Ulster Intermediate Football Championship quarter-final: Saval (Down) v Corduff Gaels (Monaghan) (tomorrow, Inniskeen, 5pm)
By Andy Watters
SEVENTY-THREE years since their foundation, Down champions Saval make their Ulster debut against a Corduff side that passed their first test at this level with a nerve-jangling victory over Armagh’s Shane O’Neill’s in last weekend’s preliminary round.
The clubs have had contrasting build-ups to this stage. Saval clinched their maiden Down intermediate title with victory over Rostrevor on October 15 and a week later Monaghan’s Corduff also broke their intermediate duck and accounted for the Orchard county champions last Saturday night.
Corduff have had a more hectic schedule but, on the flipside, they have momentum behind them while Saval have been kicking their heels on the sidelines but, again on the flipside, have had a chance to allow knocks and bruises to heal over the past month.
“The week after the championship final was a bit of a write-off,” Saval manager Danny Hughes explained.
“The boys went off and did their own thing but we got together at the end of the week and eased them back into training. We’ve done a couple of hard training sessions but we had a couple of boys carrying knocks going into the final and it’s been difficult getting everybody onto the field at the one time.
“But we have worked with what we have and the boys are looking forward to it so we have no excuses.”
Like Saval, Corduff are managed by one of their club’s most famous sons in former Monaghan manager Seamus McEnaney. Physical, well-organised and determined, Corduff set up with men behind the ball and break with pace from their own half.
Their championship campaign began with a loss against Magheracloone, they avenged it in the county final and last weekend they took control against Shane O’Neill’s early on and the seven-point lead they established meant they were able to withstand a late rally from their Armagh opponents to book their place in tomorrow’s quarter-final.
Saval go into the game without Lorcan Forde who will be in action with Newry City this weekend and midfielder Ryan Rice is an injury doubt but, apart from those two, Hughes hopes to take a full squad to Inniskeen.
“People say to us: ‘This is bonus territory’ but it’s not, it’s a new competition and we’re in it because we deserve to be and I think we have absolutely nothing to lose,” said the former Down half-forward.
“I wouldn’t have wanted the break to be as long as four weeks’ but it gave us an opportunity to knuckle-down and re-focus on this job and the job is to go into this new competition and see if we can win it.
“We’ve never competed in Ulster so it’s a great opportunity for the club to put a marker down. I think we can beat Corduff and of course they’ll be sitting in the changing room opposite us and they’ll believe that they can win.
“I think we are very similar teams and we like to think we can mix physicality with the bit of skill and they can certainly do that too.
“I think it is going to be a very close game and we are going to their backyard but I am confident we can get a result.”
