Football

Galbally and Corduff hope to finally settle Ulster intermediate decider

Daniel Kerr (right) has been in fine scoring form for Galbally and will hope to cause the Corduff defence some problems in tonight's Ulster Club IFC final in Armagh Picture: Margaret McLaughlin
Daniel Kerr (right) has been in fine scoring form for Galbally and will hope to cause the Corduff defence some problems in tonight's Ulster Club IFC final in Armagh Picture: Margaret McLaughlin

AIB Ulster Club IFC final: Galbally Pearses (Tyrone) v Corduff (Monaghan) (tonight, Athletic Grounds, 8pm, result on the night)

For the fourth time in the space of 11 days, the intermediate champions of Tyrone and Monaghan will hope to get the chance to capture the provincial ground.

This game,originally slated for Páirc Esler in Newry, was put back a week, then moved back a further 24 hours and to a new venue and then postponed for a third time and rescheduled for tonight.

The weekend thaw will hopefully have dispelled any chances of a frozen pitch at the Athletic Grounds tonight and Ulster GAA are confident tonight will finally see the Ulster intermediate football champions crowned - even if it does take extra-time and penalties.

Magheracloone were the last Monaghan winners of this competition in 2019 when they beat Galbally in the final. Speaking ahead of the first scheduled final date, Corduff manager Seamus McEnaney spoke of the momentum they had gathered since seeing off Magheracloone in the Monaghan final before beating Shane O'Neill's (Armagh), Saval (Down) and Castlerahan (Cavan) in the provincial series.

Quite what another week-and-a-half wait will do to that momentum is up for debate. Keeping the players' ticking over will be a challenge for both camps ahead of this eagerly awaited provincial decider.

Galbally themselves had blazed a trail to the final with wins over Glenullin and Dungloe since their win over Edendork in the Tyrone final. They proved in their 7-12 to 1-11 that they have the firepower to hurt any team and the experience of losing the final three years ago will act as extra motivation for them.

They have a wise head on the sideline in the form of former Derry manager Paddy Crozier and the scoring form of Daniel Kerr and Conor Donaghy.

Corduff, too, have experience in abundance and there more challenging and circuitous route to the final may make them more battle-hardened tonight.