CALLING THE SHOTS
By Declan Bogue
ULSTER U-20 FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP FINAL TYRONE v DONEGAL (Today, Clones, 3.00pm) LAST year, Tyrone swept to this title with a handsome win over Derry in the Athletic Grounds. Donegal have come through tough games against Monaghan and Down, definitely the tougher side of the draw.
But any side with Darragh Canavan in it is going to get a hesitant nod for the win.
Tyrone
VERDICT:
NFL DIVISION TWO FERMANAGH v ARMAGH (Tonight, Brewster Park,
7.00pm)
TWO sides who clearly do not have much time for each other, the only football match of the weekend could be well worth keeping an eye on.
If Armagh can put two good halves together, they will be hard to stop. But how long have we been saying that? Let’s wait and see all the same.
Armagh
VERDICT:
NHL DIVISION 2A OFFALY v ANTRIM (Tomorrow, Tullamore, 2.00pm) IT’S the nearest thing to a dead rubber as possible, but if Antrim beat Offaly, then they will face Kerry in the final. They’ll look to push on here.
Antrim
VERDICT:
NHL DIVISION 2B DERRY v KILDARE (Tomorrow, Celtic Park, 2.00pm) WITH their Slaughtneil contingent back and Cormac O’Doherty’s accuracy intact, it’s Derry’s to lose.
Derry
VERDICT:
NHL DIVISION 3A FINAL ARMAGH v DONEGAL (Tomorrow, Carrickmore, 2pm) DONEGAL looked to be a cut above this standard before the league started, but then Armagh turned them over in the very first game. It will be tight, but a repeat of the same result is not out of the question.
Armagh
VERDICT:
NHL DIVISION 3B FERMANAGH v SLIGO (Tomorrow, Brewster Park, 2pm) JOE Baldwin has quickly got to grips with the restrictions of hurling in Fermanagh, with just one club and a shallow pool of players.
They have an outside chance of getting to a league final but require a 19 point win here. They probably don’t even have 19 points in them right now, but could sneak the win all the same.
Fermanagh
VERDICT:
CREGGAN ULSTER U-21 CLUB
CHAMPIONSHIP CLANN EIREANN v LATTON (Tomorrow, Creggan, 12.00pm) CLANN Eireann’s hopes will be severely impacted by the will-he, won’t-he play conundrum faced by star forward Conor Turbitt.
The man who began the National League campaign by tearing Cavan apart in his senior county debut will be in action tonight. If he is still able to play for his club the morning after, it will help them dramatically.
Clann Eireann
VERDICT:
CARRYDUFF v ST BRIGID’S (Tomorrow, Creggan, 1.45pm) A quite unusual one here.
Essentially it is a game between two clubs from differing counties, but such is the proximity between the two areas it will feel like something of a derby.
Carryduff have more experience of the underage provincial championships and should make it count.
VERDICT:
CARRICKMORE v ST EUNAN’S (Tomorrow, Creggan, 3.30pm) CARRICKMORE have an impressive manager in Ryan Daly, and if they can avail of Cormac Munroe and Ruairi Slane, who will be playing in the Ulster Under-20 final the day before, they could be well set.
St Eunan’s won their county title back in December, and the disjointed preparations could be a problem.
Carrickmore
VERDICT:
LADIES NFL DIVISION 1 DONEGAL v CORK (Tomorrow, Ballyshannon, 1pm) WITH a number of players in Aussie Rules, Donegal are sitting bottom of the league.
Cork
VERDICT:
LADIES NFL DIVISION 2 KERRY v MONAGHAN (Tomorrow, Killarney, 12.00pm) MONAGHAN have managed to tempt a number of stalwarts back and will be hopeful of pinching the points on the road.
Monaghan
VERDICT:
TYRONE v WEXFORD (Tomorrow, Healy Park, 2.00pm) A heavy defeat in Kerry isn’t the form Tyrone manager Gerry Moan wanted to bring into this, but they should right themselves with a win here.
Tyrone
VERDICT:
ARMAGH v MEATH (Tomorrow, Athletic Grounds,
2.00pm) DESPITE Meabh Moriarty appearing to retire from county duty, Armagh are in a better run of form and will be too capable for Meath.
Armagh
VERDICT:
LADIES NFL DIVISION 3 DOWN v WICKLOW (Tomorrow, Teconnaught, 2pm) DOWN have a clean bill of health and sit at the top of the league under the ambitious management of Caoibhe Sloan and Peter Lynch.
VERDICT:
LAOIS v FERMANAGH (Tomorrow, TBC, 2.00pm) FERMANAGH have found life difficult at a higher level while also rebuilding with 13 of last year’s panel having finished up.
Laois
VERDICT: Carryduff Down