Ulster Intermediate Hurling Championship QuarterFinal

Glenariffe Oisins v Leitrim Fontenoys – Fr Healy Park, Loughgiel – Throw-in 1-30pm

The Glenariffe management team of Hugh Dobbin and  Shay O’Hagan are well aware just how big a challenge Leitrim will pose the Oisins when they meeting in the Ulster Intermediate Quarter final in Loughgiel on Saturday.

The two of them were in charge of Cloney Gaels Ahoghill when those two sides met in the Ulster semi-final in Dungannon in 2022, the Down men winning convincingly, despite the fact they played for three quarters of the game a man short, after one of their players received a red card.

Ahoghill were given a bit of hope when James O’Connell pulled a goal back ten minutes from half time, but Leitrim pushed on and dominated the second half to win by 2-21 to 1-15.

When I spoke to Shay about the game he told me Hugh and himself knew how good the Down champions were. The have a team of stars, with the McCrickard brothers in particular causing a big threat, but our boys have been hurling well and we are confident they have the team to beat them if everyone plays to form.

They will certainly be hoping for a better start than we got against them with Ahoghill three years ago. The Down men started like a steam train that day and had eight points on the board before Glenariffe knew what hit them and it was always going to be a long way back from there. They need to start well, but they feel they have the players to do just that.

Leitrim came through a hard fought game against Carryduff in the Down final last weekend, winning in the end by 0-24 to 2-25, with Pearse Og McCrickard giving another masterful display with 1-17. He will take some watching on Saturday and I wouldn’t be surprised if the Oisins management will assign somebody to try and curtail him… of course that is easier said than done.

This promises to be a great contest and should again be a high scoring affair, though heavy rainfall over the past week or two will not leave the pitches in great shape.