Just when you think there has been enough twists and turns in the football championships for one weekend, along comes a day with the potential for many more as the group stages of the Fairyhouse Steel Senior Football Championship and Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship draw to a conclusion with no fewer than eight games between them. On top of that, there is one game in the Coolrite Junior B Football Championship where there is the potential for history to be made.
Todays games are all ticket and are priced as follows.
- General Admission – €10
- Student/OAP – €5
- Children U-16 accompanied by an adult attend for free.
Tickets for all games can be purchased via the Meath GAA App which can be downloaded from the App Store and Google Play Store.
Group C of the Senior Championship is utterly fascinating today. While Ratoath are top of the table with four points and a massively healthy score difference, they know they must get at least a draw out of their game against St. Colmcille’s if they are to progress to the last eight as a Cille’s victory would leave them on top on the head to head rule should Skryne get any result other than a defeat against Moynalvey. It could be a case of getting the calculators out once more.
St. Colmcille’s are still smarting from their League Final defeat to Ratoath and come into the game knowing they need a win to secure their path to the quarter finals as anything else coupled with a Moynalvey win would see them crash out while if the ‘Cilles lose and Skryne win then it all comes down to score difference between the three clubs.
Skryne and Moynalvey meet in Dunshaughlin and with Skryne coming off the back of a huge defeat to Ratoath the last day there is something of the unknown about this encounter. Rumours abound that Niall Finnerty is a long term injury absentee and without him and Darragh Campion in their starting XV they certainly lack a little bit of an X factor. With Padraic Harnan in the best form he has shown for a long time and the likes of Cillian O’Sullivan and David McLoughlin showing well, the opportunity is there for Moynalvey to make the quarter finals. Which would be quite the turnaround from the pre Championship predictions from some quarters that they would be relegation candidates.
Group D is somewhat more clearcut with Summerhill already safely through and they appear to be taking the opportunity to shuffle the decks going by the team selection submitted. They play a Gaeil Colmcille side who are destined for the relegation playoffs and could do with a morale boosting victory in Pairc Tailteann.
Potentially the game of the day is the one in Trim at 16:00 when Ballinabrackey and Wolfe Tones meet in a winner takes all encounter. Wolfe Tones have been dealt with a hammer blow in advance of the game with the news that Saran O Fionnagain has failed in his attempt to overturn the sending off he received against Summerhill. They though do have the comfort of knowing a draw would suffice to send them through on score difference but as Dunboyne learned last night, that can be a double edged sword. For Ballinabrackey, the equation is simple. Anything other than a win and they are out. Grab the popcorn, this is one not to be missed.
There are two high noon throw ins in Group C of the Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship. Walterstown take on Nobber in Slane in what is a repeat of their 2022 quarter final clash. Reports suggest some around the Garlow Cross area still wake up in cold sweats thinking about that game and they will be eager to ensure there is no repeat performance. Thus far in the group stages they have been impressive and with Barry O’Connell firmly back in the fold after a summer sojourn in America, they will be hard stopped here although Nobber come into the game off the back of a confidence boosting win over Longwood. The other game takes place on the opposite side of the county as Longwood and Ballivor meet in Clonard. Quite what team Ballivor will field is anyones guess as they don’t supply a panel to the Co. Board but they have been slightly the more impressive performers to date and will fancy their chances of booking a quarter final place.
Group D sees St. Patrick’s who are guaranteed top spot meeting a Dunderry side now under new management, in Duleek. Dunderry are also guaranteed to prop up the group at the end of the day which means the most interesting of the two games is that which takes place in Drumconrath. A huge crowd is expected there for the meeting of Meath Hill and Bective for another winner takes all duel. Bective were very impressive for long spells against St. Patrick’s on the opening night before ultimately coming up just short but bounced back with a fine win over Dunderry. A draw would be enough to send the David Nolan managed side through as they have a better score difference by one point over Meath Hill. Another fascinating game awaits.
The sole Junior game on the programme of events for the day is the Coolrite Junior B Championship game between Clonard and Eastern Gaels in Batterstown. Clonard come into the game on one point while Eastern Gaels have yet to register a win or a draw. Could today be the day for the fledgling outfit on the county’s Gold Coast?
Sunday’s Fixtures
Fairyhouse Steel SFC Group C Round 3
Skryne v Moynalvey
Ratoath v St. Colmcille’s
Fairyhouse Steel SFC Group D Round 3
Summerhill v Gaeil Colmcille
Wolfe Tones v Ballinabrackey
Meade Farm IFC Group C Round 3
Ballivor v Longwood
There was no panel received again from Ballivor.
Walterstown v Nobber
Meade Farm IFC Group D Round 3
St. Patrick’s v Dunderry
Meath Hill v Bective
Coolrite JBFC Group A Round 4
Clonard v Eastern Gaels
There was no panel received from Eastern Gaels.
Meath Cleaning Supplies Premier Football Championship Division 1 Group A Round 3
- Skryne v Ratoath. Sunday August 27 – 11:00. Venue – Skryne. Referee – Marcas O Donnchu (Simonstown)
- Trim v Dunshaughlin. Sunday August 27 – 11:00. Venue – Trim. Referee – Eamon Barry (Walterstown)
Meath Cleaning Supplies Premier Football Championship Division 2 Group A Round 3
- Summerhill v Seneschalstown. Sunday August 27 – 11:00. Venue – Summerhill. Referee – Shane Mooney (Dunderry)
- Wolfe Tones v Navan O’Mahonys. Sunday August 27 – 11:00. Venue – Pairc Baile Ghib. Referee – Martin Dawson (St. Michael’s)
- Simonstown v BYE
