Newbridge derby the highlight of SFC preliminary round

THE Joe Mallon Motors Senior Football Championship begins on Friday evening. After this round of games, the 8 winners will be place into two groups and the eight losers into another two groups. The draws for those groups will take place on Monday evening at 6.30pm.

Richard Commins takes a game-by-game look at the preliminary round of this year's Championship. 

MOOREFIELD V SARSFIELDS 

Where and When? Manguard Park Pitch 1, Friday 8pm 

MOOREFIELD - Manager: Frank Hannify 

SFC Titles: 10 (last in 2018) 

SFC Odds: 25/1 

Five Year Record:2019 Runners-Up,  2020 Runners-Up, 2021 Third in Group, 2022 Prelim Quarter-Final, 2023 Quarter-Final.

SARSFIELDS - Manager: Vinny Walsh 

SFC Titles: 25 (last in 2019)* including titles won as Roseberry
SFC Odds: 6/1 (2nd Fav) Five Year Record: 2019 Winners, 2020 Semi-Final, 2021 Runners-Up, 2022 Quarter-Final, 2023 Quarter-Final 

Moorefield’s rebuild goes on after the glory years, with Frank Hannify now in charge of a largely young team that Ger Brennan struggled to restore to their former powers last year. They had an inconsistent league campaign, finishing ninth in Division 1 and will rightly be underdogs in what is for many people the tie of the weekend on Friday night. Evan O’Brien in attack impressed in the couple of games I saw.

It shouldn’t be forgotten that Moorefield won the League encounter between the two Newbridge rivals (1-8 to 0-10) and this may be a lot closer than their respective League positions would suggest (Sarsfields were runners-up to Naas). That said, with the experienced Vinny Walsh now at the helm after his move from Athy, Sash would seem to have the greater depth of talent and fire power. They will need Ben McCormack and Barry Coffey to fire however, something they failed to do in that League decider against Naas.

VERDICT: Sarsfields

ALLENWOOD V KILCOCK 

Where and When? Manguard Park Pitch 1, Saturday 1pm 

ALLENWOOD - Manager: Noel Mooney 

SFC Titles: 1 (2004) 

SFC Odds: 80/1 Five Year Record:2019 IFC Quarter-Final, 2020 IFC Quarter-Final, 2021 IFC Quarter-Final, 2022 IFC Quarter-Final, 2023 IFC Winners 

KILCOCK - Manager: Declan Gibbons 

SFC Titles: 5 (last in 1958) 

SFC Odds: 100/1 

Five Year Record:

2019 IFC Quarter-Final 2020 IFC Runners-Up 2021 IFC Winners 2022 Third in Group 2023 Third in Group

Most of the focus will be on Allenwood coming into this one. Having added the Division 2 title to their Kildare and Leinster Intermediate trophies, the Sky Blues are flying. Senior is a big step up for a team who have been away since relegation in 2017 but their potent mix of experience (Johnny Doyle starts his 30th championship campaign having joined the panel in 1995) and youth (with exciting forward Joey Cunningham starting to impress in attack). But they’ll miss Darragh Malone (away) and Johnny Byrne (injured).

Kilcock looked in relegation trouble last year before a fine win over Ballyteague in their final group game saved them and few will expect them to reach the knockout stages. They finished third in Division 2 so are in decent form as well and will be targeting this game as an opportunity to secure top-flight survival early on this year. Shane Farrell will be hoping to continue his fine inter-county form. This could be a tight one, but we’ll side with the form team.

VERDICT: Allenwood

ATHY V MAYNOOTH 

Where and When? Manguard Park Pitch 1, Saturday 2.30pm 

ATHY-Managers: Brian Kelly/Mick Lillis 

SFC Titles: 7 (last in 2020) 

SFC Odds: 9/1 

Five Year Record: 2019 Semi-Final, 2020 Winners, 2021 Quarter-Final, 2022 Semi-Final, 2023 Semi-Final 

MAYNOOTH - Manager: Declan McCabe 

SFC Titles: 2 (last in 1913) 

SFC Odds: 25/1 

Five Year Record: 2019 Quarter-Final, 2020 Fourth in Group, 2021 Semi-Final, 2022 Fourth in Group, 2023 Fourth in Group

Some might suggest that Athy have gone backwards. Certainly 2024 may be a year for a re-set after the departure of manager Vinny Walsh and with the Hylands gone traveling. Pascal Connell has been out of the picture as well during the League. And yet, they still have Kevin Feely, the Kellys, James McGrath and plenty of other solid campaigners. They did finish second in the Division 1 table it’s worth remembering as well. They seem well-organised and well-coached to me.

Both in football and hurling, Maynooth haven’t quite managed to translate underage success into tangible senior reward and with Neil Flynn away they still look a little weak in terms of depth. But Fionn Ó Giolláin has been in good form and Paddy Mahoney is a dangerous forward. They were a solid mid-table in Division 1 and should run Athy close but probably without reward.

VERDICT: Athy

CLOGHERINKOE V ST LAURENCE’S

Where and When? Manguard Park Pitch 1, Saturday 4pm 

CLOGHERINKOE- Manager: Mark Murnaghan 

SFC Titles: None 

SFC Odds: 50/1 

Five Year Record: 2019 IFC Semi-Final, 2020 IFC Winners, 2021 Fourth in Group, 2022 Quarter-Final, 2023 Prelim Quarter-Final 

ST LAURENCE’S - Manager: Pat Ryan 

SFC Titles: 1 (2009) 

SFC Odds: 50/1 

Five Year Record: 2019 Prelim Quarter-Final, 2020 Third in Group, 2021 Quarter-Final, 2022 Prelim Quarter-Final, 2023 Fourth in Group.

A repeat of their meeting at the same stage last year and Clogherinkoe’s win that day set them up for a progressive championship in the winners’ section where they had a memorable local derby win over Carbury before bowing out to Moorefield in a Preliminary Quarter-Final. But as any team would, they were highly reliant on the brilliance of Jack Robinson and with him now overseas it could be an opportunity for St Laurence’s to gain revenge.

While Clogherinkoe finished in sixth in a tight Division 2, Larries won promotion from the same division and played their part in a fine final against Allenwood before succumbing by two points. Felix Lawlor, Tom Dooley and Senan Murphy stood out in that game and Larries might just have enough in their locker to gain revenge for last year’s reversal. That would be huge progress having escaped the drop last year with a relegation final win over Ballyteague.

VERDICT: St Laurence’s

CLANE V EADESTOWN 

Where and When? Manguard Park Pitch 1, Saturday 6pm 

CLANE- Manager: Tom Cribbin 

SFC Titles: 17 (Last in 1997) 

SFC Odds: 9/1 Five Year Record: 2019 Quarter-Final, 2020 Quarter-Final, 2021 Prelim Quarter-Final, 2022 Runners-Up, 2023 Semi-Final 

EADESTOWN - Manager: Emmet Bolton 

SFC Titles: 1 (1970) 

SFC Odds: 66/1 

Five Year Record: 2019 Third in Group, 2020 Fourth in Group, 2021 Fourth in Group, 2022 Quarter-Final, 2023 Prelim Quarter-Final Looking at League standings, bookies odds, talent available etc., this should only go one way, with Tom Cribbin’s Clane coming out on top. But Eadestown are a team that seem to reserve their best for the Championship, having reached the knockout rounds in the last two years before losing out to Saturday’s opponents in 2022 and Sarsfields last year.

Clane finished fourth in Division 1 before disappointing against Naas in the last four and they are perhaps still suffering a hangover from their county final performance two years ago. Arguably they over-achieved in reaching that final and have struggled to reach the same heights. But they remain an outstandingly gifted team when they get all their players on the pitch and should have too much for an Eadestown side who finished seventh in Division 2 under club legend Emmet Bolton.

VERDICT: Clane 

CELBRIDGE V RAHEENS 

Where and When? Conneff Park Clane, Sunday 4pm.

CELBRIDGE - Manager: Micheál McDermott 

SFC Titles: 1 (2008) 

SFC Odds: 5/1 

Five Year Record: 2019 Semi-Final, 2020 Semi-Final, 2021 Semi-Final, 2022 Semi-Final, 2023 Runners-Up 

RAHEENS - Manager: Alan Cullagh 

SFC Titles: 10 (last in 1981) 

SFC Odds: 33/1 Five Year Record: 2019 Fourth in Group, 2020 Quarter-Final, 2021 Quarter-Final, 2022 Fourth in Group, 2023 Quarter-Final 

A repeat of last year’s Quarter Final which Celbridge won comfortably by thirteen points. Many will write Celbridge off having failed to take Naas in a close finish in last year’s decider and they unfortunately carry the tag of the county’s great underachievers. One look at their five-year record will tell you why. A mid-table league campaign did little to suggest anything different this time. They still have a good blend of youth and experience and the likes of Aaron Browne and Dean O’Donoghue are ones to watch.

Raheens have flattered to deceive themselves in recent years, winning a Senior League in 2021 but failing to back it up in Championship. They performed well in finishing fifth in Division 1 this time around but, despite the blossoming talents of Fionn Cooke, Niall Dolan and Dara Crowley, it would still be a surprise if they turned last year’s result around.

VERDICT: Celbridge 

CARBURY V CONFEY 

Where and When? Manguard Park Pitch 1, Sunday 3.30pm 

CARBURY - Manager: Colin Canny 

SFC Titles: 11 (Last in 1985) 

SFC Odds: 40/1 

Five Year Record: 2019 Prelim Quarter-Final, 2020 Third in Group, 2021 Quarter-Final, 2022 Third in Group, 2023 Fourth in Group 

CONFEY - Managers: Hugh Lynch/Kieran O’Neill 

SFC Titles: None 

SFC Odds: 150/1 

Five Year Record:2019 Quarter-Final, 2020 Fourth in Group, 2021 Third in Group, 2022 Fourth in Group, 2023 Third in Group If you could bottle whatever Confey concoct up at Cope Bridge you’d be on to something. Favourites for relegation in both codes every year it seems, they just turn up and get down to the tricky business of winning matches and surviving. Their hurlers are already safe this year and now the footballers enter another campaign where the bookies have them as their relegation pick.

A fifth place finish in Division 2, just one point behind Larries in second and three ahead of Carbury, suggests Confey are still defying the odds. With Aaron O’Neill injured, Carbury will look to Eoin Cully, the talented forward who came back from injury too late to feature much for the county under-20’s.

Confey won the League meeting though that was back in March. Without a huge amount of conviction, we’ll plump for Carbury this time but don’t be at all surprised to see Confey in senior again next year.

VERDICT: Carbury 

JOHNSTOWNBRIDGE V NAAS 

Where and When? Manguard Park Pitch 1, Sunday 5.30pm 

JOHNSTOWNBRIDGE - Manager: Paddy O’Donoghue 

SFC Titles: 3 (last in 1989) 

SFC Odds: 33/1 

Five Year Record: 2019 Quarter-Final, 2020 Quarter-Final, 2021 Fourth in Group, 2022 Quarter-Final, 2023 Quarter-Final 

NAAS - Manager: Joe Murphy 

SFC Titles: 11 (holders) 

SFC Odds: 4/6 Favs 

Five Year Record: 2019 Fourth in Group, 2020 Third in Group, 2021 Winners, 2022 Winners, 2023 Winners 

Naas are aiming for a fourth title in a row, not achieved since Roseberry put seven back-to-back between 1904 and 1910 and it would take a brave pundit to back against them achieving it. This pundit certainly isn’t brave enough. There was nothing in their third successive SFL title-winning campaign to suggest any reduction in their powers or their determination and, if anything, they are stronger than ever considering the players who didn’t see game time in the League.

Johnstownbridge are having a difficult 2024 to put it mildly. Relegated from Division 1 with ten defeats in eleven games and with Sam Doran and Luke Flynn away and Seán O’Haire now trying his luck as a kicker in US College Football with the University of Richmond, they look set to struggle. The sides met in the Quarter Final last year with Naas winning 1-12 to 3-3 but it’s unlikely to be as close this time.

VERDICT: Naas