AIB All-Ireland Club Junior Football Championship Quarter-Final

Emyvale v John Mitchels, Sunday, 1.45, Páirc na hÉireann, Birmingham

 

Emyvale travel to Birmingham to contest Sunday’s All-Ireland Club Junior Football Championship quarter-final against John Mitchels from Liverpool.

It’s a seventh championship fixture of 2013 for Emyvale, who will be attempting to complete that run of games unbeaten. Wins over Blackhill and Oram got Emyvale through to the Monaghan final, where they again crossed swords with the Emeralds. The north-Monaghan men needed a late Martin McAree point to escape with a draw in the first game, but an explosive start proved too much for Blackhill six days later.

They put Derry’s Ardmore to the sword in their Ulster opener, before finishing strongly to see off Annaghmore from Armagh. The Monaghan and Tyrone dominance of the Ulster Club JFC had continued this year, with Killeeshil providing Emyvale’s opposition in the final two weeks ago. Declan Brennan’s side were pushed all the way in a low-scoring match, but despite not producing their best form in attack, a strong defensive performance, backed up by another solid hour in goals by Gerard McCaffrey, got them over the line.

Daniel McMahon, Ryan McAnespie, Martin McAree and Daithí Colton all provide threats in the Emyvale forward-line, as will David McAlister if he is fit to play. Michael Flannery and Colin Hughes are likely to continue at midfield, with James Bellew and John Flannery anchoring the back-line.

Having surrendered their Lancashire title to St. Peter’s, Manchester in last year’s final, John Mitchels got their revenge in this year’s semi-final, before edging out another Manchester-based side, St. Brendan’s in the decider. Wins over St. Nick’s, Bristol and Heston Gaels, London saw Mitchels through to the All-Britain championship final, where they disposed of the challenge of Edinburgh outfit, Dunedin Connollys.

John Mitchels have pedigree in this competition, having beaten Moynalvey (Meath) and Killala (Mayo) to reach the 2009 All-Ireland JFC Final, where they lost by the narrowest of margins against Kerry’s Skellig Rangers, who had seen off Drumhowan at the semi-final stage. John Mitchels will no doubt have a big turnover of players in the last four-plus years, but they might see it as a good omen that their British final in that year was against the same opposition as this time around. They can still call on Paddy Mulligan, Philip Duddy and Seán Rice from that All-Ireland final team and they have added other talented players like former Cavan player Edward Jackson, Michael Molloy from Donegal, Niall McShane and attack-minded back Craig Owen.

It has been a long year for Emyvale and the temptation will have been there to switch off after the Ulster final, but if they have kept their focus, they have the scoring power to take another step forward.

 

Emyvale JFC scorers 2013: Daniel McMahon 3-24 (0-11f); Ryan McAnespie 2-15 (0-1f); Daithí Colton 2-11; David McAlister 2-9 (1-0 pen, 0-4f); Martin McAree 0-9 (4f); Michael Flannery 2-2; James Bellew 1-3; Paul McCarron 0-3; Garreth McQuaid, Karl McQuaid 0-2 each; Colm McKenna, Colin Hughes, Ciarán Connolly, Stephen Askin 0-1 each

 

Ulster Club Minor Football Championship Quarter-Final

Carrickmacross v St. John’s, Sunday, 1.30, St. Paul’s

 

Carrickmacross minors are in Belfast on Sunday to take on local side St. John’s in the Ulster Club tournament.

Carrick are on a high after winning the Monaghan Division One double, beating Truagh and Magheracloone to end a ten-year wait for a championship and going on to defeat Monaghan Harps in the league final. St. John’s saw off Naomh Séamas, St. Paul’s, O’Donovan Rossa and Naomh Éanna to win the Antrim championship.

Carrick had only one player who started in Monaghan’s successful Ulster MFC run this year in Niall Loughman, but Aaron Lynch, Kevin and Stephen O’Hanlon, Conor Duffy, Fergal Lonergan, Jamie Gartlan and Aaron Jones have also played key roles for the Emmets. St. John’s, who lost to eventual winners Watty Grahams last year, can call on four of the Antrim minor team that exited the Ulster championship against Monaghan in May; namely Liam Laverty, Conor Johnston, Dómhnall Nugent and Ryan McNulty. Carrick have a pacy and dangerous forward line, who know where the goals are, which could be enough to see them through to the semi-finals.