TITTLE RACE ENTERS THE HOME STRETCH

23 September 2022 No Comments by The Northern Standard

COLM SHALVEY

The 2022 club championship season is set to really heat up this weekend, with semi-final places in the SFC and IFC on the line, as well as key games in the relegation groups. The SFC quarter-finals are down for decision on Sunday afternoon, starting with Ballybay v Truagh in Scotstown. This is a repeat of last year’s semifinal, where a breakthrough victory for Truagh saw them qualify for their first SFC decider in 20 years. Ballybay, who sorely missed the influence of Dessie Ward on that occasion, have put an indifferent start to 2022 behind them, looking rejuvenated in their last eight games, during which their only defeat was by the narrowest of margins against Clontibret.

Truagh, meanwhile, haven’t been playing with the fluency that saw them reach the county final and go so close to dethroning neighbours Scotstown. Routine wins over Carrickmacross and Castleblayney were followed by a low-scoring draw with Inniskeen and a dour loss to Latton, where they failed to hit the target at all from open play. Truagh’s defensive solidity is underlined by the fact that they have comfortably the most miserly concession rate in the SFC (just 8.75 points per game), but their own scoring rate is similarly low, with only Carrick accumulating less than their 1-35 across the group stage.

Ronan Boyle and Eoghan Kelly have anchored Truagh’s back-line to good effect, but they will need Gary Mohan to rediscover top form to support Christopher McKenna in the scoring stakes. Ballybay have Shane McGuinness and the ever-green Paul Finlay leading their attack, with the Wylie brothers continuing to play key roles at the back. Colm Lennon could return to the starting team alongside Ward in the engine room and after three weeks to prepare for…

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