The intermediate championship threw in for 2009 last weekend and Tourmakeady are already playing catch up after getting a 10-point trimming at the hands of Kilmaine in south Mayo last weekend. The vast majority of the field will be gearing up for action this weekend with 10 more teams getting involved in action, and with games spread out over the entire weekend from Saturday to Monday there is a feast of intermediate action to take in.
Group one’s action will take place at the unusual time of 3pm on Bank Holiday Monday when Hollymount make the long haul to Killala for this first round clash. Last year’s junior champions will be without the injured Rory Hannick which will be a big loss to their side, but playing at home will give them a big advantage going into this one. Hollymount had a poor start to the league, losing their first three league games, but have picked up two recent wins over Kilcommon and Bonniconlon to pick up some momentum. A hard to call one this one, but the long trip north will probably be in vain for the south Mayo men.
All action weekend
The action in group two kicks off with Belmullet hosting Crossmolina B on Saturday evening. The two tiers that separate these sides in league football suggests that the higher quality of game that Belmullet are getting puts them in as favourites. Billy Joe Padden, Chris Barrett, and Stephen Carolan are all quality players who should give the home side the advantage over a Crossmolina side who, despite being a B team, would give a lot of sides in this grade a run for their money.
The other game in this group sees Swinford and Davitts go head to head on Sunday evening in Swinford. Both sides met in the opening round of the league in Ballindine where Davitts won out by a point, and if it’s a close again we should be in for a cracker. Like a lot of clubs, Davitts have had to deal with the loss of players to overseas with Michael Conroy, Declan Healy, and a few others heading for foreign shores. Despite going down to their opponents on the first day of the league, and losing four league games, Swinford have a good side who could just come out on top on Sunday.
Coming into form at the right time
It’s Saturday evening action in group three where Westport will host Ballyhaunis. Last year the east Mayo men caught the fancied Covies in the championship seeing them off 2-10 to 0-8, and Westport will be out for revenge this weekend. On paper Westport should take the points; they have won two games in the league so far while Ballyhaunis have been shipping losses against sides that they themselves know they should be beating. Martin Connolly has moved up the road from Burrishoole and he will have Westport in the right frame of mind for this weekends clash.
The final group sees Mayo Gaels and Kilmeena lock horns in Mayo Abbey on Sunday at high noon. While Kilmeena may be two divisions ahead of Mayo Gaels in the league, they are coming at each other in wildly different runs of form. Kilmeena have lost all five games they have played so far in the league, while the Mayo Abbey based side are coming in off the back of a hat-trick of wins. Home advantage, and the right form coming into this one, favours the home side.
