Sport

Lamh Dhearg favourites to progress against Rossa

 Paddy Cunningham
 Paddy Cunningham  Paddy Cunningham

WITH Cargin already safely through to a third consecutive county final, Lamh Dhearg and Rossa will battle it out to see who joins them in this year’s showpiece.

The Erin’s Own men were comfortable victors against Creggan last night, and they can travel to Corrigan Park tomorrow to scope out their potential opponents.

The Hannahstown men and Rossa are old city rivals and it could be a close-run thing.

While Lamh Dhearg will start as favourites, they would be well advised to take note of a Rossa side on its way back up.

League form is even, Rossa winning at home 2-10 to 0-14, while up on the hill it was much more clear-cut, the home side winning 2-13 to 0-8.

In the championship Hannahstown have had the benefit of a couple of games. 

They squeezed past St John’s, 1-12 to 2-7 and were only four points better than Portglenone at the quarter final stage.

Rossa were certainly flying against Aldergrove, winning 1-12 to 0-7, and they will certainly give Hannahstown their fill of it.

Lamh Dhearg are the much more experienced side. Paddy Cunningham, Ryan Murray, Gerard Slane and Kevin Murray will test the Rossa back division, while Aaron McAufield, Declan Lynch and Michael Herron will make life difficult for the Rossa attack. 

And in Conor Murray and Pearse Fitzsimmons, they have a pair of fine fielders.

Rossa will go into this one with nothing to lose, and this certainly could be to their benefit.

Colm Fleming was the star of the show against Aldergrove and along with Michael Turley, Donal Armstrong, Thomas Morgan and goalkeeper Liam McAuley, who can score a point or two, they will thoroughly test the Hannahstown defence.

Michael Armstrong and Colm McClelland will give as good at they get in the middle, while the tidying up at the back will fall to Stephen Shannon, Paul Close, Conor Orchin and Kevin McDonnell.

Despite the merits of their side, though, it’s hard not to see Lamh Dhearg joining Cargin in the decider.