Senior Football League Division 1 final to be decided
Naas and Sarsfields will be many people's fancy to progress through this weekend's Senior Football League Division 1 semi-finals but Maynooth and Sallins will hope to cause an upset Photo: Sean Brilly
The Hanlon Concrete Senior Football League is reaching its conclusion over the coming weeks with Caragh and Cappagh having already secured the Division 3 and 4 titles respectively. This weekend two mouth-watering Division 1 finals are down for decision while the Division 2 title is also on the line in Hawkfield. RICHARD COMMINS previews the action. All games are in Manguard Park.
When Intermediate side Sallins lost four of their opening five games in this year’s competition, few would have envisaged them laying claim to a semi-final place at the end of the campaign. But Jonathan Daniels has steered a remarkable turnaround with six successive wins sealing their place in the top four.
Even without county starlet Colm Dalton, Sallins have looked the same enterprising, attacking outfit that has impressed in the championship the last few years without quite finding the consistency to take Intermediate honours. In the likes of James Dalton, Brian Grimes and Jamie Cox they have experienced campaigners well able to find the target.
One of Sallins defeats came against Sarsfields in their first game, but they ran the eventual table-toppers to four points in that one.
Sarsfields look to be improving in Vinny Walsh’s second year with the Ryan brothers Daragh and Ryan in flying form. The latter has turned into something of a goal machine this year, perhaps benefitting from a break from county activity.
The Sash only lost once, to Raheens, and drew with Maynooth in an otherwise unblemished campaign and they will rightly be warmly fancied to deny Sallins a first Division 1 final appearance.
It’s been a disrupted year for four-in-a-row champions Naas but, like Sallins, they finished strongly, with new manager Philly McMahon on board in time to see them clinch their top four spot with a five-goal hammering of St Laurence’s in the final round.
Maynooth, meanwhile, roared out of the blocks with wins over Naas and Athy on the way to a second place finish and a draw with Sarsfields in the later rounds marked them out as a team to be reckoned with after a disappointing championship campaign last year.
Neil Flynn was back in action for them in their final game and it will be interesting to see if the returning traveller is involved on Sunday given his potential involvement in the Tailteann Cup final the following week.
Similar to Naas, though, Maynooth have had a change of manager with ex-Moorefield man Ross Glavin taking charge after Declan McCabe stepped away for personal reasons recently.
A recent return to something like their best form makes Naas slight favourites despite Maynooth’s consistent campaign.
Upwardly mobile Milltown secured Division 1 status for the first time in 137 years with a four-goal salvo against relegated Clogherinkoe in their final round robin game and they’ll hope to cap their campaign with a win over senior outfit Johnstownbridge in Saturday’s final.
2023 Junior Champions Milltown acquitted themselves impressively in Intermediate ranks last year and with a crop of maturing youngsters they’ll certainly put it up to the ‘Bridge. Their opponents will, however, hope to repeat their opening round thirteen point victory over Saturday’s opponents.
Expect a closer affair this time around.
