The knock-out action begins tonight (Wednesday) with the Reserve Football Cup final between St. Gall’s and Kickham’s, Creggan at Dunsilly while St. Joseph’s Glenavy and Con Magee’s Glenravel cross swords in the Reserve Shield Final in Portglenone.
Both games are set for 7-00pm with Creggan’s strong performance in the semi-final against All Saints in Ballymena suggesting they will start the Cup final as favourites while St. Joseph’s history in the Reserve Shield giving them a tentative nod in that one.
On Friday the floodlights at Portglenone will accommodate the opening Senior Football championship encounter with holders, Erin’s Own Cargin set to cross swords with St Mary’s Ahoghill to get the championship show on the road on Friday evening.
Dunsilly, pitch one will host the second senior quarter final between Casement’s and St Johns at 4.00pm on Saturday with the remaining games to decide places in the last 4 on Sunday 15th as Lamh Dhearg face Creggan at Glenavy 1.30 pm with St Brigid’s and Cuchullian’s Dunloy meeting in Toome at4.00pm.
Saturday 14th will also feature games in both the Intermediate and Junior championship with Sunday 15th will also feature games in the championship relegation play offs with Ballymena hosting Con Magee’s Glenravel v Tir na nOg at 2.00pm with Hannahstown featuring St Enda’s v St Gall’s at 5.00pm.
Friday 13th September
Senior Football Championship
Portglenone 7-30pm
Erin’s Own Cargin v St Mary’s Ahoghill (7.30pm)
Erin’s Own Cargin continue in their search of ‘three in a row’ as they line out against St Mary’s Ahoghill under the floodlights in Portglenone.
Ronan Devlin’s charges remained unbeaten through the group stages and although nothing is assured they remain strong favourites to gain a semi final berth.
Chris McGlone’s St. Mary’s side enter the fray as rank outsiders and will travel with nothing to lose but the renowned fighting spirit of the Cloney side means they should never be dismissed.
The Cargin journey to date has been smooth following victories over Rossa and St John’s but they did take a time to get the show on the road before defeating Tir na nOg in round three.
The Toome men will enter the fray as strong favourites’ but certainly well aware of the spirit within the St Mary’s camp as they battle on both fronts with a place in the Intermediate Hurling play-off still up for grabs.
This one should attract a good crowd to Kelly Park and although Ahoghill will start as outsiders they will give it everything but anything less than an Erin’s Own victory would be a major shock.
Sat 14th September
Senior Football Championship
Dunsilly 1
Casement’s Portglenone v St John’s (4.00pm)
St John’s set the standard in the acquisition of county senior football titles with a massive 24 gained over the years but it has been a while since they have brought the title back to Corrigan Park.
That was way back in 1998 but the flame still burns brightly on the Whiterock and they will hope to make 2024 a further milestone as they look to plot a course to success again.
Casement’s have yet to gain a senior title but the fates haven’t been kind to the Bannsider’s in the recent past as after plotting the course to last year’s semi-finals that was as close as they were to get.
John Mc Keever did lead them to the division one league title in 2023, underlining the fact that the Portglenone men have the players needed to go all the way in championship.
Casement’s will start this one as favourites and they may well go on to gain a place in the semi-finals, but St John’s will not bend the knee easily and the Corrigan men will certainly provide the Bannsider’s with a serious challenge.
Sunday 15th September
Glenavy
Lamh Dhearg v Kickham’s Creggan (1.30pm)
Lamh Dhearg and Creggan go head to head at Chapel Hill and this one is certain to attract a big attendance.
Both contestants have won the MacNamee trophy as county champions on three occasions and their respective aims would be to add another sooner rather than later.
The Kickham’s won their third title in 2021 which was four years after the men from Hannahstown had taken their third title and both have proved lively contenders over the years.
Both sides enjoyed indifferent league campaigns but as they returned to strength results have certainly improved in the championship.
The Hannahstown side finished their group unbeaten whilst Creggan finished second in their section with a single defeat to St. Brigid’s.
A close encounter is anticipated at Chapel Hill but Creggan will start as favourites and although Lamh Dhearg will provide a firm challenge, Joe Cassidy’s Kickham’s may well gain a hard earned win.
Toome
St Brigid’s v Cuchullian’s Dunloy (4.00pm)
Erin’s Own Cargin will play hosts to this one as last year’s beaten finalists Cuchullian’s Dunloy seek to go one step further this term as they meet 2024 division one league winners St Brigid’s.
This town v country coming together is certain to attract a big attendance to Toome and a close hard fought encounter is anticipated.
Dunloy gave Cargin a run for their money in last year’s final and although the Cuchullian’s are fighting on two fronts, football and hurling they are still on course on both fronts despite defeat to Lamh Dhearg in their final Group game.
St Brigid’s, with the division one league title already secured will by going all out to secure a rare league/championship double.
Dunloy lost their last hurling group game to Cushendall which has left them with a quarter-final they were keen to avoid and there is the danger of falling between two stools.
The Cuchullian’s are renowned championship battlers and are likely to provide the Musgrave Park side with a serious challenge if fielding at strength but St. Brigid’s are given the vote.
Intermediate F C
Group One
Sat 14th September
Pairc Naomh Pol
St Paul’s v Kickham’s Ardoyne (2.00pm)
St Paul’s have already qualified for the knockout stages as Kickham’s Ardoyne visit Shaw’s Road. Ardoyne have struggled this season in both league and championship and anything other than a St. Paul’s win would be a major surprise.
Kirkwood Pk
St Patrick’s Lisburn v St Teresa’s (2.00pm)
Like St. Paul’s, St Teresa’s have already qualified and the Glen Road side will make the trip to Lisburn with a place in the semi-finals already secured.
This one is a dead rubber with nothing but pride at stake and could go either way.
Group Two
Chapel Hill
St Joseph’s Glenavy v All Saint’s Ballymena (5.00pm)
St Joseph’s Glenavy and All Saint’s meet in this ‘winners take all’ encounter at Chapel Hill with the outcome of this one having a huge say on the latter stages of the Intermediate championship.
Glenavy defeated Sarsfield’s last time out to put themselves firmly in the frame to join the Staffordstown Road side in the knockout stages and a win over Baker Bradley’s All Saints would ensure they top the group.
The Ballymena side enjoyed an excellent league campaign but have blown hot and cold in the championship but a win or even a draw here would see them qualify with Sarsfields for the semi-finals.
There won’t be much between them but home advantage will ensure that Glenavy will start as slight favourites but if All Saints can produce their best form then they can at least gain the draw they need to qualify.
Davitt Pk
Michael Davitt’s v Gort na Mona (5.00pm)
This one is a dead rubber in championship as a place in the latter stages is beyond both sides but the result will have a bearing on the ‘championship status’ and will add impetus to the game.
This has certainly been a poor year for the Michael Davitt’s in the championship without a win in the group stages.
Gort na Mona did enjoy a victory over Glenavy in the championship and a similar performance will possibly ensure another win.
Junior Football Championship
Sat 14th September
Cliftonville
Patrick Pearse’s v Eire Og (5.00pm)
Pearse’s recorded a group 1 victory over Cardinal O’ Donnell’s to finish in second place to unbeaten St. Agnes and they will look for a similar performance as they welcome Eire Og to Cliftonville with a place in the semi-finals the prize.
Eire Og shared the points with St. Malachy’s last time after looking likely winners until late in the game and in similar form they could gain an away victory.
Cherryvale
St Malachy’s v Laochra Loch Lao (5.00pm)
This looks like another close one as St Malachy’s welcome Laochra Loch Lao to Cherryvale.
A final day group 1 victory over Pearses ensured Laochra Loch Lao a quarter-final place while St. Malachy’s staged a late comeback to draw with Eire Og and this one could go either way.