Tipperary challenge next on Derrygonnelly’s All-Ireland trail

Compiled by Jackie Cahill

THE race for the 2022 currentaccount.ie All-Ireland Ladies Club Football Championship titles will be whittled down to six teams over the weekend.

CurrentAccount.ie All Ireland Intermediate Club Championship – Semi Finals – Sunday 1.30pm

Mullinahone (Tipperary) v Derrygonnelly Harps (Fermanagh), John Lockes, Callan, Kilkenny

HAVING contested an All-Ireland Junior Final earlier this year, Mullinahone’s rise continues.

Now, the Tipperary and Munster champions are just 60 minutes away from an All-Ireland Intermediate decider but they’ll get nothing easy from battle-hardened Derrygonnelly Harps.

The visitors to John Lockes in Callan, Kilkenny, have Fermanagh star Eimear Smyth in quite blistering form of late.

Smyth registered 2-9 in Derrygonnelly’s All-Ireland quarter-final win in London and while the Fermanagh outfit have other county players of high calibre, if Mullinahone can shut down Smyth, they’re in with a chance.

Mullinahone got the better of Limerick opponents Monagea to land the Munster title and progress to the latter stages of the All-Ireland series. The O’Shea sisters, Lorraine and Aoibhe, have been in excellent form for Mullinahone of late.

Mullinahone (v Derrygonnelly): A Browning; E Horan, G Horan, A O’Brien; E Cody, M Walsh (capt.), J Brett; N Shelly, L Dowling; L White, L O’Shea, A O’Shea; C Gunn, A Langton, K Egan.

Derrygonnelly (v Mullinahone): N Maguire; N Smyth, A Gordon (capt.), C Leonard; B Bannon, D Duffy, E Cassidy; E Burns, R Wallace; N Jones, S.J. Jones, A Jones; K Elliott, B Smyth, E Smyth.

Longford Slashers (Longford) v Charlestown (Mayo), Michael Fay Park, Longford

AN intriguing tie lies in store as Longford Slashers welcome Mayo opponents Charlestown to Michael Fay Park.

Slashers pulled off an incredible Leinster Final victory over Meath opponents Skryne, rallying from the concession of three early goals to claim victory.

Now they face a Mayo side with former Mayo star Deirdre Doherty pulling the strings.

Doherty collected 1-7 in the Connacht Final win over Kiltubrid and the former Republic of Ireland soccer international is still a force to be reckoned with.

Slashers will look to an impressive half-back line to provide an attacking platform, with Grace Shannon another key player at midfield.

Longford Slashers (v Charlestown): E Casey; L Kenny, E Reilly, G Kenny; O Nevin, E O’Brien, C Farrell; A O’Brien, A Cosgrove (capt.); L Nolan, G Shannon, K Lee; Kate Shannon, J Barry, Kara Shannon.

Charlestown (v Longford Slashers): J Gawalkiewicz; C Murphy, L O’Donnell, H Johnson; E Brennan, N Meehan, E O’Donnell; K Gavin, C Durkan; S Mahon, C Doherty (capt.), N McGovern; K O’Donohue, D Doherty, J O’Donnell.