There’s four fixtures down for decision in the Smith Monumental Leitrim Intermediate Football Championship this weekend as the remaining sides get their first outings in the championship for 2022.
Two local rivals square off in championship action for the first time in a few years as Drumkeeran travel the length of Lough Allen to face off with Allen Gaels in Drumshanbo.
Despite Drumkeeran’s near misses to gain that Intermediate title in recent years, it took the relegation from the senior grade of their hosts to provide this fixture.
Veteran centre back Colm Clarke returns this season for the visitors and he’ll be a welcome return as he’ll bring much needed experience to the defence with him. He, alongside emerging star Francis Davitt and the evergreen Cathal McCauley will be vital to any hope they have of pushing for an intermediate title this season.
The Gaels on the other hand will have to rely on younger talent emerging if they want a swift return to senior. The Oberwan brothers, Arek and Radek alongside the likes of Conor Flood, who have featured for the county at U17 and U20 level in recent seasons make up the core of this team.
Managerial changes late in the day won’t have helped Allen Gaels in their championship campaign. Nonetheless, they’ll fancy themselves to rebound nicely, hoping tonight is step one towards achieving that.
Bornacoola will be looking for revenge for this season’s league defeat when they welcome Kiltubrid on Friday evening.
The sides are well acquainted due to their meeting in Division 3 earlier in the year. Despite Bornacoola’s good early run of form in the league, the visitors this evening were undefeated in their league campaign and emerged winners in the league final also.
A couple of factors could turn the tide in the hosts’ favour however. Home advantage for one, alongside a big showing from their midfield duo of Cian Mallon and Damien Moran as well as big scores from Sean O’Riordan will be vital to their championship campaign as a whole.
For Kiltubrid, they’ll be looking to their sets of brothers for inspiration, the O’Brien’s and the McWeeney’s. Last year’s county minor Con Doyle is also expected to play a key role in attack for Kiltubrid as they blend a lovely mix of youth and experience throughout their side.
Kiltubrid will hope tonight is the start of a championship challenge, as they’ll fancy themselves to be able to take any opponent in this year’s campaign. Bornacoola will be hoping to cause an upset.
The Leitrim Intermediate Championship continues Saturday evening as Aughavas and Aughnasheelin do battle.
For Aughnasheelin, they’re enduring this campaign without Conor Cullen, who unfortunately endured a season ending injury a few weeks back. They’ll be looking to his brothers Ciaran and Cillian to step up in his absence.
Other players with inter-county experience such as Aaron Hoare and Seán McWeeney as well as the experience of Wayne Gilgunn and Fintan Fitzpatrick will also be vital to any success they have in this match and beyond.
Aughavas on the other hand will be looking to establish their place at the intermediate grade after winning the junior championship in 2020. They’ll be looking to their youngsters to achieve this goal and will look to establish their home ground as a fortress under the management of Liam Higgins.
Up front, Fintan Gallogly and Seamus Sweeney will be key. Shafik Oubihi will also look to take command of the defensive duties of this side and in midfield, Eoin Kenny and David Charles will be instrumental.
This one will depend heavily on who’s eligible for Mohill on Sunday afternoon, given their commitments to the senior championship fixture against neighbours Fenagh St. Caillins the night prior.
For Ballinaglera, they are coming off the back of a strange campaign in 2021. Despite only winning one game in four in the group stages, they took some big scalps and got all the way to the final. This years structure will not allow for that slow a build through the campaign, so things will have to be done differently for the ‘Glera men.
JP Kane is back at the reigns of this side as manager, he’ll be hoping they can build on the promise that they showed early last year.
Mohill showed impressive depth of talent in their club securing the Junior title last season and will be hard beaten as their second string all push for places in their senior side.
