Football takes centre stage again
Rathvilly are highly fancied to become the new Senior Champions and will have a chance to cement their credentials when they come up against the reigning champions, Old Leighlin.
After a chastening defeat to Éire Óg where they were only a shadow of the side which won the title last year, this is the kind of game which Old Leighlin must win. Not so much for the two championship points on offer but mentally they have to produce against one of the contenders.
Rathvilly are almost assured of a knock-out place but they would surely like to do a number on one of their old rivals.
Rathvilly
It is hard to see anything but an Éire Óg win here. They have hit the season running and Ross Dunphy, Darragh O’Brien and Kyle Nolan are flying. Fenagh will look to the likes of Padraig Hynes, Padraic Kearney and Cormac Lomax and while they will trouble the Carlow footballing king-pins, it is hard to see anything but an Éire Óg victory.
Éire Óg
Two sides meet who, considering the talent they have in their ranks, are underachieving. Rangers are routed at the bottom of the table where a surprising defeat to Fenagh underlines a predicament. Bagenalstown Gaels have had a tough draw losing to Éire Óg and Rathvilly. They are in a better position to win here.
Bagenalstown Gaels
There can only be one result here. Grange will not give their rivals it easy but the two sides, in footballing terms, are at different sides of the rainbow with Palatine hunching over a bag of gold in terms of development and the talent they have at their disposal.
Palatine.
Their positions on the table don’t tell the full story. Clonmore have lost matches against two of the championship contenders in Tinryland and St Patricks. Éire Óg have beaten Kildavin-Clonegal and Ballinabranna who are either in or close to the relegation play-offs. Form suggests a Clonmore win but in the past, the Wicklow border side have shown the Teach Asca side far too much respect. If they forget about who they are playing and play from the hearts Clonmore could win.
Clonmore
This has the potential to be the game of the entire weekend and that is including the senior games. St Patricks have beaten both these sides and Ballon have drawn with Fighting Cocks. These intermediate games are all on the day. Yet conceding 4-13 to St Patricks earlier in the campaign suggests Tinryland are not where they should be.
Ballon
The Fighting Cocks have made the move from junior to intermediate well and are already assured of a place in the quarter-finals. They drew with Ballon in the previous round but should be too good for the opposition here who have lost all their three games so far.
Fighting Cocks
When Kildavin-Clonegal put up 4-19 on Ballinabranna in a second round tie it looked as if they were set to put in a huge challenge. They were then brought down to earth by a six goal mauling to Tinryland. St Patricks are flying high with three wins out of three. That includes a win against Ballon. The Tullow side could cement their place in the semi-finals here.
St Patricks
The two sides are struggling with three losses each so far. Rathvilly lost by two points to Éire Óg but went down heavily in their other two games to Asca and O’Hanrahans. Kilbride lost by a point to Palatine but O’Hanrahan and Leighlinbridge had easy wins over them. It will be tight here. Maybe Kilbride?
Kilbride
Naomh Eoin put 7-10 on Éire Óg in round three while Palatine shipped 6-18 to O’Hanrahans. This all points to a Naomh Eoin win.
Naomh Eoin
Asca v Leighlinbridge,
Presentation College,
Thursday, 7pm
Asca have bounced back from their opening day loss to Naomh Eoin and with wins over Éire Óg and Rathvilly are back in the reckoning. Leighlinbridge are riding high with three wins out of three. That suggests they will win here.
Leighlinbridge
A year ago, this was definitely a home win but O’Hanrahans have turned it around. They share top spot with Leighlinbridge and are putting up big scores.
O’Hanrahans
