LMFM MFC Round 3 Preview

There is much down for decision in this week’s games in the LMFM Minor Football Championship.  Who can secure that coveted semi-final place, will any of the teams tipped to win their divisions end up in the Shield rather than the Cup?  In the games to decide who tops the group, what teams will land that vital home semi-final?

The numbers at the games will be vastly reduced from what they normally are with a maximum of one parent allowed attend per child on the panel and while that is far from ideal for clubs, we must be grateful for having games to play in any format as only a few short months ago none of us could have predicted with much certainty that we would get to see a Minor Football Championship played in 2020.

All games throw in at 19:00 and are Round 3 games unless stated.  Due to there being five teams in Division 6, there are five rounds in that division before the knockout stages unlike all other divisions which have three rounds prior to the knockout stages.

We would ask everybody to be mindful of the fact that these games are being played behind closed doors as a result of the Government restrictions relating to Covid-19.  A maximum of 40 players/officials can enter the grounds as well as 1 parent/guardian per player.  We all hate to miss out on games but the more we play our part, the sooner we will be able to reopen the gates of our grounds as normal.

Division 1A.

Duleek-Bellewstown v St. Peter’s Dunboyne

Referee – Brendan O’Brien (St. Mary’s)

Venue – Duleek

This match is the ultimate winner takes all battle, a win for Duleek-Bellewstown will see them progress to the semi-finals with potentially a home tie, while a win for St. Peter’s Dunboyne will see them leapfrog their hosts and likely consign them to the Shield which would be a fantastic achievement having only been promoted to Division 1 before the commencement of the Championship after going unbeaten in the group stage of the Division 2 League.

Duleek-Bellewstown appear to have marginally the better form in the Championship to date with their draw last Wednesday against Summerhill suggesting that they have the edge on their Dunboyne opponents who lost to the same opposition by six points.  St. Peter’s though are a steadily developing side and the more games they have in the top division, the greater the level of performance they appear capable of generating.  Last year when they met Gaeil Colmcille in the U-16 Division 2 Final they were narrowly defeated whereas last week they ran out the most comfortable of winners against the same opposition.  Duleek-Bellewstown were U-15 Division 1 finalists two years ago with this group of players and have always had the potential to land a title.  If they can get over the stiff challenge which Dunboyne will pose and qualify for the semi-finals then it would be a major boost for the club who twelve months ago struggled to get a team on the pitch in some of the Division 1 MFC matches. A year on and the outlook in the club could be much rosier.

Verdict – Duleek-Bellewstown

Summerhill v Gaeil Colmcille

Referee – Henri Clifford (Boyle)

Venue – Summerhill

Many teams when playing away from home and trailing by seven points would just pack up and head for the hills but there’s something in the Summerhill DNA that gives them a never say die attitude and that was evident the last day as they fought back to salvage an unlikely draw to give them a point which could prove most valuable in the race for a semi-final spot.  In truth, anything other than a victory here would constitute a major surprise given how results have played out to date and it looks likely that Summerhill will have a repeat of last years final to look forward to in the semi-final with St. Colmcilles making the long journey across the county.

Gaeil Colmcille equipped themselves well in the Division 1 League after being promoted from Division 2 last year but despite brave efforts in both their games to date have found the going very tough at the top table.  There is no doubt though that the experience gained here will stand to this group of players as they exit the Minor grade at the end of the year and set their sights on breaking into the most consistent Senior side in the county.  They started very slowly against St Peter’s Dunboyne and if that kink in their performance can be ironed out then the team is capable of causing an upset in Summerhill.  The free taking of Luke Ronan is something to watch out for as he has shown his ability to convert frees off the ground, something which is much less common than it used to be while Sean Thornton’s ability to pull off brilliant saves has also been a noteworthy feature of their season to date.

Verdict – Summerhill

St Colmcille’s v Ratoath in Rd. 1 of the 2020 LMFM MFC Division 1A (Brian Mulligan)

Division 1B

Results to date.

Dunshaughlin v St. Colmcilles

Referee – Joseph Curran (St. Michael’s)

Venue – Dunshaughlin

With these two titans of the age grade already safely assured of their places in the semi-finals will we see a genuine contest in Dunshaughlin or will it be nothing more than shadow boxing ahead of a potential rematch down the line in the Delaney Cup decider?  It had been expected that Ratoath would be contenders to qualify out of this group, but these teams had other ideas with St. Colmcilles impressive victory over them being overshadowed by Dunshaughlin dismantling the home side last week in Sean Eiffe Park.  The opening thirty minutes of football played by Dunshaughlin was as good as any likely to be witnessed in the Minor grade this year as they tore Ratoath apart and limited them to a solitary point.

Conor Gray was in imperious form as he lorded the aerial exchanges while being ably assisted by Colm Keane while behind them the half back line of Fursey Blake, Donagh McCarrick and Jared Rushe were at their impenetrable best although Rushe will be hoping to stay on the good side of Joseph Curran having fallen foul of Padraig Coyle in Ratoath.  Up front Ruairí Kinsella has lit up the Championship with his scoring exploits, hitting a phenomenal 3-13 across their two matches to date. How the St. Colmcilles defence plans to tie him down will be something to keep an eye on as Sean O’Donoghue looks like the ideal candidate for the job but he is likely to be needed around to middle of the field to take on Conor Gray.

For the ‘Cilles, the walkover received from Skryne last week wasn’t the ideal way to qualify for the semi-finals and having lost out to Dunshaughlin in last years U-16 Final, they won’t want to get into the habit of losing to their biggest rivals.  Adam Daly and Luke Hanan are capable of emulating Kinsella’s scoring exploits and they will need to be on top form to take on what looks like a miserly Dunshaughlin defence who seem to take the concession of each score as a personal insult and only conceded against Ratoath when the result was already beyond doubt.

Verdict – Dunshaughlin

Ratoath v Skryne

Referee – Cormac Reilly (St. Mary’s)

Venue – Ratoath

It is difficult to know what to say about Ratoath.  On paper they have as good a team as any and perhaps had the draw been kinder to them, they would be on the verge of progressing to the semi-final stages.  A Round 1 defeat to St. Colmcilles left them in a perilous situation and when they played Dunshaughlin last week they never got out of first gear in the opening thirty minutes, at the end of which the visitors to Sean Eiffe Park held a lead of over ten points, with Ratoath only managing a solitary in that opening half hour.

The second half was slightly better as they hit a goal and four points but by then the horse had bolted and Ratoath were looking at the Shield for the third consecutive year.  Their team had a slightly different look last week to that which played St. Colmcilles with Tomás Corbett lining out at centre forward but as the team struggled in the first half, he was recommissioned to the defence.  Maybe Ratoath will catch fire against a Skryne side which shipped a heavy defeat against Dunshaughlin three weeks ago, before conceding the points to St. Colmcilles the last day. Ratoath though look to have a bit more pace and power across the pitch and that should see them pick up the win and give them a home semi-final in the Shield.

Verdict – Ratoath

Division 2A

Results to date.

Kilbride v Simonstown

Referee – Joe Synnott (Donaghmore/Ashbourne)

Venue – Kilbride

The story of the 2020 LMFM Minor Football Championship could be brewing in Division 2 where after two matches Kilbride look like outstanding prospects to lay claim to the Liam Tolan Cup.  Both Navan O’Mahonys and Walterstown have strong teams but Kilbride emerged from Paddy O’Brien Park three weeks ago having edged a thriller by a point before having a more comfortable success against Walterstown.  In Conor O’Driscoll they have an impenetrable rock at full back while alongside him Daniel Boyd is a Tigerish corner back who has excelled to date in the Championship.  Their centre field partnership of Ben Donnelly and Andrew McWeeney have been in brilliant form and once they gain a foothold the forward line containing Finn White and Aaron Nulty have the ability to rack up a match winning tally against any opposition.

Simonstown have been below par to date in the Championship and will be looking to end the group stages on a high to give them a boost leading into the Shield competition.  Corey Cullen, Matthew Barry and Tom Diver will be looking to spark the side to life, and one feels if Simonstown could get one victory it could lead to a surge in confidence among the panel.  How likely they are to get that win away to one of the form teams to date across all six divisions remains to be seen but where better to hit form than against a team who may already have one eye on the semi-finals having topped the table with a round to spare.

Verdict – Kilbride

Walterstown v Navan O’Mahonys

Referee – Andrew Smith (Dunshaughlin)

Venue – Walterstown

What a game we have in prospect here as these age-old rivals meet in a shootout for a semi-final place.  Both have a comprehensive victory over Simonstown Gaels to their name and a loss to Kilbride but crucially for Walterstown they come into the game with the comfort blanket of a +10 score difference as opposed to the +9 which O’Mahonys have, meaning a draw would suffice for Andy McGuinness’ team while Damien Moran knows nothing less than a win will do for the town side.

It is a major pity that for a game of this magnitude that nobody other a maximum of one parent per player will be able to attend as this encounter has the potential to be a cracker.  There is a great friendly rivalry between these groups of players with many lining out for St. Pat’s in Navan together and whoever wins will return to school in the coming days with their heads held high and the bragging rights secured for the first few weeks of term.

He has been mentioned on these pages before, but Walterstown’s Troy Campbell O’Brien is going to be a key player for them with his free taking proving crucial allied with his ability to conjure up scores from the most difficult of situations.  If they could find a way of getting him closer to goal than his midfield berth, there is not a defender in the division who would be delighted at the prospect of an hour in O’Brien’s company.  Byron  Farrell on the forty is another to have shown well in recent weeks and raised a first half green flag last week but Walterstown will need to register more than the solitary point they hit in that opening thirty minutes against Kilbride.  The team will not always be able to rely on scoring three goals to keep them in contention at the interval.

Verdict – Navan O’Mahonys

Division 2B

Results to date.

Killary Emmets v Seneschalstown

Referee – Kieran Olwell (Moynalty)

Venue – Castletown

Killary have been in brilliant form to date with their defence conceding a miserly 0-15 over their two games to date and they have registered 2-14 in both games.  Seamus Doherty has been catching the eye in their forward line with his total to date of 2-04 while with 0-13, 0-07 of which has come from play Rian McConnell has shown that he is a forward of excellent potential.  Seneschalstown will be wary of his ability to keep the scoreboard ticking over at a steady rate through any game.

Anybody who watched Castletown on their march to the Meade Potato Company IFC semi-finals in 2019 will have been impressed by the displays of Killian Price and his younger brother has shown he is one for the future with his consistent showings at full back to date.  Seneschalstown are likely to deploy Jack Owens on the edge of the square and his battle with Price is one of those which will set the tone for the game.  If Owens can get the edge, then Seneschalstown will be confident of getting the win they need to have a chance of progressing to the semi-finals.

Killary Emmets come into this game knowing all the cards are in their favour for semi-final qualification with their score difference of +25 giving them effectively an extra point advantage over both Donaghmore/Ashbourne and Seneschalstown in the table who come into Round 3 with their score difference both at -2.  After a disappointing result in Ashbourne last week there may be a kick left in Seneschalstown but they will need to start landing a few more points, having only kicked 12 to date as their reliance on goals won’t always come to fruition.

Verdict – Killary Emmets

Trim v Donaghmore/Ashbourne

Referee – Robbie Barrett (Walterstown)

Venue – St. Lomans Park

These sides had wildly contrasting fortunes in Round 2 with Donaghmore/Ashbourne picking up their first win of the year to date when comprehensively defeating Seneschalstown while Trim slumped to defeat against Killary Emmets when being outplayed all over the pitch.  One would imagine there will be a kick in Trim, but they will need a big win here allied with a heavy loss for the Yellow Furze outfit in Castletown if they are to progress to the knockout stages.  It is unlikely but stranger things have happened in sport before.

That win for Donaghmore/Ashbourne should have given them a massive lift in confidence and they will know a win here should see them earn safe passage into the semi-finals as Seneschalstown’s visit to Castletown looks on paper like the tougher task.

Now that their passage to the semi-final stage is unlikely, Trim could come into this game with an eye on Saturday’s MHC game against Kildalkey with many of their players being dual stars and they have the added carrot of going for what would be a famous third consecutive Championship success were they to lift the Tony Donnelly Cup once more.  If they take their eye off the ball here, then it is difficult to see the Trim youngsters having enough to defeat a Donaghmore/Ashbourne side who suddenly have every chance of qualifying.  But if everything clicks into place for this Trim side, they are more than capable of picking up a first win.  In their midfield pairing of David Boyle and James Burke they have a pairing who are as good as any in the Minor grade in Meath while wing forward Sam Kennedy is an excellent young footballer.

Verdict – Donaghmore/Ashbourne

Division 3A

Results to date.

St. Mary’s v St. Colmcilles (B)

Referee – Barry Campbell (St. Patrick’s)

Venue – Donore

St. Mary’s bounced back in impressive manner from their opening round defeat at home to Wolfe Tones when overcoming St. Michael’s/Nobber in a tight encounter on Sunday evening in Carlanstown.  They hit the back of the net three times in that game and they will have noticed that the ‘Cilles shipped five majors against Wolfe Tones at the weekend.  If St. Mary’s can continue that rich vein of form in front of goal, then they will be confident of making the semi-finals.

St. Colmcilles had impressed when defeating the St. Michael’s/Nobber combination a few weeks ago and it was a shock to see them fall to the ‘Tones in the manner they did.  That result looks like an aberration rather than a true reflection of their form.  How the team bounces back from that showing will be key but there is a depth of talent in their ranks which suggests they have the ability to reply in fine fashion.  One suspects that this will be a tight game, but St. Mary’s might continue to show the resurgence in the club is on track with a narrow win.

Verdict – St Mary’s

St. Michael’s/Nobber v Wolfe Tones

Referee – Joey Curley (Moynalty)

Venue – Nobber

Wolfe Tones were in brilliant form the last day and have booked the all-important home semi-final with a round to spare.  Unlikely to take their foot off the pedal here, they will be looking to keep up their momentum ahead of what promises to be a tough semi-final.  They have eight goals so far in the Championship and if they can keep that form up then they will go very close to retaining the Noel Curran Cup.

For the St. Michael’s/Nobber outfit, they have been in better form to date than their results suggest and while they will be up against an excellent side here, it would be no major surprise if they can pick up the win.  All they were missing previously was a bit of luck, but the vital bounce of the ball has tended to go against them so far.  Many of the players on both sides are set to go back to school together this week and the home side would love nothing more than to have the bragging rights when they arrive in through the school gates.

Verdict – Wolfe Tones

Division 3B

Results to date.

Ballinabrackey v St. Ultan’s/Cortown Gaels

Referee – Martin Ennis (Longwood)

Venue – Ballinabrackey

The prospect of a long journey to Ballinabrackey when already out of the running for the knockout stages isn’t one which is likely to be greeted with much enthusiasm by the St. Ultan’s/Cortown Gaels side, especially having lost to them by thirty points on St. Brigid’s Day. Scoring has not been a problem for the combination side, but they have been leaking far too many scores to be in with a chance of winning games in what is an extremely competitive group.  Seven goals the last day against St. Patrick’s in Sean Newman Park shows where the team has room for improvement and if they can tighten up at the back then the potential is there to potentially land the Shield.

For Ballinabrackey it has been a great week with two impressive wins guaranteeing them their passage into the semi-finals with a game to spare and indeed the home semi-final is also wrapped up.  They have a very potent attack, with fifty points registered across the two games and they will be looking to add to that against the Ultan’s/Cortown combination.  While the margin of victory is unlikely to come near that from February, it is very hard to see anything other than a home win.

Verdict – Ballinabrackey.

Drumconrath/Meath Hill v St. Patrick’s

Referee – Martin Dawson (St. Michael’s)

Venue – Drumconrath

The long drive home from Ballinabrackey last week was a fruitless one for Drumconrath/Meath Hill but they still enter the final round with their fate in their own hands. And in a scenario like that there is no better ground for a home side to play in than Meath Hill although with the restrictions that are in place the usual cacophony of beeping horns which accompanies scores for them in what is something of a fortress of a venue won’t be as loud as usual.

St. Patrick’s have a vastly superior score difference which means they know anything other than a defeat and they will be into the semi-finals but the trip to Meath Hill is never one which they can ever take for granted.  Jamie Murphy was in red hot form against Ballinabrackey with four goals and a point and if he can hit top form then the ‘Pats have a great chance of making the final four.

Verdict – St. Patrick’s

2019 LMFM MFC Division 4 Final (Brian Mulligan)

Division 4A

Results to date.

Rathkenny/Slane v Ratoath (B) (Round 2)

Referee – Patrick Clarke (Kilmainhamwood)

Venue – Rathkenny

Note this is a deferred Round 2 game, having been postponed late last Wednesday.

Rathkenny/Slane entertain Ratoath knowing that a victory would book them a place in the semi-finals and set up a shootout in Ballinlough next Wednesday with the winner booking themselves a home semi-final.  In Sean O’Hare they probably had the standout performer on the pitch in Enfield a fortnight ago with the flame headed midfielder lighting up the pitch with his all-round performance.

Ratoath who have a very young side who will practically all be underage again in 2021 for the Minor grade know that they were excellent for spells against Ballinlough and if they can repeat that showing are more than capable of bouncing back with a win.  They will need to cut down on the concession of frees in the scoring zone as David Curtis is capable of punishing any indiscretions.

Verdict – Rathkenny/Slane

Ballinlough v Rathkenny/Slane

Referee – Stephen Skelly (Oldcastle)

Venue – Ballinlough

This game will now be played at 18:45 on Wednesday September 2.

Na Fianna v Ratoath (B)

Referee – Eamon Barry (Walterstown)

Venue – Enfield

This game will now be played at 18:45 on Wednesday September 2.

Division 4B

Results to date.

Kilmainhamwood v Moynalvey/Boardsmill

Referee – Eamon Barry (Walterstown)

Venue – Kilmainhamwood

Nothing other than a victory by a substantial margin here will give Kilmainhamwood a chance of making the semi-final stages due to them having an inferior score difference to St. Peter’s Dunboyne.  If they win comfortably and Dunboyne are turned over by Bective/Dunsany, then the ‘Wood have a chance of creeping into the knockout stages.  Their form to date has definitely been better than their solitary point from two games would suggest and if Kilmainhamwood can get off to a good start here then anything is possible.

Moynalvey/Boardsmill have found the going tough thus far but they know if a few leaks at the back can be sealed up then they are as good as any other side in the group.  The concession of nine goals across both games so far has proven too high a hurdle to clear but at the other end of the pitch there is no shortage of talented forwards on their team.  Get enough ball into the full forward line and they can make hay.

Verdict – Kilmainhamwood

St. Peter’s Dunboyne (B) v Bective/Dunsany

Referee – Sean Gahan (Ratoath)

Venue – Dunboyne

Bective/Dunsany have been in most impressive form to date in the LMFM Championship, edging a thriller against Kilmainhamwood before a solid win on the road last week in Boardsmill.  They take the trip south on the M3 to take on St. Peter’s knowing anything better than a defeat will guarantee them a home semi-final.  The combination side have been in free scoring form so far with forty-nine points across the two games and it is this all out attacking game plan which is bearing much reward.

The point picked up in Kilmainhamwood on Saturday could prove to be worth its weight in gold for Dunboyne if they can make it count by picking up a win on home soil on Wednesday.  That would secure them a home semi-final which would be a remarkable achievement for this young side.  Their defence has proved quite miserly to date and if they can find a way to lock out the Bective/Dunsany forwards then the home side have every chance of getting the win.

Verdict – Bective/Dunsany

Division 5A

Results to date.

Blackhall Gaels v Simonstown (B)

Points to Blackhall Gaels.

Blackhall Gaels now top the group and have secured a home semi-final.

St. Vincent’s/Curraha v Dunderry

Referee – Stephen Murphy (Duleek-Bellewstown)

Venue – Masterson Park, Ardcath

With both of these sides having only had one game to date, getting a line of form for them is quite difficult as drawing conclusions on one performance is fraught with difficulties.  Whoever picks up the win will book their place in the semi-final and on a straight line of form through Blackhall Gaels, it would appear as though Dunderry may have the slenderest of edges but home advantage in Masterson Park could well swing it in the direction of St. Vincent’s/Curraha.

Verdict – St. Vincent’s/Curraha

Division 5B

Results to date.

Longwood v Inny Gaels

Referee – Marcas Ó Donnchú (Simonstown Gaels)

Venue – Longwood

What a group we have here with all four teams in with a chance of qualifying for the semi-finals after they each won a game and lost one to date in the Championship.  Longwood could have taken a huge step towards qualifying on Friday last but were edged out by the minimum when Moynalty/Carnaross escaped with the win.

They’ve home advantage once more here against an Inny Gaels side who were brilliant in Round 1 but found Round Towers too hot to handle in the last day.  The Moylagh/St. Brigid’s combination have a knack of scoring goals with four scored in each of their games to date.  If they can manage to repeat the trick in Longwood, they will be hard stopped but the home side have proven to be more miserly in defence than Inny Gaels and will be well prepared for the challenge posed in their attack.  The more miserly Longwood defence, allied to home advantage may, and it is a hesitant vote, just have enough to make the knockout stages.

Verdict – Longwood

Moynalty/Carnaross v Round Towers

Referee – Gerry Skelly (St. Brigid’s)

Venue – Moynalty

When Moynalty/Carnaross were handed a thirteen point defeat by Inny Gaels three weeks ago, few would have thought that they would be in with such a good chance of getting one of the golden tickets into the semi-finals.  They know with their score difference being what it is that their only chance of qualifying is by picking up a win whereas a draw would be enough for Round Towers.

Last week’s win over Longwood and the thrilling nature of it should give Moynalty/Carnaross a major confidence boost and if they can back it up with a similar level of performance there are few sides in the Division capable of beating them.  On the other hand, Round Towers could easily be sitting on four points, having lost narrowly to Longwood before shooting the lights out in Ballinacree when registering an impressive 5-17.  The extra potency in the Drumbaragh/Kilmainham side might just give them the edge they require here.

Verdict – Round Towers

Division 6

Results to date.

Donaghmore/Ashbourne (B) v Clann na nGael

Referee – Robert Purfield (St. Patrick’s)

Venue – Ashbourne

Clann na nGael have been flying to date with victories in an impressive manner over Clonard and Ballivor to their name.  After having the opening week off, Donaghmore/Ashbourne under the guidance of Davy Gaughan got off to the best possible start last week when taking home the points from Clonard and a win here would see them well placed at the midway stage of the Championship.  The potent Clann na nGael forward line appear to have the knack of scoring goals down to a fine art and if they can continue in that vein, they can continue their march towards topping the table.

Verdict – Clann na nGael

Oldcastle v Clonard

Referee – Peter Skelly (St. Brigid’s)

Venue -Millbrook

It is a long drive from Clonard to Oldcastle for a 19:00 throw in midweek and after having opened up with two home games, it is a first road trip for the team from the south of the county.  Oldcastle had a BYE in Round 2 and have had three weeks to recover from that one point defeat at the hands of Ballivor.  On home turf once more, they are taken to pick up a valuable first victory.

Verdict – Draw

Ballivor v BYE