SFC: Scotstown will take some stopping

Colm Shalvey has been busy crunching the numbers on the SFC. It all adds up to a Scotstown win.

Stand-out young players to impress?

Tommy Mallen and Mark McCaffrey have been in fine form for Scotstown, bringing pace and energy at both ends of the pitch. Mallen joined Donnchadh Connolly, Max Maguire and Seán Óg McElwain in breaking through during 2025, on his way to being named SFC Final Man of the Match, while McCaffrey (coming off a second campaign with the county U-20s) has added to that list this season.

Cian Conlon and Dualta Honney had their involvement with last year’s IFC success for Carrickmacross restricted by injury and soccer commitments, respectively, but they have racked up 5-13 between them to date. Matthew Carolan has also impressed for the Emmets.

A youthful Castleblayney side have been depending on the running power of Charlie McQuillan and the point-taking of Max McGinnity.

Luke H McKenna and Seán O’Connell have caught the eye for Truagh.

Clontibret have given gametime to six of their 2025 MFC-winning side, most notably Darragh Keenan and Charlie Mone.

Packie Doogan-Burke has returned from a summer across the Atlantic to star for Magheracloone.

Tightest defence in the grade?

Scotstown have conceded just 1-21 in their two games to date, with Ryan O’Toole and Damien McArdle in excellent form, shutting down the threats of Stephen O’Hanlon, Aaron Mulligan and Darragh Dempsey. Inniskeen have the next-best defensive record, having leaked 1-26.

Who is proving a threat from two-point range?

Inniskeen and Scotstown have had the best strike-rate from outside the arc, kicking nine and seven two-pointers from just two games each. Andrew Woods has four to his name, followed by his Inniskeen clubmate Seán Jones, Magheracloone’s Alan McCahey and Scotstown’s Conor McCarthy with three apiece. Mícheál McCarville, meanwhile, has shown a previously unseen ability from long-range frees in the absence of Rory Beggan.

Which team has kick-outs down to a fine art?

Scotstown made light of the absence of their long-established number one to dominate the kick-out battle against a Carrickmacross side featuring plenty of aerial power. With Gavin McPhillips unavailable, the holders weren’t as dominant in the middle third v Latton, but Cian Mohan managed to get 11 short kick-outs away.

Goalkeeper of note?

Cian Mohan has dealt well with the pressure of stepping into Beggan’s boots, retaining 70% of Scotstown’s kick-outs to date. Castleblayney’s Jason Walsh has probably made the most saves, including several against Magheracloone. In a difficult run for Latton, Kian Mulligan is their third highest scorer with 0-7, having converted a couple of two-point frees and three ‘45s. Darren McDonnell of Clontibret is the only keeper yet to concede a goal.

Stand-out match?

Five to date have been decided by a single score, including Magheracloone being pipped by both Clontibret and Cremartin; Carrick’s derby win over Corduff; and the first-round draw between Truagh and Castleblayney. Another opening-weekend clash had a bit of everything, with Inniskeen seeing off Latton by 0-20 to 0-17. A feisty encounter on a wet evening at Páirc Grattan produced eight yellow cards and one black, along with lots of attacking quality, as the teams landed a combined total of a dozen two-pointers, with Inniskeen’s seven seeing them over the line.

Any players who deserve a second look for the county team?

Seán Jones could force his way into the plans of the next manager. While he can drift out of games at times, the Inniskeen forward can produce moments of magic, as he did with spectacular two-pointers against Latton. His clubmate Ciarán McNulty will also be on the radar after returning home from Australia.

What’s the atmosphere been like?

A mixed bag. Some of the aforementioned contests have stirred the crowds, but while you could throw a blanket over several teams, the sense prevails that Scotstown look even stronger than this time last season and that a serious bid to win the championship is a long shot for most others. The next round should see things ramp up, with lots at stake in both Group Two fixtures on Sunday: Truagh v Magheracloone and the parish derby between Cremartin and Clontibret.

A player you’d pay to see in this grade?

Conor McCarthy. Having missed most of last year’s club campaign through injury, until making a vital contribution off the bench on county-final day, the 2023 All-Star has been making up for lost time. He controlled the tempo of Scotstown’s first-round win in Carrickmacross, kicking 1-6 in the process. Cian Hughes did a diligent job tracking him last time out, but McCarthy will have a big say on the rest of the championship in his current form. Stephen Mooney’s performance in Magheracloone was another one to savour for neutrals.

Which team has the most room to improve?

Latton are out of contention, just over a month after reaching the league final, but they should still have enough quality to retain their long-held senior status. Clontibret are in a transitional phase and have made a mixed start, but history suggests they will hit their stride, sooner or later.

Random talking point?

The frequency of away wins in the early rounds. Two-thirds of the opening 12 matches have been won by the away team, including an unprecedented clean sweep in round two. For context, the number of SFC away wins is already approaching last year’s total (ten out of 24).

Your prediction for last 6?

The picture is much clearer in Group One, with all five teams still in contention in Group Two. Magheracloone could easily be sitting pretty on maximum points, but they may yet pay the price for letting two healthy leads slip away on home soil, which leaves the 2025 semi-finalists needing a big result away to Truagh. With two local derbies left to play and Stephen Mooney having hit top gear last time out, Cremartin can cause bother for their neighbours, but it could end up being: Carrickmacross, Castleblayney, Clontibret, Inniskeen, Scotstown & Truagh advancing to the knock-out stages.

Prediction for champions?

Scotstown will take some stopping as they bid for a fourth consecutive Mick Duffy Cup. Inniskeen took the eventual provincial winners all the way to extra-time in last year’s county final and they have started strongly, but Scotstown’s form is ominous for any pretenders to the throne.