Senior Football Championship quarter-final

St Gall’s v Aghagallon

Saturday, Creggan, 1pm

St Gall’s make their bow in this year’s Senior championship on Saturday with what will be regarded as a tricky tie against Aghagallon.

The latter were u-21 champions two years ago, and are a coming team in the county having won seven of their 16 games played in the league. 

They have already played two championship matches as well. They defeated last year’s Ulster Intermediate champions Naomh Eanna, and then beat St Teresa’s, 2-15 to 0-13. 

However, there has been a price paid, and they are carrying a number of injuries going into this quarter-final.

Oisin Lenaghan and Gareth Magee are both sidelined, though they are hopeful that they can play some part. Magee is a serious loss as he is their main free taker.

Manager Kevin Murray said: “This is a new experience for our boys coming up against a very experienced St Gall’s team who have been one of the top teams in Antrim over the last decade.”

St Gall’s played at the Londis sevens at Kilmacud last weekend in preparation for this year’s championship, though they sent a younger team there in order to keep their more senior players fresh for this game.

Aghagallon will ask questions of St Gall’s, but experience is on Gall’s side.

Verdict: St Gall’s

Senior Football Championship quarter-finals

Cargin v Rossa

Saturday, Creggan, 3pm

Damian Cassidy’s tenure during last year’s championship was hampered to an extent by injury. Yet they still managed to annex the senior championship.

The worrying news for those who seek to stop the Erin’s Own team from the successful defence of their title is that Cassidy has announced that he has a clean bill of health for this campaign.

This means that the team that topped Division one in Antrim, will be in tip top condition for their meeting with Rossa. 

Unfortunately the same is not the case for Rossa.

Their goalkeeper Micky Byrne, who was the Antrim u-21 goalkeeper this year, is out for five weeks with a knee injury.

Rossa beat Gort na Mona in the last round by 0-16 to 0-9, and all the rest of the squad are available to take part at Creggan on Saturday. 

And after the club’s exit from the senior hurling championship last weekend, all their dual players will be focused on this game and getting a result.

But they are up against it.

Verdict: Creggan

Senior Football Championship quarter-finals

St John’s v Portglenone

Sunday, Ahoghill, 2.30pm

St John’s hurlers qualified for the next round of the hurling championship last weekend and that means two things, their club will be buoyant, however the pressure is on the footballers to deliver.

Gearoid Adams and John Kelly led the West Belfast outfit to the fourth spot in division one, and that has carried them in to the championship on a wave of optimism.

All their dual players came through the hurling match unscathed and so they have a full squad to pick from.

They have a dangerous opponent in Portglenone. 

Derry man Barry Dillon is the manager this year, and under his guidance they won eight games in division one. 

They dug deep to get past Naomh Brid in the last round of the championship, winning 1-10 to 0-9.

Niall McKeever returned for that game after injury, and came through it unscathed.

However, Dillon watched as Caolan Tierney had to come off injured. His participation against St John’s is a doubt. 

Paddy Kelly didn’t start the first game but had to come on for the last five minutes to help get them over the line. Both Kelly and Tierney have not trained in the interim and are doubtful to play on Sunday.

Michael Hagan and Paddy Graffin have long term injuries, however Corey McLaughlin has finished his rehab and is back out training.

Verdict: Portglenone

Senior Football Championship quarter-finals

Creggan v Lamh Dhearg

Sunday, Glenavy, 6pm

Creggan must feel that they are edging ever closer to a senior championship title. 

They finished the league this season on the same points as their South Antrim rivals Cargin. Kevin Madden has been at the helm for enough years now to know his panel well. 

However, this season he has been short handed. Three of their starters from last year, Matthew Rodgers, Liam Quinn and Kevin Small are out with long term injuries and probably won’t play any part against Lamh Dhearg on Sunday. 

Madden and his management team will no doubt have watched Lamh Dhearg maul Ahoghill in the last round of the championship. Martin Lynch and Terry McCrudden’s team emerged victorious 3-13 to 1-6. 

That they were able to do so without Conor Murray is notable. Murray has suffered for over a year with injury and will play no part this weekend. 

This game is a step up for Lamh Dhearg as Creggan have beaten them twice already in 2019.

A big blow for them is the absence of defensive leader Declan Lynch.

They will be up against it, but as 2017 champions they are a team that will not go down without a fight.

Verdict: Creggan