Easkey v St. Patrick's
Sunday 6pm in Easkey GAA Grounds
It’s a battle of the West this Sunday
evening with favourites for this year’s competition St.Patrick’s taking on
Easkey in match which will guarantee a place in this year’s Intermediate Quarter
Finals. To date both West Sligo sides have an unbeaten record and will both hope
to continue this at the weekend.
Easkey who have a win over St.Farnan’s in
another West Sligo clash will feel that if their top players can perform they
will have a chance of getting over the line but with that said it is sure
to be a close contest with Padraic Clarke and James Clarke currently in top form
for the St.Pats men while Easkey will depend on the service that Dessie Sloyan
will be given with likes of Emmet Healy and Emmet Lindsay to run from deep
for the Sea Blues .
If Pats
can get to grips with Easkey at midfield this could lead to a successful evening
for the Pats men as Niall Connolly could have a big part to play for Pats but
unfortunately they will have to plan without his brother Enda who currently
recovering from injury .
In a match that could easily go either
way the draw is the most likely outcome as both sides won’t want to lose on this occasion.
Ballymote v Enniscrone/Kiglass
Saturday at 7pm in Corran Park, Ballymote
The group two clash of Ballymote and Enniscrone/Kilglass this weekend brings
together two teams with two different stories to tell so far in this year’s
championship. Enniscrone have a full four points out of four after wins over
Cloonacool and St.Farnan’s thus far, and it was that win over their fellow West
Sligo rivals that raised eyebrows on many. Meanwhile Ballymote who have made
their return to the Intermediate grade this year have yet to get a win under
their belt haven been beaten by a fancied outright winners St.Pat’s team and
Easkey.
With
only the top four teams guaranteed safe passage to the Quarter-Finals and more
importantly avoiding the relegation battle, both teams will see this as a
crucial game. The stakes are even higher for Ballymote in what is their last
home game of the group stages. They are a team in transition at the moment with
many of their senior figures departing the scene last year after giving many
years service to the red and white. They showed the signs of a team that has it
in them to win this game during periods of their last home round game with
St.Patrick’s . Enniscrone however have been on a steady incline over the last
few years and can boast a side mixed with more seasoned players such as Michael
Moyles as well as some new blood with the likes of Mark O’Dowd who got his
berth on the county minor team this year. They will travel to Corran Park with
plenty of fire in the belly and this year’s league meeting which resulted in a
2-11 to 1-14 draw gives promise for an entertaining clash. Throw in is at 7pm
in Ballymote on Saturday.
Shamrock Gaels v St.Michael’s
Saturday at 4pm in Shamrock Gaels Park, Coola
A
win for either side in this local derby of the two Eastern division clubs will
reignite championship hopes as both currently see a duck egg beside their name
on the group one table. Last year’s beaten finalist Shamrock Gaels were beaten
well on home soil by Bunninadden, a result few would have expected. To date
that has been their only championship action and they will home to make amends
against their Ballingtogher-Ballygawley neighbours who succumbed to the
challenge of Castleconnor in round one and more surprisingly St.Mary’s second
tier outfit a fortnight ago.
However
the slate is wiped clean for this weekend’s battle and like in derby matches
when local bragging rights are at stake it has the prospect of a good
encounter. Shamrock Gaels know only too well the threat that St Michaels can
pose given their 1-6 to 0-8 loss in their Division Two clash in May. The Gaels
have blooded a young group of players over the last number of years into their
side with the likes of David Quinn, Johnny Quinn and Ciaran O’Connor more than
able to hold their own. Throw in is at 4pm in Coola.
St.Mary's v Castleconnor
Saturday at 7pm in Kent Park, Sligo
Castleconnor and St Mary’s
clash next weekend in a game that both sides will be keen to win in order to
cement their progression to the quarter-finals of the Kennedys Intermediate
Championship.
St Mary’s, Junior ‘A’
winners last year, secured a hard-fought win over St Michael’s in their first
game in the competition, and will be a difficult opponent for any side in the
competition, particularly at home in Kent Park.
The Ballydoogan-based side
have a plethora of underage talent ready to burst onto the senior scene, and
they are likely to use the intermediate championship to introduce these
youngsters to the adult scene.
Nathan Rooney impressed
when introduced last week and grabbed two points to ensure St Mary’s secured a
hard-fought win in Ballintogher, and he along with other youngsters such as
Kyle Cawley and Paul Kilcoyne will be central to St Mary’s campaign.
Castleconnor have been
boosted by the return of David Carrabine to their ranks for this year’s
campaign, and although beaten by Bunninadden in the last round of fixtures, the
west Sligo club are expected to be there or thereabouts when the competition
reaches the latter stages.
Kevin McDonnell and Kevin
Langan are also key figures for Castleconnor, while a youthful looking forward
line is complemented by the experience of Eamonn Cawley who continues to be one
of their most reliable performers.
This game is likely to be
closer than many would expect, but Castleconnor’s experience should see them
over the line.
St. Farnan's v Cloonacool
Saturday at 7pm in Enniscrone GAA Grounds(Note change of Venue)
St Farnan’s and Cloonacool
meet on Saturday evening in round two of the Kennedys Intermediate Championship
(7pm), and both sides will be keen to secure what would be a valuable two
points.
Neither team has won a game
thus far, and another loss in the third round would surely end either sides
hopes of advancing to the quarter-final stage of the competition.
St Farnan’s in particular
have endured a difficult campaign to date, and have only managed a total of 12
scores in their two games to date. Having failed to score in the second half in
their loss against Enniscrone/Kilglass, the Dromore West outfit will hope to
rectify their problems going forward, which could mean county minor star
Finnian Cawley is given a starting berth on the 40’ to breathe life into their
attack on his return to club duty.
James Hynes and Gareth Ryan
form an industrious looking midfield partnership for St Farnan’s too, so there
is no lack of talent at their disposal.
Cloonacool have also been
somewhat toothless in attack so far in their group two campaign, with only a
total of 0-12 to show for their efforts in the first two games.
Despite this poor return
the south Sligo side possess some useful attackers – Hughie Marren a case in
point – and should he get the right supply, Cloonacool will cause St Farnan’s
problems.
One would expect St
Farnan’s to have too much for Cloonacool, but if Michael Henry’s side stay in
the game until the closing stages, a shock could be on the cards.