Ulster Club SFC hits stride with three last-eight ties
Newbridge stunned All-Ireland champions Glen in the Derry SFC Final as Clann Eireann won the all-Lurgan battle in the Armagh decider
- Published
The Ulster Club Football Championship really hits its stride this weekend with three quarter-finals down for decision as Kilcoo face Crosserlough on Saturday evening and Sunday's games seeing Cargin taking on Errigal Ciaran and Newbridge battling with Clann Eireann.
Newbridge's contest with the Armagh champions looks particularly intriguing with the Sean O'Leary outfit having stunned last year's All-Ireland champion Glen in the Derry Final and Clann Eireann backboned by their Sam Maguire Cup heroes Conor Turbitt, Barry McCambridge and Tiernan Kelly.
Cargin's contest with Errigal Ciaran has an interesting angle with the Tyrone champions' manager Enda McGinley up against his brothers-in-law Michael and Tomas McCann, who both are key member of the Toomebridge side.
Three late Ben McDonnell scores and a Tomas Canavan score helped the Ballygawley side edge out St Eunan's in last weekend's provincial opener and it remains to be seen whether playing three games in 16 days will work to their advantage against a Cargin side who've had a month off since battling past Portglenone in a competitive Antrim decider.
After Glen's exit, 2022 All-Ireland champions Kilcoo are are high in the provincial betting but won't underestimate a Crosserlough side who could welcome back top Cavan forward Paddy Lynch for the first time since suffering a cruciate ligament injury in April.
Sunday's scheduled quarter-final between Erne Gaels and Scotstown has been put back to Saturday 16 November following the death of former Gaels player Mark Lyons, brother of the Fermanagh club's captain Ryan Lyons.
Newbridge 'in bonus territory'
Speaking at the recent Ulster Club Championship launch, Newbridge selector Paddy Gribben said his side will go into the Clann Eireann contest at Celtic Park "in bonus territory" after winning a first Derry title in 35 years.
Newbridge showed tremendous resolve to regroup from Ryan Dougan's levelling goal late in the decider to snatch victory as Ciaran Brooks hit the winning point to spark a huge outpouring of emotion from the O'Leary faithful.
"There’s a generation under the age of 40 that don’t remember that last time and have never experienced it so for the community to get it again and just to live through it has been a brilliant, brilliant feeling," said Gribben of Newbridge's Derry triumph.
Newbridge are now hoping that vibe can be maintained to overcome a Clann Eireann side that seems to be feeding off Armagh's Sam Maguire Cup glory.
"We had five on the panel, three that started [in the All-Ireland Final]. They have come in and the thing has just had some bounce," said Clann Eireann skipper Conor McConville of the Armagh heroes.
McConville is a former housemate of Newbridge full-back Killian Burke so he knows all about the O'Learys.
"Any team that knocks out the All-Ireland champions must be a good side so we’re fully aware of the challenge that’s ahead."
Tomas McCann's harsh sending off in Cargin's Ulster Club quarter-final defeat by Glen was later overturned on appeal
Cargin were harshly done by in having Tomas McCann sent off late in the first half of last year's provincial quarter-final against Glen - a decision which was later overturned on appeal - and still only lost by four.
A victory over Errigal Ciaran could mark them out as potential provincial champions but Enda McGinley's side - by dint of the presence of the Canavan brothers Darragh and Ruairi - probably go into the Corrigan Park contest as favourites.
However, Cargin boss Ronan Devlin points to the presence in his squad of a potential match-winning in 19-year-old forward Conhuir Johnston.
"Conhuir to me is somebody who can change a game and I’m glad we’re seeing it," said Devlin.
"He’s someone who I’d describe as being brilliant at the basics. If the ball goes to Conhuir it sticks and I actually watched Antrim in the Tailteann Cup and I couldn’t believe we didn’t throw the dice and throw Conhuir on there."
Asked whether Cargin could emulate the kind of success that St Gall's achieved at provincial and All-Ireland level 15 years ago, Devlin replied: "They were a special side and I think this is a special bunch too."
Crosserlough missed out in Ulster in 2020
Crosserlough are managed by Carrickmore man Ryan Daly and he says the Cavan champions are "looking forward to pitting ourselves against the best" in Saturday's opening provincial quarter-final at Pairc Esler.
"The depth of talent that they have in serious but we’re not going up there to make up the numbers."
This is the current Crosserlough side's first title at Ulster as the Covid-19 pandemic meant they missed out on a provincial campaign after their Cavan title triumph in 2020.
If Lynch is deemed fit to play, it would be a huge psychological boost for the Cavan champions as they take on a Kilcoo side that has not changed greatly from their All-Ireland Final triumph over Kilmacud Crokes in 2022.
Down manager Conor Laverty is no longer a regular starter for the Magpies but is still pressed into service from the bench when needed and came on in the closing stages of the 1-10 to 0-4 county final win over Burren.
Other key players for Crosserlough include Cavan regulars James Smith and Dara McVeety plus county final goalscorers Conor Rehill and Stephen Smith, with the latter former Cavan player notching a crucial 1-1 following his introduction against Ramor United.
WEEKEND ULSTER CLUB FOOTBALL FIXTURES
Saturday
Kilcoo v Crosserlough, Pairc Esler, 18:00 GMT
Sunday
Cargin v Errigal Ciaran, Corrigan Park, 13:00 GMT
Newbridge v Clann Eireann, Celtic Park, 15:30 GMT