Football

MacRory Cup: Bessbrook planning to lay down a marker

ST PAUL’S, Bessbrook have an outside chance of taking a place in the Danske Bank MacRory Cup quarter-finals if they beat Abbey CBS today in Saval.

However, they will need the already qualified St Colman’s, Newry to beat Omagh CBS tomorrow and then wait until Tuesday for St Ronan’s to take something from the last league game with holders St Patrick’s, Cavan.

In reality, John Rafferty’s side is looking to position itself as a top seed with home advantage for the qualifiers in early February and reach the quarter-finals via the more scenic route.

There is also the matter of restoring a bit of confidence in the team after they were ripped apart by St Colman’s in their last outing, conceding six goals in the process.

Victory in another derby game could lift them, but that won’t be easy against an Abbey side that came back strongly against holders Cavan midweek to take their first league point.

Up until then, Abbey had been struggling to get a result, although they had not lost games by an awful lot. After four games, and no wins, they have a credible -8 score difference.

Despite rescuing a 3-4 to 1-10 draw, they still are not scoring often enough in games and that is why St Paul’s, Bessbrook should win this afternoon.

Meanwhile, in the last round of Danske Bank MacRory Cup games, fortunes can change dramatically even during the course of a game and tomorrow’s three ties could define the knock-out stages for more than the six teams involved.

The earliest of the three games today (St Patrick’s v St Mary’s, Magherafelt in MUSA 10.30am) should deliver an opponent for St Colman’s, Newry in next Friday evening’s MacCormack Cup league final.

The Academy are well-placed to achieve that objective, having taken early control of the top of the table clash midweek with St Patrick’s, Maghera and after the break frustrating their opponents with some intelligent defensive football.

They tripped up against St Macartan’s early in the group, but would not be expected to stumble a second time against 

bottom-of-the-table St Mary’s, Magherafelt, who are really struggling to hit enough scores to give them a fighting chance of winning another game.

The next interesting tie is in Pearse Óg, Armagh (11am) where St Colman’s, Newry will put their unbeaten run on the line against Omagh CBS.

A win for Omagh will guarantee them a second place finish in the group and automatic entry into the quarter-finals in February.

St Colman’s, of course, have won the group with four straight wins, the only unbeaten team in the competition and three points clear of the chasing pack.

Cathal Murray and his management team are expected to make changes for this game, bringing in some players who have had limited pitch time in their four games to date.

At the same time, he will want to maintain the team’s unbeaten record and that might be difficult enough against an Omagh side that has shown flashes of real potential for example during the second half of the Cavan game and the first half of the Bessbrook one.

However, if Eoin McDonnell plays and improves at a similar rate to what he has done in each game to date, Omagh will have their work cut out to get anything from the game.

The other two teams in action, Maghera and Armagh, look to be headed for the play-offs and each of them will want to position themselves with a home tie against lower-placed opposition in the other group.

After a rusty enough start against Enniskillen, Maghera seemed to be hitting their form until the Academy exposed some of their weaknesses on Tuesday last.

On the other hand, Armagh looked to be headed in a downward direction until they pulled a very good 2-13 to 3-8 win out of the bag against Enniskillen last weekend.

There is plenty at stake in the game and therefore it is unlikely that either manager, Mattie McGleenan or Paul Hughes, will field short of their best starting team.

Maghera would be favourites to win, but Armagh could well rise to cause a surprise.

The remaining two league games, St Macartan’s, Monaghan v St Michael’s, Enniskillen and St Ronan’s, Lurgan v St Patrick’s, Cavan, will be played on Tuesday, but all four will carefully weigh up today’s results before those throw-ins.