An early meeting of Antrim rivals

By Michael McMullan

THERE won’t be any silverware dished out on Friday night but Dunloy and Loughgiel will always bring interest.

Dunloy have an outside chance to winning the Antrim senior league with two games to go. Should they beat the Shamrocks and win their unplayed game with Portaferry, it would come down to Rossa’s game with Ballycastle.

While the football league in Antrim has semi-finals for the top four, the top team here will be crowned league champions, taking Cushendall’s title from last season.

If Rossa can take both points home from Ballycastle on Sunday, they will be champions regardless of how Dunloy finish to the league.

Rossa were winners over Dunloy (3-20 to 0-20 and 1-25 to 1-20) in both meetings this season.

A feature of Dunloy’s win over St John’s was Keelan Molloy new role at wing back and his 0-7 from play in a strong second-half comeback.

Loughgiel and Dunloy have enjoyed recent success at minor level, leaving Friday a perfect environment for anyone to put their hand up for inclusion in the championship plans. Rossa were one-point winners over Loughgiel in the previous round.

In Division Two, Glenariffe were champions with two games to spare after beating Shane O’Neills in mid-June with Orin O’Connor hitting the only goal of the game.

They’ve won the last two games to take them into the championship on a high.