Championships are coming to the boil
GAA news
The Senior Football Championship table will really begin to take shape this weekend as round three gets underway.
Champions Ramor United, Cavan Gaels and Killygarry are the only three of 12 sides with a 100pc record from the two matches to date. The Gaels, who last won the title in 2017, sit top with a +20 score difference following their wins over Crosserlough and Mullahoran.
Ramor are decimated with injuries but have managed to see off Kingscourt and Butlersbridge while Killygarry have hit their stride with wins against Gowna and Ballinagh.
Most people’s shortlists included Ramor, Crosserlough (the last two winners), 2021 finalists Gowna, 2020 finalists Kingscourt and Cavan Gaels from the outset. Arguably only Cavan Gaels have shown their best form so far, with Gowna losing first day out and struggling to get over an improved Laragh side by a point on the weekend gone by.
Kingscourt, meanwhile, have just one point on the board following their draw with Lavey and anything less than a win over a resurgent Lacken – possibly the most improved side in the Senior Championship based on their two performances to date and their dismal showing last year – would see them in a very precarious position entering round four.
Mullahoran had an impressive win over Ballinagh in round one but were very disappointing against the Gaels and will need to bounce back against Laragh. The Terry Coyle Park men will be fancied to see off Ballinagh, with Killygarry also favourites against last year’s intermediate winners Butlersbridge, who are struggling with injuries and have found the going tough in senior ranks so far.
Meanwhile, the Junior Championship looks very hard to call. Round four is down for decision this Saturday, with all seven matches throwing in at 5pm. With Kildallan, Swanlinbar and Maghera all winless at the bottom, the teams above are bunched tightly.
The big game is the meeting of Drumlane and Knockbride; the Milltown men, many people’s pre-championship favourites, have had a tough draw. They sit on four points and a relatively weak score difference of +7 which could go against them if they were to lose. With the way the fixtures have fallen, Shannon Gaels are likely to make it to five points when they face Maghera MacFinns while Drumalee will be expected to get the better of Swanlinbar which would see them through.
Redhills v Kill and 2021 finalists Drung against Mountnugent will have a huge bearing on which sides go through; it is even possible for a team not to make the knock-out stages on five points, which would be highly unusual.
FIXTURES
Kiernans Service Stations Senior Championship 2022
Fri, 26 Aug, Venue: Kingspan Breffni, Laragh Utd V Mullahoran 20:00, Ref: Michael Lee
Sat, 27 Aug, Venue: Dolan Park Ramor, Lacken V Kingscourt Stars 17:00, Ref: Joe Mc Quillan
Sat, 27 Aug, Venue: Kingspan Breffni, Gowna V Lavey 19:00, Ref: James Clarke
Sun, 28 Aug, Venue: Lacken GAA, Ballinagh V Cavan Gaels 14:00, Ref: Pat Clarke
Sun, 28 Aug, Venue: St. Mattews Park Crosskeys, Ramor United V Crosserlough 16:00, Ref: Barry Mc Menamin
Sun, 28 Aug, Venue: Kingspan Breffni, Butlersbridge V Killygarry 19:00, Ref: Oliver g O Reilly
Michael Fitzpatrick Architects Ltd Junior Championship 2022
Sat, 27 Aug, Venue: St Aidens Park, Arva V Corlough 17:00, Ref: Chris Mc Caffrey
Sat, 27 Aug, Venue: P.J Duke Park, Maghera MacFinns V Shannon Gaels 17:00, Ref: Gabriel Patterson
Sat, 27 Aug, Venue: Kingspan Breffni, Redhills V Kill Shamrocks 17:00, Ref: Packie Smith
Sat, 27 Aug, Venue: Athletic Grounds, Drumlane V Knockbride 17:00, Ref: Conor Dourneen
Sat, 27 Aug, Venue: Rory O Moore Park, Drumalee V Swanlinbar 17:00, Ref: Mattie Mc Gahern
Sat, 27 Aug, Venue: Annalee Park, Mountnugent V Drung 17:00, Ref: John Power
Sat, 27 Aug, Venue: Emmett Park, Kildallan V Munterconnaught 17:00, Ref: Adrian O Hanlon
Senior Hurling League 2022
Mon, 29 Aug, Venue: East Cavan Gaels, East Cavan Gaels V Cootehill 19:30, Ref: TBC
Mon, 29 Aug, Venue: Annalee Park Ballyhaise, Pearse Ogs V Mullahoran St Joseph’s 19:30,