Cormac Leonard Armagh Senior Football Championship Group A, round three: Silverbridge v Killeavy (5.15pm)
A TURBULENT few days for Killeavy began with a 14-point loss to Cullyhanna which was followed by the exit of manager Niall McAleenan, the entry of Stevie McDonnell and then a nine-point win against Culloville.
The club had lost eight times in a disappointing league campaign and that first round championship hammering was the end of the road for McAleenan who guided Granemore to the Orchard County decider in 2022 having taken Warrenpoint to the Down final in 2019.
The Warrenpoint native was without a number of players who had gone travelling for the summer and then lost Armagh start Conor O’Neill to injury. After the loss to last year’s All-Ireland intermediate champions he decided enough was enough and Killeavy were fortunate that club legend McDonnell was available to take the reins at short notice.
The 2002 All-Ireland-winner still had to have an interview before he was appointed but the former Armagh U21, Burren and Clonoe manager steadied the ship and his native club beat Danny Hughes’s Culloville by nine points in his first game last weekend.
“There has been issues but, from my point of view, the players have to play football and concentrate on that and that alone,” said McDonnell.
“If they can do that then they’ll be a much better team. We have everyone back now and everyone started on a clean slate from when I went in. There were a few issues that had to be raised and the players had to be made aware of them.
“To be fair, since we went in the attitude has changed and the boys are putting their head down and working hard and that’s all we can ask of them – we can’t really judge on what went before because we weren’t part of it.
" We were happy with our first game in charge. We got a bounce off the players last week (against Culloville). They reacted well after a difficult week for the club and they put in a solid shift which was a big improvement on the week before against Cullyhanna.
“If they’re prepared to take to the field and work hard then certainly everything will fall into place.”
On Sunday evening McDonnell’s Killeavy travel to Silverbridge Harps in what looks like a play-off for second place which means a potentially easier draw (against a third-placed team from another group) in the first knockout round.
Silverbridge beat Culloville in their opener, then drew with Cullyhanna in round two and they have an outside chance of topping the group should Culloville do them a favour in the other game this weekend.
“Silverbridge had a very good league campaign and they’re the top seed in our group,” McDonnell explained.
“It’ll be a difficult game. Silverbridge is never an easy place to go but there has been very little between us and them in recent times and I expect that to be the case on Sunday evening. “Hopefully we get a bounce off last weekend’s performance and the confidence levels will be a wee bit higher and if that happens I feel we will be a match for Silverbridge.
“But they have been more consistent in their performances this year and they’ve been grinding out wins. They’ll feel they should have beat Cullyhanna last weekend – they got off to a great start (1-4 to no score) so we’ll have our work cut out but I’ve no doubt that if our lads turn up they’ll be a match for Silverbridge.”
Saturday
Group D, round three: Armagh Harps v Dromintee (Abbey Park, 5pm)
IT’S top (Harps) against bottom side Dromintee in the Cathedral City on Saturday night. Pascal Canavan’s men have won two out of two and can book their passage straight to the quarter-final stage with victory over Dromintee who were pipped at the post by Ballymacnab in their opener but then well beaten by Mullaghbawn last weekend.
A reaction is expected from Kiern Quinn’s men but even if they slip up the Harps’ head-to-head record should see them top the group.
Sunday
Group A, round three: Culloville Blues v St Patrick’s, Cullyhanna (5.15pm)
AFTER a commanding victory over Killeavy, Cullyhanna were brought back down to earth somewhat against Silverbridge in round two. The Harps raced into a seven-point lead but Cullyhanna proved their mettle by clawing their way back into the game and they salvaged a draw thanks to an eye-of-the-needle finish from Aidan Nugent at the death.
Group B, round 2: Sarsfields v Crossmaglen Rangers (3pm)
THE untimely and tragic passing of Caolan Finnegan meant this game was postponed last weekend. The former team-mates and friends of popular ‘Stringer’ will somehow have to find the energy for football once again and you can only imagine how difficult that will be for them.
Both teams lost their openers. Rian O’Neill missed a penalty and was later red-carded as reigning champions Cross fell short against Clan na Gael in Lurgan. Meanwhile, Sarsfields lost by six points against Granemore.
