The one remaining semi-final berth in the senior football championship will be filled this weekend with either Garrycastle or The Downs advancing to meet St Loman’s. These sides meet in Rochfortbridge on Saturday at 5.30pm in what should be a tighter affair than the odds might suggest.
Garrycastle have been installed as 1/12 favourites with The Downs trading at a generous 7/1. The green and reds have been a pale shadow of themselves so far this year and while injuries and absent players have not helped their cause they will need to up their game if they are to advance to the last four.
Paddy Mulvihill has been hampered by an Achilles injury and his absence has been glaring. He is expected to tog but is unlikely to play a full part in Saturday’s game. James Dolan is back on board having summered in Boston and he will inject life in a side that has looked very ordinary at times in the group stages.
Experience counts for a lot at any level and Garrycastle certainly have tuckloads of that. With the likes of Doran Harte, John Gaffey, and Mark McCallan in their defence I expect them to be more than capable of keeping tabs on a mediocre Downs attack.
As always Dessie Dolan will lead the attack but he will need to get more help than he has been if the green and reds are to be real contenders in the coming weeks. The Downs are in bonus territory which will give them a licence to have a right cut at causing an upset but I don’t expect it to work for them on this occasion.
