By the end of this weekend, we will be down to the knockout stages of the Club Football Championships, for some the season will be ended, the dream of the ‘Monday Club’ in October will be alive for others and then for some clubs, the dreaded prospect of another few weeks of training ahead of the Relegation Playoffs will loom.  But what will your clubs fate be?

And for those whose clubs are in the knockout stages, the draws will be live-streamed from Devenish Park Dunganny at 18:00 on Sunday.  Check our social media channels for more on Sunday afternoon.

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

The Saturday Preview

The equation is simple for Ballinabrackey and St. Colmcille’s on Saturday evening in the Fairyhouse Steel Senior Football Championship.  A win and they will progress to the quarter-finals, a defeat and their season is over.  For the ‘Cille’s, they have the added comfort of knowing that a draw would be sufficient due to their superior score difference.

Both of these sides come into the game minus their shining light with Seán Coffey sidelined for Ballinabrackey and James Conlon remaining out for St. Colmcille’s.  The ‘Brack’s came through a tight contest against Seneschalstown in Round 2, finding a way to grind out a narrow win and if it comes down to a battle with five minutes to go, few would bet against them.

St. Colmcille’s have had a flood of talent coming through their ranks for years now but have yet to be able to convert this into a credible challenge for the Keegan Cup but surely at some stage they will find a way to convert all the underage titles they accumulate into a tilt at the ultimate honour in Meath football.

Ballinabrackey have much smaller numbers to choose from but they eke every last ounce out of their limited resources and for a club with such a small pick it is remarkable how many of their players have pulled on the county jersey at various grades.

One of those is Dean Pluck who returns to the side for this encounter having missed the opening two rounds through suspension.  In his absence, Seamus Curry did an admirable job but Pluck’s return is a welcome boost for the Ciaran Giblin managed side.

His individual duel with Andrew Beakey at the other end of the pitch will prove vital and the match could well come down to which netminder can end up with the greater kickout success rate as well as who can land the most long range frees.

The other game in this group sees Bhulf Tón CLG take on Seneschalstown in Rathkenny in what is a dead rubber as the ‘Tones have topped the group and Seneschalstown are guaranteed to be in the Relegation Play-Offs.

Group A of the Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship is interesting with none of the teams out of the qualification race as things stand and nobody through to the last eight either.

St. Patrick’s are in a commanding position and know that a win or a draw will definitely see them through.  A loss to Longwood though and they could be in a three-way tie at the top of the table should O’Mahony’s also defeat Bective.

For Bective, even though they are at the bottom of the table and pointless thus far, they know a win over their fellow Navan team in Simonstown could see them sneak through.  That result, coupled with a St. Patrick’s win over Longwood would see a three-way tie on two points and once more the calculators would be out to see who qualifies.

Group B is a lot more clearcut with Clann na nGael and Walterstown meeting in Trim to decide who tops the group and St. Michael’s taking on Drumbaragh Emmets in Grangegodden to decide who escapes the dreaded Relegation Play-Off.

In Group B of the Balreask Bar, Restaurant & Guest Accommodation Junior Football Championship, Curraha are top of the table on three points (by virtue of score difference) but they know they need at least a draw against Carnaross to secure their place in the knockout stages.

St. Vincent’s are in second place but they arguably have the easier task when facing bottom of the table St. Brigid’s in Devenish Park.  A win for Curraha and St. Vincent’s sees both progress.  But Carnaross are sitting only a point behind them and they know that a win for them over Curraha will be enough to see them leapfrog their opponents and land themselves a quarter-final berth.

Saturday Fixtures

Fairyhouse Steel Senior Football Championship

Group C Round 3 Fixtures & Team News

Ballinabrackey vs St. Colmcille’s.  18:00.  Venue:  Dunsany

Seneschalstown vs Bhulf Tón CLG.  18:00.  Venue:  Rathkenny

Meade Farm Intermediate Football Championship

Group A Round 3 Fixtures & Team News

Navan O’Mahony’s vs Bective.  17:00.  Venue:  Boliden Tara Mines Park, Simonstown.

Longwood vs St. Patrick’s.  17:00.  Venue:  Ratoath.

Group B Round 3 Fixtures & Team News

Clann na nGael vs Walterstown.  17:00.  St. Loman’s Park, Trim.

St. Michael’s vs Drumbaragh Emmets.  17:00.  Venue:  Grangegodden (Gaeil Colmcille).

Balreask Bar, Restaurant & Guest Accommodation Junior Football Championship

Group B Round 3 Fixtures & Team News

Curraha vs Carnaross.  16:00.  Venue:  Dunderry.

St. Brigid’s vs St. Vincent’s.  16:00.  Venue:  Devenish Park, Dunganny.

The Sunday Preview

Summerhill have already secured their place in the last eight of the Championship and on Sunday afternoon in Walterstown, they take on a Rathkenny side who are in a very healthy position to qualify for the knockout stages themselves.

Sitting in second position in the table on three points, Rathkenny have a points differential of +19 and it will take a big defeat for them to Summerhill coupled with a big St. Peter’s Dunboyne victory over their fellow parishioners Kilbride for them to miss out on the quarter-finals for the Dunboyne side have a points differential of -16 at the moment.

But Rathkenny will be looking to defeat Summerhill and take any of these mathematical equations out of the question and if this is to happen they will be looking to the likes of Luke Kealy and Keith Curtis in attack to once more shoot the lights out while in defence Donal Keogan could be given the task of marshalling the man who took over from him as Meath captain, Eoghan Frayne.

Summerhill were quietly impressive against Kilbride on the opening night before improving against St. Peter’s Dunboyne two weeks ago.  They’ll be looking to kick on again against Rathkenny and lay down a marker ahead of the knockout stages.  The burgeoning midfield pairing of Jack Regan and Diarmuid McCabe will look to give them a solid platform and if the likes of Liam Shaw, Eoghan Frayne and Kevin Ryan can get a good enough supply of ball in then they will cause plenty of problems for the Rathkenny defence.

Group D is delicately poised and while most neutrals will expect Donaghmore/Ashbourne to account for the challenge of Simonstown Gaels in Skryne, a result which would move them onto four points, there is little doubt where the attention of most observers will be focused come 16:00 as Gaeil Colmcille who are atop of the table on four points take on 2024 champions Dunshaughlin, with Richie Kealy’s side on two points.

Anything less than a win for Dunshaughlin will likely see them crash out of the Championship but even a win might not be enough after their seven point loss to Donaghmore/Ashbourne two weeks ago, with a mini league between them, Gaeil Colmcille and Donaghmore/Ashbourne likely to come into play should Dunshaughlin defeat the Kells side.

Gaeil Colmcille have benefitted from an influx of youth in recent seasons with the likes of Rian Early, John Gormley, Ajay Tormey and Andrew Gormely coming through from their underage system and these young gunslingers have been supplemented by the impressive Conor Óg Ferguson and Charlie Twomey this year.

These youngsters are playing with no fear and have helped give a new lease of life to some of the more experienced members of the panel.

Dunshaughlin have their backs to the wall for this game and they have the talent to pick up a win but having lost key leaders to injury, have they got the depth to progress?

In the Coolrite Junior B Football Championship, Cortown and Clonard have a shootout in Ballivor to see who tops Group A, with Cortown having the advantage of knowing a draw would suffice for them.

The picture is not as clearcut in Group B where Moynalty are not fully out of the equation despite not picking up a win to date.  They know that a massive win over Drumconrath will be needed, coupled with Kilmainhamwood defeating Kilmainham by a large margin.  It’s unlikely, but not impossible.

Sunday Fixtures

Fairyhouse Steel Senior Football Championship

Group A Round 3 Fixtures & Team News

Summerhill vs Rathkenny.  14:00.  Venue:  Walterstown.

St. Peter’s Dunboyne vs Kilbride.  14:00.  Venue:  Ashbourne.

Group D Round 3 Fixtures & Team News

Dunshaughlin vs Gaeil Colmcille.  16:00.  Venue:  Devenish Park, Dunganny.

Donaghmore/Ashbourne vs Simonstown Gaels.  16:00.  Venue:  Skryne

Coolrite Junior B Football Championship

Group A Round 3 Fixtures & Team News

Boardsmill vs Eastern Gaels.  11:00.  Venue:  Dunderry.

Cortown vs Clonard.  11:00.  Venue:  Ballivor.

Group B Round 3 Fixtures & Team News

Kilmainhamwood vs Kilmainham.  11:00.  Venue:  Castletown.

Moynalty vs Drumconrath.  11:00.  Venue:  Kilmainhamwood

Friday’s Results