Another night of high drama awaits in the Football Championships

The drama of the final weekend in the group stage of the Club Championships is often unmatched and it started off that way on Thursday night with fireworks going off in Group D of the Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship and the topsy turvy nature of the Balreask Bar, Restaurant & Guest Accommodation Junior Football Championship on full display in Group A. So what will Friday bring?

Tickets for the games are available via the link:  Football Championship Tickets

2025 beaten finalists Castletown knew they had to defeat Ballivor to come through in the Meade Farm sponsored IFC and they did just that when coming out on top by six points in Martry, with a late Darragh Kelly goal putting the icing on the cake for them but the real drama came in Carlanstown where with Duleek-Bellewstown needing to win by four points to not only progress but to knock their opponents Oldcastle out, they managed to do so when eventually running out the victors by six points.  Oldcastle had been very impressive in the opening two rounds but that positive start came to a shuddering halt in miserable conditions as they crash out of the Championship at the group stage.

In the Balreask Bar, Restaurant & Guest Accommodation JFC, one of the competitions favourites (Slane) saw their unbeaten start to the Championship come to an end when previously winless Dunderry came good to defeat them by three points in Cortown.  That result still leaves Dunderry rooted to the bottom of the table with Slane on top.  The real drama came in Moynalty where in what was a straight shootout for a place in the knockout stages, St. Ultan’s edged a clinker when taking down Syddan on a scoreline of 3-13 to 2-13, meaning the Bohermeen side progress to the knockout stages.

Graphic is courtesy of Clubber.

The action continues on Friday with two games in the Fairyhouse Steel Senior Football Championship, two in the Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship and a further two in the Balreask Bar, Restaurant & Guest Accommodation Junior Football Championship.

In the Senior grade, the game in Martry has little riding on it as Ratoath have qualified in top spot with two wins from their opening two games while their opponents Na Fianna are planning for the relegation playoffs after two losses.

The real intrigue in this round of fixtures comes in the game that will be played in Boliden Tara Mines Park in Simonstown as Trim and Skryne engage in a shootout for the second place in the quarter-finals.  This is a winner takes all battle but Trim have the added comfort of knowing that a draw would be sufficient for them giving that they come into the game with a score difference of -7 in comparison to the -12 score difference that Skryne bring to the table.

Aaron Lynch as ever holds the key up front for Trim and after he shot the lights out against Na Fianna on the opening weekend, he was kept much quieter by Ratoath as Ben Wyer performed an excellent man marking job.  Can Lynch who this week returned to the classroom as the summer holidays ended for the teachers, come back to form and give Skryne a schooling or will Skryne find a way of lessening his influence on proceedings?

Trim will need a big showing from their defensive unit and to this end Conor Quigley will be key, with the centre back slated to pick up Pádraig Finnerty based off the team selections.  But it would be of little surprise to onlookers were he to be assigned the task of marking Darragh Campion and if that match up comes to pass then it will prove crucial as Campion is of great importance to the Skryne attacking unit.

Skryne have plenty of talent within their defensive unit in the likes of Michael Doherty, James Reeves and John O’Regan and this trio will need to be at their best if they are to limit the damage that Trim do on the scoreboard.

Trim will look to get the upperhand around the middle third where they will look to David Lernihan and Ciaran Caulfield to dictate the pace of play.  Caulfield has had a few games now to adapt to midfield having previously been utilised as a half back or half forward and if he can exert a big influence then it will be a major boost for Trim.

Like their hurling game last week, this is likely to go down to the wire for Trim and it could well be a case of who can hold their nerve best on the high wire in the closing few moments that decides who progresses and who crashes out.

In the Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship, Meath Hill are sitting pretty on top of the table and are guaranteed to hold onto that position irrespective of what happens against Blackhall Gaels in Tony Callaghan Park but the real drama could lie in store in Kepak Park in Dunboyne where Moynalvey and Dunsany meet with a place in the last eight at stake.

Moynalvey came into the Championship as one of the fancied sides but fell to defeat against Meath Hill in the concluding game of the opening weekend.  They bounced back to winning ways in Round 2 when defeating neighbouring Blackhall Gaels by eight points and know that a win or a draw against the 2024 Junior Champions will be enough to see them book a spot in the knockout stages.

But they face a Dunsany side who will relish the underdog status and the Tom Shine managed side showed enough in defeat to Meath Hill a fortnight ago to suggest that they have the potential to upset the odds.  Harry Cahill remains a big loss for them but his younger brother Stephen is a bright prospect on the edge of the square and Eoin Harkin brings plenty of talent and industry to his wing forward role.  Most neutrals will expect a Moynalvey victory but don’t rule out a twist in this particular tale.

When St. Mary’s suffered a nine point defeat to Ballinlough on the opening weekend of the Balreask Bar, Restaurant & Guest Accommodation few would have predicted that they would be in with a live chance of qualifying for the knockout stages.  But a win for them in Cortown against Moylagh would see them move on to four points and if Ballinlough can take care of the Nobber challenge then that would secure a spot in the quarter-finals for the 2025 Coolrite Junior B champions.

Fairyhouse Steel Senior Football Championship

Group B Round 3 Fixtures & Team News

Trim vs Skryne.  20:00.  Venue:  Boliden Tara Mines Park, Simonstown

Ratoath vs Na Fianna.  20:00.  Venue:  Martry

Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship

Group C Round 3 Fixtures & Team News

Moynalvey vs Dunsany.  20:00.  Venue:  Kepak Park, Dunboyne

Blackhall Gaels vs Meath Hill.  20:00.  Venue:  Tony Callaghan Park, Duleek

Balreask Bar, Restaurant & Guest Accommodation Junior Football Championship

Group C Round 3 Fixtures & Team News

Ballinlough vs Nobber.  20:00.  Venue:  Moynalty

Moylagh vs St. Mary’s.  20:00.  Venue:  Cortown

Thursday’s Results