Park-Ratheniska back in Leinster Club action while U-20 Football semi-final set for Stradbally

Saturday's GAA action sees only two games down for decision as Laois IFC champions Park-Ratheniska get their AIB Leinster Club Intermediate Football Championship campaign underway with a tricky away trip to Hunterstown Rovers (Louth), seven weeks after winning the championship.

Closer to home, Stradbally Parish Gaels and Na Fianna Og meet in Bill Delaney Park for the first of this year's Laois U-20 Football Championship semi-finals.

AIB Leinster Club Intermediate Football Championship Quarter-Final
Park-Ratheniska (Laois) vs Hunterstown Rovers (Louth) in Stabannon Parnells at 1.30pm

Park-Ratheniska return to provincial action seven weeks on from their Laois IFC triumph over Arles-Kilcruise, and they arrive with both experience and unfinished business in Leinster.

The club has recent pedigree at this level. In 2021, they opened their campaign impressively with a 1-16 to 1-3 win over Carlow’s Naomh Eoin before falling in the quarter-final to Crossabeg-Ballymurn.

Their strongest memory in Leinster still dates back to 2006, when current manager Johnny Nevin struck the decisive goal to win the Leinster Junior title against Meath’s St Ultan’s.

They’ll need every ounce of that provincial know-how this weekend, as Hunterstown Rovers come into the last eight in sizzling form. The Louth champions obliterated Hollywood (Wicklow) in Round 1, hitting 4-17 and conceding just 2-7. 

What’s next?

The winners will advance to a Leinster semi-final against either Tubberclair (Westmeath) or St Martin’s (Wexford), who meet earlier on Saturday at 1pm in Breedon Kevin Molloy Park.

Laois U-20 Football Championship Semi-Final
Stradbally Parish Gaels vs Na Fianna Og in Stradbally GAA at 3pm

The U-20 championship moves into its business end with a clash of two amalgamations that have been among the most consistent in this grade in recent years.

Stradbally Parish Gaels, last year’s champions, were nothing short of ruthless in Group B. Their campaign opened with a blistering 6-13 to 0-10 demolition of Mountmellick Parish Gaels. They then swept aside Ballylinan 2-18 to 0-8 before closing out the group with a defensively rock-solid 0-11 to 1-1 win over Killeshin. 

Na Fianna Og, an amalgamation of Barrowhouse, Arles-Kilcruise and Arles-Killeen, came through Group A with two wins from three. They beat St Joseph’s and Portlaoise, with their only loss coming to group winners Portarlington in a rearranged Round 1 tie.

What’s next?

The winners will face either Portarlington or Killeshin in the U-20 final. That other semi-final takes place on Saturday, November 22, due to Portarlington’s involvement in the Leinster Club Senior quarter-final on Sunday against Louth’s Naomh Mairtín.