Big guns kept apart in Junior grade

THE big guns have been kept apart in the Junior Championship with Glen Emmets, Glyde Rangers and Roche Emmets all avoiding each other in last Thursday’s draw.

There’s a lot of football to be played between now and late summer, but it’s hard to look beyond that trio in the race for Christy Bellew.

Glen Emmets have been knocking loudly on the door for a few years now but they will have to negotiate at least the early part of their season without Conor Grimes.

That could make for a tricky Division 2 campaign for Emmets, ut they will be confident they can top their championship group, with the biggest threat coming from Stabannon Parnells.

It’s a daunting section for an improving Cuchulainn Gaels side.

Beaten finalists in 2015, Roche will be bitterly disappointed with their quarter-final showing against the Tullyallen men last term, but they too will be hot favourites to see off Lannleire and Dowdallshill in Group C.

Despite facing many of these sides in Division 3 last season, the junior grade will be a new experience for Glyde Rangers, but the Tallanstown outfit will be keen to bounce straight back to intermediate and will feel they should have the measure of St Nicholas and Naomh Malachi in Group B.

Group D is definitely the trickiest to predict.

Sean McDermotts and Westerns will be favourites for the four-team section, but John Mitchels and Wolfe Tones will fancy their chances of causing an upset or two.