Six teams left in the race for the Conway Cup
Dessie Hutchinson scored 1-5 in Gaultier's win over Clashmore/Kinsalebeg and he'll be a key man in the game against Roanmore. Photo: Noel Browne
Six will become four this weekend in the county senior football championship. Rathgormack and The Nire await the winners of the two quarter finals.
Two wins and two losses for Gaultier so far but performances are picking up week on week.
Dessie Hutchinson is their playmaker and chief marksman from centre forward. He has tallied 3-11 in four outings. Patrick Fitzgerald is getting sharper with every game. He shot four points from play last weekend. The introduction of Gary Cullinane was a game-changer against Clashmore/Kinsalebeg. He won three kickouts in a row at a stage where Brian Lynch was lording the midfield battle. He should appear on the first fifteen this weekend. In each of their four games, Gaultier have endured lull periods. They cannot afford another one on Saturday.
The two-week break will only benefit Roanmore. They only had a short gap between the end of the hurling championship and the start of the football. Fingers crossed that Billy Nolan will be fit for the Sky Blues. He twisted his knee in the last minute of the defeat to The Nire two weeks ago but was able to walk off the field. His monster frees are such a weapon. That two pointer to beat Abbeyside/Ballinacourty will go down as one of the highlights of the championship. Gaultier must also contain inside men Dean Reidy and Eddie Nolan. Rory Furlong versus Mark Fitzgerald is a tasty midfield battle.
Gaultier won by three points when these sides met twelve months ago. The Sky Blues will fancy another scalp but the Barony men should take care of business again.
Kilrossanty suffered their first defeat of 2025 in either code to Rathgormack a fortnight ago. There was no shame in that.
It was Alan Dunwoody’s quietest outing of the championship however. The county forward, with 23 points to his name, needs a big one on Sunday. He should have Paul Whyte for company from the off. Whyte proved so effective as a second-half target man against both Gaultier and Rathgormack. The green and gold will want a full hour out of him on this occasion. The energy of the Fitzgerald twins (Seamus and Padraig) has been fantastic to watch so far.
It's been a mixed bag for Abbeyside/Ballinacourty. They looked relieved to come away with a win against An Rinn last Sunday. A brace of Aaron Beresford two-pointers saved their bacon in the end. Their shooting was wild in the first half as five two-point attempts went astray. Michael Kiely is their go-to player at midfield. He has supplied 1-8 from play thus far. Neil Montgomery came on in the second half, after a two-month lay-off, but there was no sign of Conor Prunty.
The formbook points to a Kilrossanty victory.
