Malahide face test in Louth
AFTER a week off, the Leinster League resumes this weekend with two rounds of games in all divisions before they get to enjoy another break at Halloween.
And while it’s early days it’s also important that teams with lofty aspirations that may not have started as well as they hoped don’t get left behind. Newcomers Malahide and defending champions Enniscorthy have set a scorching pace atop Division 1A with both securing a maximum 15 points from their three matches to date, while at the other end of the table Ashbourne, who have been Top 4 finishers for the past two seasons, have still to record a win.
Tomorrow Malahide travel to Dundalk where they will face a stiff test against the champions from two seasons ago who have won two straight after an opening-day defeat in Enniscorthy. The north county Dubliners have been piling on the points in their three games played although it took a late score to eke out their only away success so far at De La Salle Palmerston.
Enniscorthy welcome DLSP to Ross Road and the Kilternan club, fresh off their first win in Ashbourne last time out, will be hoping to burst the Wexford club’s bubble. Enniscorthy have bounced back strongly after the double disappointment finish to last season when they lost to Sligo in the AIL Playoff a week before losing to Wicklow in the Bank of Ireland Provincial Towns Cup Final.
Ashbourne need to start winning quickly and tomorrow they travel into Sydney Parade to take on a Monkstown team that just conceded 49 points against Malahide. Mind you, Ashbourne were the opening day’s lambs to the slaughter in Malahide as they had 71 points put on the board against them so the game in Dublin 4 is likely to be more a battle for survival than a thing of beauty.
In the day’s final Division 1A encounter, Kilkenny host Gorey in Foulkstown with each club having one win under its belt.
Action in the remaining divisions is on Sunday and relegated Clondalkin have made a strong start as they try to bounce straight back up out of Division 1B; tomorrow they make the short trip to Kilcock where they will try to make it three on the trot against a North Kildare side that is one from one.
Tullow will also be looking for their third win at home in Black Gates against Mullingar, while at the other end pointless Suttonians will look to arrest their slide which started with relegation last season when they travel to Coolmine.
Wicklow were many pundits’ fancy to win Division 1B and after slipping up in Tullow they followed up with a big win against Suttonians and they will hope to maintain that form when they host winless Portlaoise at home in Ashtown Lane.
Edenderry are the pacesetters in Division 2A and they are at home in Carbury against Longford while Cill Dara put their 100pc record on the line against Portarlington.