St Patrick’s Cullyhanna to advance

St Patrick’s (Armagh) v Greenlough (Derry), Athletic Grounds 2-30

St Patrick’s, Cullyhanna - the Armagh representatives - will be favourites to advance to the next round of the Ulster Club Intermediate championship when they entertain the Derry champions Greenlough at the Athletic Grounds on Sunday.

The Armagh champions made a less than impressive opening to their championship campaign with a one point win over now relegated third division one side Crossmaglen Seconds.  But as the campaign went on, the Armagh division one side got better and better reserving their best performance of the year for a 0-13 to 0-6 final victory over Culloville. The delay in this fixture is to facilitate St Pat’s powerhouse county man Ciaran McKeever come back from a very successful stint in Australia with the winning Ireland team in the International series. Ciaran along with former county panellist team captain Malachy Mackin have forged a tremendous midfield partnership that has propelled them to their first Intermediate title in 20 years. With Liam O’Hare, Eugene Casey, Shane McKeever, Paudie Mackin, Barry McConville and Kieran Hoey turning good possession into scores Pat’s have the ammunition up front to do the damage.

In the County Final the winners showed their mean streak in defence as they totally blotted out a much vaunted Culloville attack that had been scoring goals for fun. The half back line of Ciaran O’Hare, Paudie McCreesh and Niall McShane have been most impressive as a defensive as well as an offensive unit. Behind them Peter McKeever, Stephen Reel and Shane Lennon have been rock solid in front of goalkeeper Eamon McArdle.

Opponents Greenlough claimed their first Intermediate title in 32 years with a 4 point win over Ballymaguigan in a replayed final 1-10 to 0-9. The winners led at half time 1-08 to 0-2 and had to withstand a second half rally from their numerically reduced opponents who had a man sent off near the end of the first half.

The teams had drawn 0-8 apiece the first day as Greenlough led by a point 0-6 to 0-5 at half time but hit 14 wides in total in the match.

In the semi-final a county title looked a remote possibility as they trailed Claudy 0-7 to 0-3 but turned in a storming finish to win 1-9 to 0-10. A comfortable quarter final win was recorded over Foreglen 0-14 to 0-7 but that result did not look on the cards at the break with the teams going in level 0-4 each.

The Derry championship starts off with 4 groups of four each team playing three matches with the top two in each group qualifying for the quarter finals. Effectively Greenlough played 7 championship matches (8 including the replay) to annex the county title.

The Derry champions produced no fewer that 11 different scorers for their tally of 2-41 since the quarter final. Cormac O’Neill 0-17, Enda Lynn 1-7, Seamus Graham 0-5, Seamus Graham, Sean Mullan and John Og McPeake 0-3 each, Ciaran McCallion 1-0, Thomas McCann 0-2 and 0-1 each for Paul Downey

Fintan Kelly, Brian McCallion and Kevin McCann. Indeed the full-forward line includes the deadly duo of Enda Lynn and Cormac O’Neill who have accumulated 4-46 between them over the 7 championship games, 7 points of which came in the final.

The St Pat’s defence will have to be on their toes to keep the tabs on those two danger men. Midfielder with the high fielding Niall Bradley and the hard working Paul Downey will certainly put it up to Mackin and McKeever.

The McCann brothers Kevin in the centre and Thomas on the wing are joined by team captain Martin Carey in a half back line that is very suspect and do not offer a lot going forward.

It will certainly be a very interesting tie but the more experienced Armagh champions should have enough to see off the challenge of their division three Derry opponents