Intermediate Championship Group 4 Preview: Dundalk Derby the key to progression

CTI BUSINESS SOLUTION INTERMEDIATE FOOTBALL CHAMPIONSHIP

GROUP 4

All Three teams here will fancy their chances of progressing to the knock out stages having avoided the teams that are probably a little higher up the pecking order in some people’s eyes. None of these three teams have made the semi-finals in the last two years.

It sees O’Connell’s paired with Sean O’Mahony’s and Clan na Gael and it is probably the Castlebellingham based team that will find it hardest to make the knockout stages in 2023.

O'CONNELL's

Last year was the O’Connell’s first year back in the second tier of Louth Football, after they lost out to Dundalk Gaels in the Senior Relegation Play Offs. 

With the drop they would’ve hoped to make an impact at this level, but instead they failed to pick up a victory. They ran into Roche Emmets first time out, a side that reached the semi-finals.

Yet Roche struggled to punch holes in a packed O’Connell’s defence, with the likes of David Hoey, the Byrne brothers, Conor Culligan and Andrew Keenan producing commendable shifts.

Up top they had Robbie Quigley in form and he finished the day with 10 points to his name. However it wasn’t enough, as Emmets eked out a narrow 1-17 to 1-15 victory.

They then met their championship opponents this weekend, Sean O’Mahony’s. On a wet day in Dowdallshill, the Quaysiders just showed that little bit more skill, their better handling and decision making helping them to a 0-10 to 0-5 win. Quigley accounted for four of those five O'Connell's efforts.

They will not be going into Sunday’s fixture in a rich vein of form, as their Division 2 campaign has been one they will be trying to forget.

They failed to register a single point and were relegated to Division 3A, having finished with a points difference of minus 254.

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SEAN O'MAHONY's

The Dundalk men started their championship season in 2022 with a loss to Roche too, this despite displaying a comeback early in the second half, an area of their game which has become a trait of this side in recent seasons.  In the end they still fell to a two-point defeat, 1-12 to 1-10.

As already mentioned above, they accounted for the men from the Grove during last year’s championship meeting. Cornerman Terry Kelly was his usual slippery self, but the heavy rain aided to that elusive nature of his. Going through numerous markers, the in-form attacker kicked five points from play, which amounted to half of O’Mahony’s final total.

That booked what has seemingly become an annual date with the Quarter-Finals, but that was a tie were they were easily defeated by Cooley. They found themselves trailing early, before the dismissal of Johnny Conolly shortly before half time ended any reals hopes they had of a comeback.

Looking to the league and having only just narrowly avoided relegation last year, the Point Road men had a more productive 2023. They finished second in Division 1B, two points behind Newtown Blues who topped 1B, having ended the league with seven wins, seven losses and two draws.

The likes of Thomas Rice, Terry Kelly and Ben Mclaughlin should offer enough firepower to overcome an out of sorts O’Connell’s, but Clan na Gael, whenever they face them is a different prospect. The Dundalk Derby will probably decide who tops the group.

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CLAN NA GAEL

In what looked at the time to be a big shock, the Clans began last year’s championship with a win over a highly fancied O’Raghallaighs.

Billy Smyth led the line that day, their patient approach to attacking paying off in spades as they frustrated the Drogheda men throughout to eventually eke out a well deserved 1-9 to 1-8 victory.  Defensively, they were solid too, pushing up on their markers and forcing mistakes.

They were made pay in round 2, 11 wides hurting their chances against St Kevin’s, who ran out 0-15 to 0-8 winners to top the group. This was again the case come the quarters, as they notched 12 wides in their defeat to Hunterstown.

Clan na Gael will have a strong league campaign to build on this year, having looked very competitive across most of their games in Division 2. Even setting the early pace at the top of the table, alongside their townie rival Dundalk Gaels.  

However, they didn’t really threaten the promotion stakes come the league split, having lost all five games afterwards to finish with an overall record of six wins, seven losses and three draws.

Billy Smyth, Conall McKeever, Paul Crewe and Robbie Curran are some of the names they will rely on as they hope to go beyond the quarter finals this year. If finding their best they are a match for both teams in this group.