Key factors to watch in this weekend's IFC final between Milltown and Suncroft

The National Electrical Wholesalers IFC final is just days away and the Hugh Campion Cup will be wrapped in green and red regardless of the result. Milltown and Suncroft do battle in this year’s decider at 4pm on Sunday, October 18 in Cedral St Conleth’s Park and here are the key aspects of this game to watch out for.

Goals and goalkeepers

Omar Dunne is a towering presence between the Milltown sticks but the Suncroft backline (Arthur Bailey, Danny Morgan, Jack Setright) and goalkeeper Ciaran Troy have been one of their side’s key strengths in this exceptional championship run. The Croft have not conceded more than one goal in an IFC game in 2026 and have only conceded two in total in their five championship outings. That defensive record alongside Troy’s pin-point distribution off the tee means Suncroft have a brilliant base to work from in this game.

Milltown in theory have the ideal foil to that stellar defensive record with a swashbuckling attacking unit which have managed 14 goals in their five outings, averaging just below three per game (2.8). Alan Dignam and Paddy Donoghue have been the threats in chief but ball-carriers from deep like Liam Kelly and Hugh Hamilton have also caused significant problems for defence’s. More diligent work from the Suncroft wing-back line, which has received plenty of credit in this year’s reporting, will be needed here.

The middle

Who Ciaran Troy is aiming at is the next topic of discussion and Suncroft have a tendency to rotate their key men around the middle with Fionn Dowling and Conn Kehoe equally likely to be battling Conor Sheerin and Joe Dunne in the air.

The Milltown pair have been an enormous asset this year and both have a tendency to pop up with scores from deeper too. Conn Kehoe has been in brilliant scoring form himself in both football and hurling, thankfully for The Croft he came through Moorefield’s Intermediate Hurling Championship semi-final defeat to Naas on Tuesday unscathed. It will be fascinating to see where Kehoe takes up position in the main in this final and it may end up being full-back Cian Buckley’s responsibility to match him.

Dunne has been the standout for Milltown in these battles but Fionn Dowling drifting around the middle as he so often does from restarts will be a huge test for the widely-praised young midfielder.

Variables

There are a litany of other factors that go into a final which range from tactical to psychological and make this an unpredictable contest. The poll done on the Leinster Leader and Kildare Now currently states that 62% of fans voted in favour of Milltown for victory. The bookies have the 2023 Leinster Junior champions as heavy favourites but there is nobody in Milltown convinced by that nor anyone in Suncroft worried about it.

For Suncroft, it is too late to start doubting what is possible ahead of their first IFC final since success in ‘07 and for Milltown it is time to show the fruits of their labour from recent contendership as they try to win their club’s first Intermediate championship in 54 years and only second ever.