Down Ladies Round-up

Down Ladies Round-up

County Team:

 

Commiserations to the Down Ladies Senior team who lost to Monaghan in the qualifiers on Saturday.

 

Its Championship time and this weekend will see the Semi-finals of the Senior, Intermediate and Junior championship take place across a range of venues in the County.

 

Senior:

 

First up will be the meeting of Clonduff and Saval in Burren on Wednesday night (Aug 12th). Clonduff current 3-in a-row winners had the scare of their lives in the previous round where Downpatrick very nearly ended any aspirations they have of making it four titles on the trot. It took a late scrambled goal in injury time to secure their place in the semi-final. Saval on the otherhand had an easy passage to the semi’s and they cantered past a sluggish Rostrevor outfit. Looking to the league table to establish form tells us that both teams are tied in mid-table with ten points each. Saval can claim a 3-point league win over Clonduff in their own backyard as a mark of their credentials but whether this will be enough to overthrow the champions is a question that will be answered on Wednesday evening. Saval are a young pacy side and they will be guaranteed to trouble a lacklustre Clonduff side who have struggled to find and maintain any kind of form in 2009. However, Clonduff despite their difficulties are still in the hunt and they will know that only sixty minutes of football separate them from a place in another county final. The experience they have gained over the last few years will be invaluable which means they will start as slight favourites. If Saval can get a fair share of possession around the middle and can deliver timely balls into their forwards then they can expose the Clonduff rearguard and set the foundation for victory. The current Clonduff form has sent the smoke signals out to the other teams in the County that they are not invincible and Saval will not be overawed by the task ahead. Clonduff will however need to up their performance 100% if they are to overcome what will be a tricky encounter, if they can then they might have something to smile about for the first time this season. This game is likely to be close and Clonduff have it to lose.

 

On Saturday evening the much anticipated meeting of Bredagh and Carryduff will take place in Downpatrick at 700pm. In the Quarterfinals Bredagh made short work of Bryansford with a very accomplished display of power football that set them up for victory. Carryduff playing in the Senior championship for the first time in their history courtesy of winning the Intermediate Championhsip in 2008 had an enthralling encounter with Annaclone running out ten point winners. This really is a David and Golaith contest. Bredagh are red hot favourites for the senior league title and apart from a defeat early in the season, no team has managed to stay the distance with them. Carryduff on the other hand claimed the Intermediate title a few weeks back with three games to spare securing senior football in 2010 in the process. Carryduff are a young team very much in the ascendency and they will already be delighted with their achievements this year. No where in their dreams would they have anticipated being in this position this season so they can approach this game with absolutely no pressure on their shoulders. Bredagh former past county champions have always been there or thereabouts and were beaten in last years final by Clonduff so they will be eager to change that statistic with this campaign. They have a vast amount of experience and with a few recruits added to their squad it is hard to find a kink in the Belle armour that their close neighbours could expose. They will be firm favourites for a place in the final and i don’t forsee Carryduff causing an upset on this occasion.

 

Intermediate:

 

The Bredagh second string are also in the semi-final of the Intermediate championhsip where they will take on Bright. This game is scheduled as a double bill in Downpatrick with a 5:30pm throw-in. Bredagh had a bye to the Semi-final while Bright needed a replay plus extra time to overcome Burren. Bright have had a topsy turvey season so far but appear to have found a vein of form that suggests they have been carefully preparing themselves for this encounter. Bredagh are using their second string as a platform for their players to gain experience before making the transition to the senior team. This has proven to be a successful strategy by them and this young side has certainly held their own during the current campaign. Bredagh are a side that will run all day and fight to the last whistle and Bright will have their work cut out to contain them but Bright are an experienced team and once they settle they should be confident of making it through to the final.

 

Ballymartin and Kilcoo meet in Hilltown and this one has all the makings of a classic. Ballymartin overcame Loughinisland in the quarterfinals while Kilcoo after a slow start accounted for Shamrocks. In the league Ballymartin sit second but Kilcoo have a game in hand which would draw them level on points. Ballymartin had a big win over Kilcoo at the start of the season and this will give them confidence but Kilcoo though starting slowly this term have knocked together a string of wins that has pushed them right up the table. These are two very evenly matched teams who play good open and attractive football and i fully expect this game to be a high scoring affair. As to who will win its really too close to call and i wouldn’t rule out another sixty minutes of action to sort this one out. Kilcoo beaten finalists last year will be eager to make it back to the final and make right that wrong. Ballymartin got pipped to the League title last term and will be aware of how it feels to come so close but not quite make it, they have never won this competition so they will be just as eager to forge a way through and claim the success and more importantly a place in the final.

 

Junior:

 

Mayobridge reformed in 2009 and have set the standard in this division, they had a walkover into the semifinal while Tullylish relegated from the intermediate league in 2008 had a big win over St Johns. Mayobridge really have put down the gauntlet in the league and are within a few games of claiming the title, they are however being pushed all the way by both Tullylish and Teconnaught. The two league meetings between the sides saw the sky-blues advance victorious but not without a few scares along the way. Mayobridge will face their biggest test this year and they will know that if any team is capable of party crashing their season then it is Tullylish. Tullylish have struggled at times this year but a recent good run has put them back into contention in the league and they will not fear any oppositon least of all the league leaders. It is likely to be a lose encounter but Mayobridge will start as favourites and will be hotly fancied to make it through to the final.

 

The other semi-final will see the meeting of Aughlisnafin and Teconnaught. Aughlisnafin had a bye into the semi’s while Teconnaught had a big win over Saul. Looking at the league table, Teconnaught are challenging for the title while the Fin sit four places below them and out of contention. Both these teams are past winners of the competition but there have been many personnel changes since either of these teams last appeared in the final. As it stands Teconnaught are the team in form and they appear to be best placed to ease into the final. In their only league meeting at the start of the season Teconnaught ran out big winners and unless Aughlisnafin are on top form for the whole game it is hard to see Teconnaught slipping up.

 

 

Fixtures:

 

Wednesday 12th August @ 730pm
Venue – Burren
Senior Championship S/F
Clonduff v Saval (M. O’Rourke)

 

Saturday 15th August

Senior Championship S/F
Venue – Downpatrick @ 700pm
Bredagh v Carryduff (B. Andrews)

 

Intermediate Championship S/F’s

Venue – Downpatrick @ 530pm
Bredagh v Bright (P. McDaid)
Venue – Hilltown @ 700pm
Ballymartin v Kilcoo (C. Reynolds)

 

Junior Championship S/F’s

@ 700pm
Venue – Saval
Mayobridge v Tullylish (P.J. Cunningham)
Venue – St. Johns
Teconnaught v Aughlisnafin (F. McMullan)

 

Results:
Junior League

St. Michaels v Aughlisnafin no result
Drumgath 1-01 Mayobridge 2-11
Saul v Clonduff off
Tullylish v Teconnaught off
St. Johns v Saul no result
Mayobridge 3-15 St. Michaels 1-00
Drumgath v Tullylish no result
Clonduff v Aughlisnafin off

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