Down Senior Hurling final replay

Portaferry v Ballycran

Saturday, Balllygalget, 4pm

PORTAFERRY’S Eoghan Sands should be preparing for a weekend travelling around Cork and Kerry on his holidays, but that won’t happen.

Last weekend’s drawn game between Portaferry and Ballycran meant that the replay was set for this Saturday. Which meant that his holiay had to be cancelled.

The trip was going to be his first sojourn after lockdown restrictions were eased.

Sands did manage to get his holiday changed, and his money back. He’s not out of pocket, a little disappointed that he didn’t get away, but he knows that this weekend’s replay is important.

“It is frustrating but it is a strange one. It could be worse, it could be better but we are getting a second bite at it,” Sands said.

“We made a lot of mistakes. We missed a lot of chances. So did Ballycran to be fair. There were a lot of mistakes. Whoever can get that corrected this week will have a chance.”

The game had finished 1-14 apiece, Scott Nicholson’s equaliser sent the game to extra time.

Ballycran edged ahead in the first half of that period, 1-18 to 1-17. Then Daithi Sands got a goal in the second half of extra time, which was followed by Conor Woods’s major. The game ended 2-18 apiece.

“I felt that we had a game plan and we played to it. Our finishing let us down. We had five chances to win at the end to win, but didn’t take them.

“This was our fourth final. We had lost the previous three. We felt this was our year to prove ourselves. We know we can get over the line. We were disappointed we didn’t get over the line. We learned that our mistakes will be punished.”

He noticed that Ballycran’s set up was different.

“Conor Woods had been playing excellent for them in centre forward. He moved to centre back which threw a spanner in the works. Conor was playing centre back for the county. He is the best centre back in the county, him moving back there allowed him to sweep up a lot of ball. Michael Ennis was running at us.”

Sands said they have experimented themselves, and players have been tried out. Sands himself has played further out the field.

“I like it, it gives me a bit more freedom,” he said.

Grainne has the golden touch

THE Armagh Ladies Championship provided some sensational scoring stories this year, like Caroline O’Hanlon’s six goals against Dromahill and Aimee Mackin’s eight against Crossmaglen, but at the end of the season it was Killeavy’s Grainne Boylan who took home the Golden Boot award.

Despite being minor this season and next, Boylan contributed an amazing 5-19 in Killeavy’s two games in the Intermediate Championship – a 6-15 to 3-10 win over Clan na Gael and a 3-8 to 1-10 semi-final loss to Lissummon.

“I was very happy to win it,” said Boylan. “However, it really is a team effort and I can’t score unless I get the ball in. It’s nice for me, but it’s nice for the girls too because they know that they put in the work.

“We’ve a lot ahead of us. We’re a young team and the players who were there have really helped the younger players integrate so well.

“There are a lot of great coaches in the club like Kieran King and Shane Bannon who were with us this year. Kieran has done so much with the ladies’ teams in the club in recent years. There such positivity around ladies’ football in the club and there is great craic there too.”

The current pandemic means that Boylan will not get to represent Armagh minors this year in championship action but, all being well, that should be rectified in 2021.

She says her main ambition is to make the Orchard senior panel in the coming years.

“Aileen Matthews would have been the player I admired growing up and, obviously, Aimee Mackin now too.

“It would be a real ambition of mine to play for Armagh.”

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Ballinderry face their bigggest test

Senior Football Championship

Ballinderry v Sleacht Néill

Sunday, Celtic Park, 5pm

Ballinderry have been written off time and again in this paper, yet they still keep coming.

They weren’t predicted to get past Newbridge, and they did. They were tipped to lose against Ballinascreen and they proved us wrong. Now, however, they face a Sleacht Néill team who have been on a dominant run. Last weekend’s win over Glen was an important one. It represented revenge for the defeat they suffered in the 2019 championship.

So who is going to bet against Paul Bradley’s Robert Emmett’s team? They have won the hurling championship, so there is no extra curricular activity to concern them. Shane Doherty’s five points in the second half, allied to a huge performance from the defence delivered victory against Glen and it should do so again this weekend. No one outside of Ballinderry expects the Shamrocks to win, but they will like it that way.

Verdict: Sleacht Neill

Senior Football Championship

The Loup v Magherafelt

Saturday, Celtic Park, 5.30pm

Paddy Bradley and Kevin Brady have led the Loup all the way to the senior final, and now they face the defending champions.

After beating Dungiven by seven points in the quarter-final, they took on Eoghan Rua Coleraine in the semi-final and won by 0-16 to 1-8. Limiting them to just one goal proved important.They now go into this semi-final as the outsiders as Rossa are the champions but the Loup have a great chance to get to the final. Rossa beat Lavey by one in the quarters, then Swatragh by four in the semi-finals.

Adrian Cush has reported a fully fit squad for this game. Unfortunately the news is not so good in the Loup.Paddy Bradley told Gaelic Life that they have a few players who will be missing. Sean Rocks hurt his hamstring against Coleraine and won’t be available.

Gavin Mallon is out with the same injury. Colly McVey is unavailable with a cruciate injury. Conall McGinley is still out because of his appendix. The good news is that Conor McVey is back after being missing for a period due to work.

Verdict: Rossa

Intermediate Championship semi-final

Steelstown v Faughanvale

Saturday, Banagher, 6pm

Faughanvale put three goals past Limavady to book their place in the semi-finals and have a strong chance at the weekend. Similarly, their opponents scored 3-14 in their clash with Drumsurn.

That suggests we will have shoot out in Banagher on Saturday.

Verdict: Faughanvale

Intermediate Championship semi-finals

Castledawson v Greenlough

Sunday, Lavey, 3pm

The Dawson were 3-12 to 2-7 winners over Glack in the quarter-finals. Greenlough beat Lissan by 0-14 to 1-2. It’s hard to know where that Lissan result leaves Greenlough, but Castledawson are favoured.

Verdict: Castledawson

Junior Championship

The Junior championship quarter-final weekend throws in with Sean Dolans playing Magilligan on Friday night (Craigbane, 8pm).

There are three games down for decision on Saturday. Craigbane play Ardmore (Saturday, Slaughtmanus, 1pm), Ballerin play Moneymore (Saturday, Ballinascreen, 1pm), Desertmartin clash with Doire Colmcille (Saturday, Foreglen, 2pm).

donegal Intermediate Championship final

aodh ruadh v cloughaneely

Saturday, O’Donnell Park, 4pm

There may be no senior game but the Intermediate clash gooes ahead. Aodh Ruadh beat Naomh Columba and Cloughaneely defted Buncrana in the semi-finals.

Football

has helped Cuchulainns

Armagh senior hurling

championship final

CuchulainNs v Middletown

Sunday, Athletic Grounds, 4pm

The influence of football has helped Cuchulainns believe that they can win this year’s Armagh senior Hurling Championship.

Their manager this season is John Toner.

Ciaran Clifford believes that Toner is one of two reasons why the team and the club are so excited about the final.

“He has come in and set the tone. It was a coup getting him. He managed the Harps for six years. He is a football man. This was his first venture into hurling. He won the senior championship in 2017. And he had them knocking on the door previously to that and afterwards.

“He is taking the team and putting a football perspective on it. He is trying to transfer how footballers prepare to the hurling.

“He took up the challenge at the start of the year. In previous years we have not had the success that we would have liked.

“He came in and has had no connection to anyone. He has sat down and has been clear about what he wants.

“He is telling us what it takes to win. It feels like there has been progress.”

Clifford explained that this year is important for the Cuchulainns team

“It has been 2014 since we last won a game in Armagh. We competed in four finals in a row, 2011 to 2014.

“We won in 2013. Since then there have been changes in the squads. There has been a few changes. We haven’t got back.

“I am looking forward to it definitely.”

The introduction of youth has been exciting for Clifford to see.

“We have a youngish squad. There has been six or seven from the St Patrick’s Armagh Casement Cup team that were beat in the final last November. That wee input of youth has given everyone a lift.

“That and our new manager has set the tone. The manager and the young boys have added to the enthusiasm.”

Clifford himself has found that the year has been a change for him personally. He has moved out of the full back line and is playing further out the field.

“I spent the last 10-12 years at club and county in the full back line picking up a danger man.

“This year there seems to be plenty of boys who can do that so they have pushed me out to the half back line. It is more enjoyable in terms of being able to play a bit of hurling.”

Preparations this season have not all been good. The Cuchulainns captain Conor Woods lost his father in tragic circumstances earlier this year and the team have rallied round him.

“Conor lost his Father Gerard, ten days out from the semi-final. Gerard would have been known across the county, province and country for his refereeing. He was a massive servant to our club. He won 13 championship medals with the club. And captained the club to sevens titles.

“It was a difficult time for Conor, his family and the club.

“Before the semi-final there was a lovely tribute before the game, and a minutes silence.

“The club took a decision not to have any club action till after the funeral. That didn’t stop the boys being there for each other.

“Even since we have resumed, it has been something that has sparked camaraderie and togetherness within the team.

“It was a very difficult situation, but one of the benefits of being part of a GAA team is that we can provide support for people who are finding it difficult.”

Armagh Junior final replay

Belleek v Forkhill

Friday, Athletic Grounds, 7.30pm

Conor McKevitt’s goal earned Belleek another go at the county title this week.

His late major left the scoreline Belleek 2-9 Forkhill 1-12.

Sean McCreesh and Callum O’Neil had top scored for Belleek, the former got the other goal.

For Forkhill, Jemar Hall managed 0-6, Darren King hit 1-1 and Stephen Sheridan got 0-3.

The first game was a cracker. The second should be no different.

Armagh Junior Hurling final

Craobh Rua v Killeavy

Sunday, Athletic Grounds, 12.45pm

Craobh Rua beat Middletown 1-17 to 0-9 in their semi-final a fortnight ago. Killeavy beat Cuchullains 2-12 to 0-11.

Verdict: Craobh Rua