Antrim SFC Final: Dunloy aim to bridge 87-year gap by shocking holders Cargin

Nigel Elliott's goal helped Dunloy beat Portglenone in the opening Antrim Football semi-final

Dunloy will aim to bounce back from their Antrim Hurling semi-final defeat by Loughgiel last weekend by clinching the club's first senior county football title in 87 years on Sunday.

Holders Cargin, who will be aiming for a seventh title in nine years, stand in the way of the Cuchullains.

More than half of last weekend's vanquished hurling starters are likely to start for Dunloy at Corrigan Park.

The teak tough champions are big favourites but Dunloy will have belief.

Dunloy's refreshing brand of direct football has already enabled them to account for former All-Ireland champions St Gall's, Lamh Dhearg and Portglenone in this year's championship in a campaign which saw them returning to the senior grade for the first time since 2009 following their county intermediate triumph last year.

That title came after five defeats in the intermediate final over the previous eight years.

After goals from Karl Fitzpatrick and Nigel Elliott saw them reach their first Antrim Senior Football decider by overcoming Portglenone 2-8 to 0-10, all the talk was the Cuchullains becoming the first team since St John's in 1969 to reach both county finals.

But their fired-up neighbours Loughgiel had other ideas last weekend as they clinched an emphatic and deserved 1-21 to 0-13 hurling semi-final win at Ballycastle.

Dunloy manager Anthony McQuillan has insisted this week that morale has remained high within the football squad despite the hurling disappointment.

The big contingent of Dunloy dual players includes semi-final goal hero Elliott, Conal Cunning, Seaan Elliott, Ryan McGarry, Oran Quinn, Deaglan Smyth plus Keelan Molloy and Eoin O'Neill, who both featured for the hurlers a week ago after having had spells out because of injury.

Dunloy are captained by Kevin McQuillan, who is a brother of the manager.

After safely negotiating their way through the group stages of the championship, holders Cargin repeated their extra-time victory over Aghagallon in last year's decider as a Tom Shivers point saw them edging out the St Mary's club by a point in the quarter-finals before second-half goals from Conhuir Johnston and Kevin O'Boyle downed St Brigid's 2-6 to 0-6 at a sodden Dunsilly.

Johnston is among the new breed of talented players at the Erin's Own outfit but there is still plenty of experience in the shapes of Kevin O'Boyle, Justin Crozier, James Laverty, Tomas McCann and Michael McCann, whose introduction helped Cargin take control of their semi-final.

Key forward Pat Shivers is now probably in the experienced category after being an up-and-coming player for a number of seasons although his fitness has a been a concern after a leg injury forced him out early on during the semi-final.

SENIOR COUNTY CHAMPIONSHIP ACTION

Saturday

Derry SFC quarter-finals

Lavey 1-13 Newbridge 0-18

Glen 2-11 Kilrea 0-9

Fermanagh SFC quarter-final

Kinawley 1-15 Belnaleck 2-11

Armagh SFC quarter-final

Clann Eireann 1-9 Clan na Gael 0-14

Donegal SFC semi-final

Gaoth Dobhair 3-9 Sean MacCumhaills 0-11

SUNDAY

Antrim SFC final

Cargin v Dunloy, Corrigan Park, 14:30

Donegal SFC semi-final

Naomh Conaill v St Eunan's, Ballybofey, 15:30

Cavan SFC semi-finals

Kingscourt v Ramor United, Kingspan Breffni, 15:00

Crosserlough v Gowna, Kingspan Breffni, 17:00

Monaghan SFC semi-finals

Corduff v Scotstown, Clones, 14:00

Inniskeen v Clontibret, Clones, 15:45

Armagh SFC semi-final

Madden v Crossmaglen, Athletics Grounds, 17:00

Derry SFC quarter-finals

Slaughtneil v Bellaghy, Owenbeg, 16:00

Magherafelt v Ballinascreen, Owenbeg, 17:45.

Fermanagh SFC quarter-final

Erne Gaels v Ederney, Belleek, 16:00

Down SHC

Portaferry v Ballygalget, Portaferry, 13:00

Ballycran v Liatroim, Ballycran, 16:00

Tyrone SHC Final

Dungannon Eoghan Ruadh v Eire Og Carrickmore, Healy Park, 15:30