Senior Football Championship: Group C: Maghery Seán MacDiarmada v Clann Eireann (Saturday, 7pm)
ALL-Ireland captain Aidan Forker returns to championship action as Maghery look to bounce back from their opening round disappointment against star-studded Clann Eireann on Saturday night.
A Ben Crealey point gave 2020 champions Maghery a one-point advantage with time almost up against Madden but a late goal from Aaron McKenna meant the Raparees went home with the points. 2021 champions Clann Eireann had no such drama as they coasted to a 10-point victory over neighbours St Peter’s.
Stefan Forker scored three points in Maghery’s near-miss and says Madden – who included Niall Grimley among their scorers – deserved their reward for going for victory rather than settling for a share of the spoils.
“We probably shaded it for the most part and then, at the end, Ben went through on the ‘keeper and he elected to fist it over the bar,” recalled Forker.
“It was probably the right thing to do at the time but then, in hindsight, it wasn’t because Madden got through and they got the goa. They didn’t go for the draw, they went for the win so fair play to them for that, they were brave.
“I would have put Madden up as possible finalists so we were happy to be competitive.”
Forker, who was assistant-manager alongside Aidan O’Rourke as Armagh’s minors reached this year’s All-Ireland final, views Clann Eireann, who will include Allstar contenders Barry McCambridge, Tiarnan Kelly and Conor Turbitt – as favourites for this year’s title.
“They have all the ingredients you need,” he said.
“They have good players, good age profile and everything is coming good so I think they’re very strong. Everybody has been saying this is ‘the group of death’ but, look, if you can’t get out of the group and beat at least one team then you don’t deserve anything out of it.”
Defeat will leave Maghery needed a result in their final game against St Peter’s and Forker says the four-team group format retains the “jeopardy” required in championship football.
“I think there’s enough in this format,” he says.
“All the games are important, you need to be winning but they do give you a wee bit of time to bring a few boys back. The format is good, the seeding from the league is really good and I think Armagh has got it right.
“The league seeding means there isn’t a super-strong group and then a weaker team getting through and in other counties there’s a wee bit too much shadow-boxing.”
Maghery’s Armagh trio – Aidan Forker, Crealey and Ciaran Higgins – all turned out for the club on the Friday night after their momentous Sam Maguire victory over Galway. The Loughshore side needed a result against Culloville to stay up so it was all hands to the pumps as they ground out the draw they required.
“Our club got a real lift off Armagh,” Forker explained.
“It’s been great in terms of morale and even in terms of the social club. Portadown and Lurgan are Armagh-supporting hotspots and we wouldn’t always be like that but this year the build-up was brilliant, the aftermath has been brilliant… We were the first club that the Sam Maguire came to and we’ve got a lift off that.
“The three lads had to play on the Friday night for our league survival and they turned out to help keep us in senior football. We’re all delighted that they won, they’re brilliant representatives for us and we don’t mind missing them for a couple of games if they’re going to go on and win the All-Ireland.”
At all games in Armagh and throughout the country, Gaels will think of the friends and family of the late Caolan Finnegan who so sadly passed away on Friday.
“I remember Cross dismantled us a couple of years ago and Caolan was very much part of that,” said Forker.
“I know the Finnegans are a massive GAA family and everybody in Crossmaglen and in the GAA family has wrapped their arms around them. Unfortunately the outcome wasn’t what anybody wanted.”
Saturday
Group A: Killeavy St Moninna v Culloville Blues GAC (4pm)
IN the wake of last weekend’s 2-16 to 0-8 mauling at the hands of Cullyhanna, Killeavy manager Niall McAleenan announced his decision to step down. Club legend Stevie McDonnell has stepped into the breach as the St Monnina’s outfit look to steady the ship against a Culloville side that conceded three goals in their loss to Silverbridge.
The Blues led by a point (0-7 to 0-6) at the break but a succession of majors meant the Harps took the win.
Group B: Granemore v Clan na Gael (5.30pm)
SHANE McPartlan and Stefan Campbell were outstanding as the Lurgan Blues recovered from conceding two first half goals against the run of play to beat defending champions Crossmaglen by five points last Sunday.
Opponents Granemore trailed Sarsfields by two points at half-time in their opener but a Brendan Boylan major early in the second half got their noses in front and they finished impressively to seal a double scores (0-9 to 1-15) victory.
Sunday
Group B: Sarsfields v Crossmaglen Rangers (1.15pm) (postponed)
Group C: Madden v Naomh Peadar (2.45pm)
AFTER finishing a distant second to their neighbours Clann Eireann on home turf, St Peter’s will hope for better against Madden on Sunday.
Lurgan outfit St Peter’s registered just three points and lost by 10 while Madden began their campaign with a grandstand finish against Maghery. Ben Crealey had given the Loughshore men the lead with a fisted point only for Aaron McKenna to find the net at the death.
Group A: St Patrick’s Cullyhanna v Silverbridge (4.30pm)
THE pace and power Cullyhanna produced to blow away Killeavy in their opener led to some pundits tipping the St Patrick’s side as possible senior champions this year. With an All-Ireland Intermediate title behind them and three All-Ireland-winning forwards in the team, they’ll take some beating.
Silverbridge hit the Culloville net three times in the second half to get up-and-running. Sean Rock scored two of the goals and Tiernan Murphy added a penalty to seal a six-point victory for the Harps.
