Second round football double headers set for Fraher Field

JJ Kavanagh & Sons Co. Senior Football Championship

Saturday - Fraher Field

Group A 5pm The Nire V Roanmore

Group A 6.30 pm. Clashmore/Kinsalebeg V An Rinn

The two Group A games get the second round of senior football fixtures under way in Fraher Field on Saturday with The Nire in action for the first time as they face newcomers Roanmore.

Roanmore fared better in their opening game against Clashmore last weekend than their seven point defeat might suggest and they will realise that they are not as far off the senior standard as they might have thought and so will go into this game with nothing to lose.

The Nire will again have their eye on the senior title and will not be holding anything back here. A decisive win for the former champions is the only possible result here.

The meeting of Clashmore and An Rinn is very interesting with Clashmore seeking to build on their win over Roanmore and An Rinn needing the win following their defeat by Gaultier. Clashmore will again be looking to Paul O’Connor and Brian O’Halloran for the match winning scores while An Rinn will be looking for big contributions from Ray O’Cealaigh and Donie Breathnach up front. An Rinn’s greater need might see them having the edge here.

Sunday - Fraher Field

Group B 1.45 pm. Ballinacourty v Brickey Rangers

Group B 3 pm. Rathgormack V Kilrossanty

Brickey Rangers will be more focussed going into this game than they were last weekend and while they did against Rathgormack they are unlikely to get a win against a Ballinacourty side that was impressive in seeing off a useful Kilrossanty side.

Rathgormack can expect a stiffer test from Kilrossanty than was forthcoming from the Brickeys last weekend. The Lemybrien side matched Ballinacourty for most of the game before being reduced to fourteen players and will not be found wanting here. Despite the weakness of the opposition Rathgormack looked very sharp against the Brickeys and are unlikely to slip up here.

Already the championship looks like coming down to a battle between Rathgormack, Ballinacourty and The Nire and it remains to be seen if someone can emerge from the chasing pack to challenge as An Rinn did last year.