Open draw throws up intriguing match-ups
THE first open draw for the knockout stages of the Louth Championships since the advent of the group stage format threw up some intriguing quarter-final clashes on Sunday night.
First out and sure to top the bill next month is the Anchor Tours SFC clash between St Patrick’s and Newtown Blues.
The sides regularly battled in semi-finals and finals at the start of this decade with Pat’s emereging with four Joe Wards to Blues’ one between 2011 and 2015.
The fierce rivals lost their way a bit last season as Pat’s failed to emerge from their group and Blues exited at the quarter-final stage.
Pat’s started this year’s campaign as the bookies’ favourites for outright glory with the Blues priced at a tasty 6/1, but if anything the Drogheda club will have overtaken Davy Nelson’s outfit in the betting following two eye-catching displays against Kilkerley and Dreadnots.
Pats suffered an opening-round defeat to Geraldines before bouncing back against O Raghallaigh’s last weekend.
An equally mouth-watering quarter-final clash will see Dreadnots face an in-form Naomh Mairtin side, who made it two wins from two against Cooley on Sunday.
That defeat to Blues ensured second place was the best Dreadnots could hope for in Group C, but Colm Donnelly’s men duly obliged with victory over Kilkerley Emmets on Saturday night.
Geraldines, who piped Pat’s to top spot in Group D, will have to wait until the weekend of August 12/13 to discover who they will face in the last eight. St Mary’s and St Joseph’s could not be separated by head-tohead, score difference or even scores for after their 0-15 apiece draw and identical 1-7 to 0-9 defeats to Sean O’Mahony’s. A play-off is now needed to determine who will advance.
Those two narrow victories, Both of which came courtesy of trademark Conor Crawley goals, earned O’Mahony’s a qquarter-final showdown with Dundalk Gaels - a repeat of last year’s semi-final meeting which eventual champions O’Mahony’s won quite comfortably.
The intermediate and junior draws were also made on Sunday night at The Grove.
The intermediate grade also threw up a few potentially explosive ties with Hunterstown and Clans renewing rivalries and Mattock Rangers facing St Mochta’s in a repeat of last year’s exceptionally semi-final clash.
The tie of the round could be the pairing of Division 2 pacesetters Naomh Fionnbarra and St Bride’s, while St Kevin’s will fancy their chances of causing an upset against O’Connell’s.
The junior grade looks straightforward enough with the exception of the Westerns and Lannleire clash.