SFC double-headers whet the appetite
IT’S do or die time in the Louth Senior Football Championship this week as all four quarter-finals are down for decision - starting with a mouth-watering double header in Dunleer on Saturday evening.
Dreadnots are many people’s fancy to finally land the holy grail after reaching two deciders and two semis in recent years, but in the 5.30 throw-in they face a hungry Naomh Mairtin side packed with talented youngsters such as Sam Mulroy and Conor Whelan.
Ask any player from last year’s beaten finalists about their prospects and they will probably answer ‘it depends which Dreadnots team turns up’ - the one that dismantled Kilkerley so convincing in their last championship outing or the one which has tended to under-perform in crunch games in recent seasons.
The knowledge that they haven’t done themselves justice on the really big occasions will be a motivating factor and if Paraic Smith and co can tap into that, this might be a bridge too far for the Mairtins.
In the second game in Dunleer, another of the favourites St Patrick’s take on a Newtown Blues side who blazed a trail through Group B despite winning only two of their nine league games to date.
The two sides met in the most recent round when Pat’s had four points to spare in Lordship, but the Blues were without key forward Ross Nally that evening and Paddy Keenan and co will certainly be wary of Ronan Phillips’ team given that they beat Dreadnots in the group stages and have Andy McDonnell pulling the strings.
Nevertheless, Davy Nelson’s charges get a tentative nod to progress to the semis.
Knockbridge plays host to the second Senior double header of the weekend as four teams from the north of the county go head to head.
Defending champions Sean O’Mahony’s put their crown on the line against Dundalk Gaels in the first game, and they will anticipate a much stiffer test than in round one of the league when the Point Road men had nine points to spare.
The Gaels defeated Cooley and lost to Naomh Mairtin in their group, but more significantly they have won their last four league games and appear to be hitting form at the right time.
By contrast, O’Mahony’s had just a point to spare in both their group matches - against St Mary’s and St Joseph’s - and it remains to be seen if they can reproduce the form that saw them land their maiden Joe Ward last September.
Conor Crawley came up with a decisive goal in both those previous championship outings, but if the Gaels can keep the big full forward quiet then they have every chance of knocking out the holders.
Attention will then turn to the second of the quarter-finals in Knockbridge where Geraldines take on a St Joseph’s team who came through a hard-fought and entertaining play-off against 14man St Mary’s at the weekend.
It remains to be seen whether those exertions will take their toll on the Joes physically, but having failed to find the net last Saturday they will probably have to rediscover their eye for goal to have a chance of causing an upset.
For their part, the Gers accounted for both St Pat’s and O Raghallaigh’s in Group D and with Jim McEneaney in good scoring form they should be in the nat come next Sunday evening when the open draws for the semi-finals in all three grades take place.
The one remaining Intermediate Championship quarter-final takes place in Stabannon on Saturday evening, where Mattock Rangers are fancied to overcome St Mochta’s, and that game is followed by the SFC relegation clash of O Raghallaigh’s and Kilkerley
There’s also a double header of relegation games on Sunday morning in Castlebellingham, where the Intermediate clash of St Fechin’s and Na Piarsaigh is followed by the unlikely pairing of Cooley Kickhams v St Mary’s in the Senior grade.
Before all that, round two of the Senior Hurling Championship takes place on Thursday evening, when holders St Fechin’s will be looking to bounce back from their shock defeat by Naomh Moninne in their game against Knockbridge in Darver. Moninne, for their part, will be in pole position if they can beat Pearse Og in Knockbridge.