Seeded teams expected to grow further in intermediate football championship
Creggs forward, Mark Dowd, and Fuerty's Mark Ward, seen here in action when the sides met in the group stages a few weeks ago, have big intermediate football championship quarter-finals to look forward to this weekend. Picture: Gerard O'Loughlin
The four seeded teams will be expected to make the last four following this weekend's intermediate football championship quarter-finals...
The prize for Creggs’ excellent victory against St. Brigid’s on Sunday last is facing up to the challenge of Strokestown. It’s one they’ll relish, although very few neutrals will give them a chance to causing an upset.
But Creggs will point to Brigid’s running Strokestown to just four points, thanks to a last minute Strokestown goal that put a distorted look on the scoreboard, in the group stages. The trouble is that Brigid’s played much better against Strokestown than they did against Creggs.
Physically, both sides should match up well, although how Creggs come up with a plan to limit Diarmuid McGann’s influence will be key to their chances.
Even if they do that, keeping tabs on Shane McGinley and Colm Neary might be a bridge too far for them.
Creggs will target Strokestown’s midfield, although Pearse McGinley will have noted how Brigid’s dominated the Creggs kickout in the second half last weekend.
Ronan and Shane Dowd, Darren Gately won’t be allowed to dominate, as they did against Brigid’s. Consequently, Strokestown will have enough in the tank to pass their latest test.
After a tentative opening round victory against Pádraig Pearses, Elphin have let off the handbrake in recent games to the point where they’re in a great place, both physically and mentally, as the business end of the championship gets underway.
With Niall Higgins transferring his fine year with the Roscommon senior footballers into being the lynchpin in Elphin’s defence, Nigel Dineen’s side will trust their system to snuff out Kilmore’s forwards, enabling them to rack up the scores they’ll need up the other end of the field.
The long-range shooting of both goalkeepers — Aaron Cox for Kilmore and Aaron Brady for Elphin — will be something to keep an eye on.
Other than that, the expectation is that Elphin’s leaders — Brady, Higgins, Shane Killoran, Luke Mollahan and the Cregg brothers — will dominate to ensure that Kilmore don’t spring a major surprise.
With hurling commitments over for 2024, Fuerty’s focus should be spot on, ensuring that they are no unexpected slip-ups.
For Kilbride to reach the last eight after a difficult year is a tremendous achievement. Ryan Dowling will relish being a marked man in this sort of company, but Oisín O’Beirne, Joseph O’Connor and Albert Looby have also stepped up to the plate to get their side back on the horse.
To oust Pádraig Pearses in the manner they did took plenty of character, and it won’t have gone unnoticed inside Fuerty ranks.
But with Gearóid Ennis, Cormac Lavin, Ben McGahon, Eoin Ward and Niall Keenan calling the shots, Fuerty will expect to book their place in the last four against either Strokestown or Creggs.
Shannon Gaels’ performances against Kilbride and Pádraig Pearses suggested that they were capable of emerging from the chasing pack to, perhaps, put themselves in the conversation for a tilt at championship honours.
But their performance against Elphin was a reality check, and it’s hard to see them troubling an Éire Óg side who have put the disappointment of losing the last two finals behind them to emerge as serious contenders once more.
Expect Pat Doory’s charges to have a plan in place to curb the influence of Matthew Bourke and Cian Harmon who have been Shannon Gaels’ key performers so far.
Denis Barron has marshalled the last line of Éire Óg’s defence superbly, while Eoghan Walsh caught the eye last time out.
Brian Greene and Conor Cox have been sharing the scoring burden between them, and it will be asking a lot of the Shannon Gaels defence to confine their likely contributions to the periphery.
Unless Éire Óg minds are elsewhere, they should reach the last four.
