John Keane & Sons IFC semi-final: Fuerty v Strokestown in Kiltoom on Sunday at 12.30 pm
This year most people would have accurately predicted the four semi-finalists in the IFC. Now the fun begins. Strokestown definitely have legitimate claims to be the favourites for the title after they slipped into the intermediate ranks just a year after winning the senior title. And yet they haven’t set the world alight so far in this championship.
Fuerty have been sailing along nicely and have qualified for this stage without too much fuss. Even without talisman Niall Kilroy, they’ve been performing very well. Tom Bannon, Philip Neilan, Ben McGahon, Gearoid Ennis, Tadhg Lyons, Niall Keenan and Mark Ward have all been prominent.
Strokestown have plenty of good players in their squad. David Neary, Keith Murphy, Colin Compton, Diarmuid McGann, Shane McGinley and Ciaran Regan all have plenty of championship experience. That includes actually reaching the summit and winning the title itself. Strokestown look to have the edge and they should win by three or four points.
Prediction: Strokestown
John Keane & Sons IFC semi-final: Elphin v Éire Óg on Sunday at Nash Park in Ballinameen at 4.30 pm
Nigel Dineen’s Elphin have breezed into the semi-finals unbeaten, playing great football in the process. Aaron Brady, Enda Killoran and Martin McCaffrey have been stars in defence. In the middle of the field Niall Higgins and Nessan Lenehan have been excellent.
Up front, the experienced Fintan Cregg and Shane Killoran have been pulling the strings while Frankie Cregg and Luke Mollohan have also been playing well.
Éire Óg will provide a huge challenge to Elphin on Sunday. They have much the same team as the one that reached last year’s final in which they were so unlucky to lose to Castlerea.
Conor Cox is again the main man. He has been outstanding this year. Denis Barron, Joseph Hester, Colm Lavin, Enda Crawley, Jason Doory and Brian Greene are all proven performers and they will certainly put it up to Elphin on Sunday.
This could be a cracking game. It looks set to be the most difficult that Elphin have faced in this championship, but I expect them to prevail.
Prediction: Elphin
King & Moffatt JFC semi-finals
Ballinameen and Clann tipped
The first of the Junior A Football Championship semi-finals is on Friday night in Strokestown when St Barry’s take on Ballinameen (8 pm). Ballinameen have looked the stronger team so far and they get a hesitant nod to win narrowly.
In the second semi-final, on Saturday night in Ballyforan (7 pm), Roscommon Gaels and Clann na nGael meet. Both sides have done very well to make this stage of the championship. It’s not so long ago that this Clann team were playing at intermediate level and they might just be too strong for what is a very young town team.
