Northern Switchgear Antrim SFC Group 2, round three
O’Donovan Rossa v St John’s (Saturday, Lamh Dhearg, 5pm)
While there’s no silverware on offer, more than bragging rights are at stake in west Belfast over the next week-and-a-bit as St John’s and O’Donovan Rossa square off in two crucial championship clashes.
Next week the sides meet in Group Two of the senior hurling series, vying for third spot and a place in the quarter-finals.
But before that their footballers both make the short journey to Hannahstown for another winner-takes-all encounter. There’s one spot available in the SFC quarter-finals behind Group Two table-toppers and reigning champions Cargin, with whoever comes out on top at Pairc Lamh Dhearg on Saturday evening taking it.
It’s been decades since either club went all the way in either championship, but the combined 31 senior titles each has won remains well ahead of anyone else in the county.
While outright victory in either competition this year would be a massive surprise, it doesn’t dilute the rivalry. St John’s manager Aaron Douglas, who played when the Corrigan Park club reached their last football championship decider in 2017, knows that all too well but, at the same time isn’t going overboard with it.
“We’ve played each other quite a bit over the years and there’s normally not too much between us either way,” said the former Antrim defender.
“But to be fair to Rossa, in recent times they’ve had the upper hand in results. They beat us in the league this year, they beat us in the championship last year.
“But in terms of the derby side of things, I’ll not talk about it too much. I’ll focus more on talking to the players about knowing their roles, their responsibilities and the performance.
“The lads don’t need any motivation from me to go and play a game against Rossa, but I won’t make it into something it doesn’t need to be either.
“It’s a championship game, it’s a young squad and it’s a massive opportunity for them to get into a quarter-final. We haven’t been there for a few years and it would be good to get over the line but I’ve no doubt how difficult it will be on Saturday night. [Rossa manager] Hugh McGettigan will have those boys well, well drilled and it’ll be one hell of a match.”
The last time St John’s made the knockout stages was three years ago when they lost by a goal to eventual champions Creggan in the quarter-final, having also suffered defeat to Rossa in their group.
In 2022 Creggan edged them out at the group stage with a last-day draw when St John’s needed to win to progress.
Creggan went on to beat Rossa in the last eight that year, while the west Belfast side lost in the quarters to St Brigid’s 12 months ago. Last year they came through a group containing the same four teams as this season, finishing behind Cargin and ahead of St John’s and Tir na nOg, Randalstown.
Just as this year, the clash with St John’s was crucial, with Rossa winning 2-8 to 1-9 – coincidentally a week after beating St John’s in the senior hurling championship.
Stephen Beatty played in both those matches for Rossa and is gearing up for two more tight derby clashes in the coming week.
“The way they both fell as the last game, you would think it was meant to be,” he said.
“But when it comes to us and St John’s, one team could having their best year and the other could be having their worst year but it all goes out the window.
“It does add that wee bit extra because it’s St John’s. When the groups come out you look at it and you do try to target each game as it comes but, realistically, you knew it was coming down to this.”
St John’s needed a relegation play-off semi-final win over Moneyglass to stay in Division One, and suffered a heavy defeat to Cargin in their championship opener, but Beatty says things are trending in the right direction with Saturday’s showdown looming.
“It’s been a tough year, and we were close to a relegation battle as well. But thankfully we got the win over Tir na nOg to set up this winner-takes-all against St John’s,” he said.
“We’ve had a bit of a nightmare with injuries but as time has gone on we’ve got more into it and now we’re well aware – and St John’s will be the same – that this could be the end of the road. We don’t want that to happen.”
