Lots still to be decided in final round of SFC group games
Sarsfield's Ben Loakman Photo: Sean Brilly
It's the final round of group games in the Joe Mallon Motors Senior Football Championship and while Naas have rubberstamped their position as strong favourites to win a fourth successive title there's still much to be decided across the four groups. RICHARD COMMINS takes a look through the various permutations.
Many are writing off Sarsfields as challengers to Naas’ crown, favouring instead the challenges of Celbridge and Athy, who played out that thriller two weeks ago. Sarsfields didn’t raise much of a gallop against Joe Murphy’s side in the SFL final and they’ve carried that unimpressive form into the championship.
Under new manager Vinny Walsh they were comfortable enough in beating Moorefield in the preliminary round, but some felt they were lucky to come out of the first group game with Eadestown with a draw, and they needed two second half Karl Hartley goals to put Confey to bed in their second game.
But Sash are guaranteed a knock-out game, whether they beat Naas or not, with three points in the bag, and you’d imagine they’ll strengthen if they can get over a couple of knock-out rounds. It’s hard to see them beating Naas, though. The champions look as strong as ever even if Eadestown gave them a good run for their money before losing by six the last day.
Eadestown will fancy themselves to beat Confey and that will more than likely draw them level on three points with Sarsfields. As they drew their game, the head-to-head won’t apply, and it will boil down to overall scoring difference over their three games to see who goes through to the last eight and who has to settle for the Preliminary Quarter Finals.
Sarsfields currently have thirteen points to spare over Eadestown on that measure but it’s not beyond the bounds of possibility that the position reverses after their respective games at the weekend.
Of course, a win for Confey would throw the cat among the pigeons, qualifying them for the Preliminary Quarter Finals with Sarsfields and Naas progressing to the Quarters and Eadestown out of contention.
Celbridge and Athy served up arguably the game of the group stages in the last round. The Dublin border side appear to have recovered from the trauma of last year’s county final defeat and have the usual array of riches on the field, even with Paddy Brophy and Kevin O’Callaghan out with injury.
The two Brownes and Dean O’Donoghue are leading the charge for the younger brigade, Tony Archbold is flying, and Mick O’Grady remains one of the best footballers in the county from his midfield berth.
They edged Athy out by a single point and even a draw against Clogherinkoe will guarantee them top spot. The Cloghs have again defied expectations. They ran Athy to just two points and hammered Allenwood by fourteen points with Aedan Boyle and Céin McMonagle among the goals, so Celbridge have been duly warned.
Despite the loss of the unfortunate Mark Grehan, who suffered a second serious knee injury in the space of a year, expect Cloghs to be competitive again, but you couldn’t bet against Celbridge topping the group with a third win, even with Kevin Flynn unlikely to appear after a hamstring injury last time out.
Allenwood face Athy and it’s hard to escape the idea that Johnny Doyle & Co have mentally relaxed a little after securing a second year in Senior by winning their Preliminary tie. They’ve taken a pounding against Celbridge and Clogherinkoe and Athy look like the sort of fluent, attacking team who can inflict more pain.
Athy too were hit with a huge injury blow against Celbridge with Kevin Feely limping off in the first half. Again, it seemed to be the dreaded hamstring, and it sounds doubtful he would be available for this one.
It looks like Celbridge to top the group with Athy also into the Quarter Finals and Clogherinkoe into the Preliminary Quarter Finals.
With Raheens and Johnstownbridge on 100% records at the top of the Group, they will be playing for the right to enter the knockout stages at the Quarter Final stage rather than the Preliminary stage. A draw will suffice for Raheens but ‘Bridge would need to win to top the group.
Raheens look best placed to do that after cutting St Laurence’s to shreds with a seven-goal haul the last day. Gavin Thompson, Paddy Woodgate and Jack Taaffe proved unmarkable, and midfielder Dara Crowley is shaping up to be a player Brian Flanagan may be calling upon.
Johnstownbridge gave a Jekyll and Hyde performance against neighbours Carbury. Their poor shooting enabled Carbury to come back in the last quarter and they almost stole it.
When this writer described Mark Murnaghan as the Carbury manager in a match report last week (must do better) he was quick to point out that he was in fact over Clogherinkoe. I’m sure that wasn’t a slight on their neighbours but there’s no doubt the eleven times champions are in a bit of a hole as they face into a winner-takes-all final day showdown with St Laurence’s.
A proud stretch of 93 years at senior level hangs in the balance in their centenary year.
They face a St Laurence’s side who are, possibly, in a deeper rut, having lost twice while shipping seven goals against a rampant Raheens, a result which triggered a parting of ways with manager Pat Ryan.
Carbury only need a draw to survive, thanks to their better scoring difference, and they at least showed a bit of fight late on the last day. Larries would have to do a lot better on Eoin Cully than they did against Raheens’ forwards. It looks like Carbury might do enough to escape and send Larries into a second relegation play-off in succession.
This Losers’ group could test out the mathematicians on the sideline. If Clane were to get the better of Moorefield, and they’d have been fancied to do so at the start of the championship, whatever about now, and Maynooth beat Kilcock, then we’ll have a four-way tie at the top with Kilcock consigned to the relegation final.
In that circumstance, scoring difference will separate the three tied teams with one going through to the Quarter Finals, one into the Preliminary Round and the odd one out’s season ending.
Results against Kilcock would be excluded in calculating scoring difference in that scenario.
Of course, if Clane’s difficulties continue (they collapsed inexplicably against Eadestown in the Preliminary Round and Maynooth last time out), then Moorefield will feel their progressive season can continue. A draw would guarantee them the last eight spot.
We’ve a feeling Clane will put a difficult couple of weeks, which included the passing of Tom Cribbin’s mother, Anne, behind them and eke out a win, so get those calculators ready. They’ll hope to have Brian McLoughlin available after departing with injury against Maynooth but the return of Adam Fanning and Cian Shanahan from travels have been a welcome boost.
Maynooth have been unfortunate to lose two of their three games to date, but they pulled it out of the fire in the second half the last day against Clane to keep their season alive and you’d fancy them, with Cathal McCabe in flying form, to beat neighbours Kilcock, who are struggling without the injured Shane Farrell and have lost their two group games by a combined 25 points.
Venue: Manguard Park Pitch 1, Carbury V St. Laurence's 16:00, Referee: Conor Daly
Venue: Clane, Celbridge V Clogherinkoe 18:00, Referee: Kieran Harris
Venue: Manguard Park Pitch 1, Athy V Allenwood 18:00, Referee: Ken Doyle
Venue: Clane, Johnstownbridge V Raheens 14:00, Referee: Fergus Devereux
Venue: Rathcoffey, Confey V Eadestown 16:00, Referee: Alan Lagrue
Venue: Manguard Park Pitch 1, Sarsfields V Naas 16:00, Referee: Billy O Connell
Venue: Leixlip, Kilcock V Maynooth 18:00, Referee: Colm Kearney
Venue: Manguard Park Pitch 1, Moorefield V Clane 18:00, Referee: Henry Barrett
