Armagh Club football & hurling

[general_lee]

Football semi final info

ALL TO BE PLAYED AT ATHLETIC GROUNDS

Sat 4th Oct
4pm - Middletown v An Port Mor (Junior)
6.15pm - Grange v Sarsfields (Intermediate)

Sun 5th Oct
3pm - Clonmore v Corrinshego (Junior)
5.15pm - St Paul's v Shane O'Neill's (Intermediate)

Fri 10th Oct
7.30pm Clann Eireann v Madden (Senior)

Sat 11th Oct
6pm Crossmaglen v Cullyhanna (Senior)

Expect them all to be very close games.

Going for APM based solely on momentum from the league plus they won a tight encounter in the QFs, as a dual club Middletown always have a distraction in the background. Clonmore haven't tasted defeat since May and will be brimming with confidence, I expect them to edge Corringshego.

Intermediate I am going for Sarsfields and Shane's. By all accounts Keady were unlucky in the QF but Sarsfields again have momentum and coming through a tie like will stand to them. Shane's/St Paul's will be a clinker, both are real championship teams and very difficult to beat at this level. I just have a feel about Shane's but a game I'm really looking forward to.

At senior level I think it will be a Clann Eireann Cross final. Cullyhanna are good enough to beat Cross and got a bit of a boot up the hole off St Peter's which will do them the world of good, but I expect Cross to grind it out. Madden again are good enough to beat Clann Eireann in the other semi but I expect Clann Eireann to do just enough to get over the line

[ranch]

Football semi final info

ALL TO BE PLAYED AT ATHLETIC GROUNDS

Sat 4th Oct
4pm - Middletown v An Port Mor (Junior)
6.15pm - Grange v Sarsfields (Intermediate)

Sun 5th Oct
3pm - Clonmore v Corrinshego (Junior)
5.15pm - St Paul's v Shane O'Neill's (Intermediate)

Fri 10th Oct
7.30pm Clann Eireann v Madden (Senior)

Sat 11th Oct
6pm Crossmaglen v Cullyhanna (Senior)

Expect them all to be very close games.

Going for APM based solely on momentum from the league plus they won a tight encounter in the QFs, as a dual club Middletown always have a distraction in the background. Clonmore haven't tasted defeat since May and will be brimming with confidence, I expect them to edge Corringshego.

Intermediate I am going for Sarsfields and Shane's. By all accounts Keady were unlucky in the QF but Sarsfields again have momentum and coming through a tie like will stand to them. Shane's/St Paul's will be a clinker, both are real championship teams and very difficult to beat at this level. I just have a feel about Shane's but a game I'm really looking forward to.

At senior level I think it will be a Clann Eireann Cross final. Cullyhanna are good enough to beat Cross and got a bit of a boot up the hole off St Peter's which will do them the world of good, but I expect Cross to grind it out. Madden again are good enough to beat Clann Eireann in the other semi but I expect Clann Eireann to do just enough to get over the line

Pretty straightforward wins for Middletown in the junior and Sarsfields in the intermediate. I fancied Middletown strongly - I don't think the hurling hinders them too much, playing big games every week while other clubs are sitting around for 2/3 weeks does them no harm at all.
I thought Grange would have more in them to give Sarsfields a better game. They were poor in the QF against CE II but I thought that may have been a blip-Sarsfields were impressive though and will be hard to beat in the final.

Clonmore will be favourites to join Middletown in the junior final, but Corrinshego have found a bit of form in championship and might have a big result in them. St Paul's v Shane's should be a good game.

[ranch]

Clonmore won comfortably enough without having to really stretch themselves. Middletown will probably enter the final as favourites given the form they seem to have found.

St Paul's into another intermediate final after overcoming Shane's. I hope for their sake that they win it, it can't be easy having to keep coming back each year after losing so many finals.

[general_lee]

Both finals could go either way. I really underestimated Middletown but they were impressive winners v A Port Mór. Clonmore didn't let the favourites tags deter them in dispatching of Corringshego - should be a good final but I'm gonna tip Clonmore - last hurrah for some of their men?

The intermediate is a real 50/50 encounter but I reckon Sarsfields just edge it. For such a small club they've done well to stay competitive enough over the years at Senior and Intermediate. St Paul's are due a win though, and McConville on the line for them there's no better man to emulate their 2014 exploits. Should be a great final and won't be much in it either way.

[Mick Bustin]

Fair play to Madden last night, hope they go on and win it now. I think most people fancied CE including myself but they were second best last night. Ulster will have to wait for another year! Looking forward to another good game tonight and hopefully the underdog comes through

[lurganblue]

Amazing weekend of football. 2 shocks, but also I think everyone believed those results were possible. Delighted that either Madden or Cullyhanna will win their first senior.

I only got a chance to take in one game this weekend and it was the u21 game of the clans v pearse ógs. A seriously close game that was certainly let go by the ref.

[Munchie]

Hope Cuchulainns get over line today, Middletown probably be too strong in the Senior. I should of just camped in the Athletic Grounds this weekend.😁

[Armagh18]

Hope Cuchulainns get over line today, Middletown probably be too strong in the Senior. I should of just camped in the Athletic Grounds this weekend.😁

how many in a row are Middletown going for now?

Galvin will hardly be involved for Keady will he?

[Munchie]

They just done 7 in a row.

[Armagh18]

They just done 7 in a row.

Some going. I wonder how long it will take for them to get bored of it? Keady had a decent team a few years back got to the Ulster final I think the last time they won Armagh.

[Mick Bustin]

They just done 7 in a row.

Some going. I wonder how long it will take for them to get bored of it? Keady had a decent team a few years back got to the Ulster final I think the last time they won Armagh.

What way does the hurling work? Middletown into Ulster intermediate? Cuchulainns into Junior?

[Tony Baloney]

They just done 7 in a row.

Some going. I wonder how long it will take for them to get bored of it? Keady had a decent team a few years back got to the Ulster final I think the last time they won Armagh.

It is good going, but it would be nice to see a more competitive championship. Worth noting that Keady's win in 2018 broke a previous Middletown streak so it's really an Old Firm competition at this stage. I remember a period 10-15 years ago when Cuchulainns were making it a 3-way competition. Are they not coming through in big numbers?

[Rufus T Firefly]

It is good going, but it would be nice to see a more competitive championship. Worth noting that Keady's win in 2018 broke a previous Middletown streak so it's really an Old Firm competition at this stage. I remember a period 10-15 years ago when Cuchulainns were making it a 3-way competition. Are they not coming through in big numbers?

I was checking out the roll of honour yesterday and noted that when Cuchulainns won their 23rd Armagh Title in 1989, Keady had 8 titles and Middletown 3 titles. Cuchulainns won 6 titles in the 1960s, 7 in the 1970s and 6 in the 1980s. Since then, they have literally fallen off a cliff. Is it due to the increased commitment needed in terms of Club football? There's no doubt that the hurling does play second fiddle to the football in the City, but would love to see Cuchulainns rise again. 

[Munchie]

St Brigid's and Cuchulainns are somewhat disadvantaged by the lack of facilities.  My kids spent their training in Lisanally youth centre, St Brigid's school gym. St Patricks Grammar school gym, Pearse og park, sherries field, that dump Milford council owned playing fields, sessions were cancelled when said caretaker didn't turn up to open the facilities etc.  It's an awful shame as there is a huge appetite at underage for camogie and hurling in the town but they inevitably drift and in camogies case usually to Ballymacnab!

[Munchie]

They just done 7 in a row.

Some going. I wonder how long it will take for them to get bored of it? Keady had a decent team a few years back got to the Ulster final I think the last time they won Armagh.

What way does the hurling work? Middletown into Ulster intermediate? Cuchulainns into Junior?

Yes I believe so.