Up for grabs! Precious Championship points on offer
Bagenalstown Gaels Cian tests the ‘stretch tolerance’ on the jersey of Mount Leinster Rangers Jack Griffith during last weekend's Senior Football Championship tie Photo: michaelorourkephotography.ie
Éire Óg impressed not so much by the performance against Clonmore but by their ability not to panic when they found themselves chasing the game early on.
They continued with the process and, among others, Colm Hulton, Murtough Ware and Mark Furey helped to get them out of a difficult situation. Palatine didn’t rely on one or two individuals in their win against Rathvilly first time out where Shane O’Neill, Craig Kearney, Josh Egan and Ciaran Moran were impressive.
Éire Óg
Clonmore will surely feel they should have got a little bit more out of their clash against Éire Óg. They had the champions in a bind but didn’t continue to squeeze. Rathvilly under performed against Palatine first time out and it seemed some of their decision making was questionable as well. Chasing the game, Brendan Murphy was lofting in a high ball from a free where, surely, he should have been the target. Rathvilly will be more focussed here.
Rathvilly
In the space of a few minutes in their respective games at the weekend, one side surely went out in the betting stakes and another’s odds tightened.
Jamie Clarke’s energy helped 14-man Bagenalstown Gaels to get out of a fraught situation against Rangers and his brother, Shane, shot the winning point.
On the other hand, Tinryland only got into their game when Old Leighlin went down to fourteen. At the end, their Old Leighlin saw out the game in style.
It is hard to see where Tinryland are going to find the improvement while the Gaels will be full of confidence now but they will have to tread carefully against a side who contested the last two county finals.
Bagenalstown Gaels
An understrength Rangers will have been bitterly disappointed to have been edged out on Sunday where they come up against a confident Old Leighlin outfit.
There is one worry for Old Leighlin who impressed with their win over Tinryland. The input of the long established Cathal Coughlan and Seamus Kinsella was huge and while the younger players performed they need to be even more visible. That is coming, however, and they might have done enough to secure passage to the knockout stages when the final whistle is blown here.
Old Leighlin
7.15pm.
These two sides only played in fits and starts at the weekend where they both lost narrow games to St Patricks and Grange respectively. Both will feel they left at least a draw behind them. If Robert Sansom is available for this game (he was absent in the first round), he could be the difference between victory and defeat for Ballinabranna. The Éire Óg defence will surely not gift at least 2-1 but it still might not be enough here.
Ballinabranna
Naomh Eoin were not good against Kildavin-Clonegal and were torn apart by the Wexford border side. Fenagh can hardly be judged by their swash buckling 3-12 to 0-3 win over St Mullins who were still celebrating their senior hurling success. It is hard to see anything but a Fenagh win.
Fenagh
Even if St Mullins have come down to earth after their senior hurling success by next weekend and they are at full strength, it is hard to see them contain the likes of Daryl Roberts, Liam McGuill and Jake Nolan who were in top form against Naomh Eoin.
Kildavin-Clonegal
This is potentially the tastiest game of the weekend. It isn’t that the two sides don’t like each other. While nobody ever wants to lose a game, there are matches where losing just grates a little bit more. This is one of those.
Jack Kennedy will be hoping his scoring rate improves after a quiet game against Grange.
The Killerig Cross side got off to a great start with three goals last weekend but surely Ned Pender and Aidan Burrows will not enjoy the same freedom they had against Ballinabranna.
Grange
Tinryland are coming off the back of a drubbing from the Fighting Cocks and it might not get any easier here. They play against a side who have ambition, will be eyeing up getting out of the group and going the distance.
Leighlinbridge
Asca midfielders, John Phiri and Bryan Jackson, will be a test for any side while the Asca forward line includes the likes of James Ingram and Ben Doorley who scored 1-5 between them against Palatine. Kilbride dished out a 3-13 to 1-6 hammering to O’Hanrahans in their opening game which suggest they could win here too.
Kilbride
The Cocks full-forward line of Ruairi Nevin, DJ Sinnott and Alan Quigley scored 1-8 between themselves at the weekend and they are surely still hurting after losing the final last year. Ballon only lost by two points to Leighlinbridge in their opening game. It will be close but the Cocks get the nod.
Fighting Cocks
The once famous O’Hanrahans club are not in a good place at the moment. The heavy defeat to Kilbride on day one is not good. Palatine do what they always do. The seniors are going well but they take great pride in their junior squads and use them as a feeding school to the top level. They should take the points here.
Palatine
