Ulster Club SFC Quarter-Finals Underway with Three Scheduled Matches

The Ulster Club Football Championship progresses to its quarter-final stage this weekend, featuring three scheduled matches. On Saturday evening, Kilcoo will compete against Crosserlough. Sunday’s fixtures include Cargin facing Errigal Ciaran, and Newbridge taking on Clann Eireann. These matches follow Newbridge’s surprising victory over reigning All-Ireland champions Glen in the Derry SFC Final, and Clann Eireann’s triumph in the Armagh decider, an all-Lurgan contest. The upcoming match between Newbridge, also known as the Sean O’Leary outfit, and the Armagh champions, Clann Eireann, is anticipated to be particularly compelling. Newbridge recently caused an upset by defeating last year’s All-Ireland champions, Glen, in the Derry Final. Clann Eireann, meanwhile, is strengthened by the presence of Sam Maguire Cup winners Conor Turbitt, Barry McCambridge, and Tiernan Kelly. The encounter between Cargin and Errigal Ciaran presents a notable dynamic, as Errigal Ciaran’s manager, Enda McGinley, will face his brothers-in-law, Michael and Tomas McCann, both integral players for the Toomebridge team. Errigal Ciaran, referred to as the Ballygawley side, secured a narrow victory over St Eunan’s in the provincial opener last weekend, aided by three late scores from Ben McDonnell and one from Tomas Canavan. A key question is whether playing three matches within 16 days will prove advantageous for Errigal Ciaran when they compete against Cargin, a team that has had a month’s break since their hard-fought win against Portglenone in the Antrim decider. With Glen no longer in contention, Kilcoo, the 2022 All-Ireland champions, are considered strong contenders in the provincial betting markets. However, they are not expected to underestimate Crosserlough, a team that could potentially see the return of prominent Cavan forward Paddy Lynch. Lynch has been sidelined since sustaining a cruciate ligament injury in April. The quarter-final match originally planned for Sunday between Erne Gaels and Scotstown has been postponed to Saturday, November 16. This change was made due to the passing of Mark Lyons, a former player for the Gaels and the brother of Ryan Lyons, who captains the Fermanagh club. During the recent launch event for the Ulster Club Championship, Newbridge selector Paddy Gribben stated that his team would approach their match against Clann Eireann at Celtic Park “in bonus territory,” having secured their first Derry title in 35 years. Newbridge demonstrated significant determination, recovering after Ryan Dougan scored a late equalizing goal in the final match. Ciaran Brooks then secured the winning point, which led to a substantial emotional reaction from the O’Leary supporters. Gribben commented on Newbridge’s victory in Derry, stating, “There’s a generation under the age of 40 that don’t remember that last time and have never experienced it so for the community to get it again and just to live through it has been a brilliant, brilliant feeling.” Newbridge now aims to sustain this momentum as they face a Clann Eireann team that appears to be drawing energy from Armagh’s recent Sam Maguire Cup success. Clann Eireann captain Conor McConville remarked on the Armagh players, stating, “We had five on the panel, three that started [in the All-Ireland Final]. They have come in and the thing has just had some bounce.” McConville, who previously shared a residence with Newbridge full-back Killian Burke, possesses familiarity with the O’Learys team. “Any team that knocks out the All-Ireland champions must be a good side so we’re fully aware of the challenge that’s ahead.” Separately, Tomas McCann’s controversial sending off during Cargin’s Ulster Club quarter-final loss to Glen was subsequently reversed following an appeal. Cargin experienced what they considered an unjust decision when Tomas McCann was sent off late in the first half of last year’s provincial quarter-final against Glen, a ruling that was later overturned on appeal. Despite this, they only lost the match by four points. A win against Errigal Ciaran could establish them as prospective provincial champions. However, Enda McGinley’s team, bolstered by the inclusion of the Canavan brothers, Darragh and Ruairi, is likely to enter the Corrigan Park fixture as the favored side. Nevertheless, Cargin manager Ronan Devlin emphasizes the presence of 19-year-old forward Conhuir Johnston within his squad, identifying him as a potential game-changer. Devlin commented on Johnston, stating, “Conhuir to me is somebody who can change a game and I’m glad we’re seeing it.” He further described him as “someone who I’d describe as being brilliant at the basics. If the ball goes to Conhuir it sticks and I actually watched Antrim in the Tailteann Cup and I couldn’t believe we didn’t throw the dice and throw Conhuir on there.” When questioned about Cargin’s potential to replicate the success St Gall’s achieved at provincial and All-Ireland levels 15 years prior, Devlin responded, “They were a special side and I think this is a special bunch too.” Crosserlough, under the management of Carrickmore native Ryan Daly, expressed that the Cavan champions are “looking forward to pitting ourselves against the best” in Saturday’s initial provincial quarter-final, which will take place at Pairc Esler. Daly added, “The depth of talent that they have in serious but we’re not going up there to make up the numbers.” This marks the current Crosserlough team’s inaugural Ulster title, as the Covid-19 pandemic prevented them from participating in a provincial campaign following their Cavan title victory in 2020. Should Lynch be declared fit to participate, it would provide a significant psychological advantage for the Cavan champions as they prepare to face a Kilcoo team that largely retains the same lineup from their 2022 All-Ireland Final victory against Kilmacud Crokes. Conor Laverty, who manages Down, no longer consistently starts for the Magpies, but he is utilized from the substitutes’ bench when required, having appeared in the final moments of their 1-10 to 0-4 county final win against Burren. Additional key players for Crosserlough include Cavan regulars James Smith and Dara McVeety, along with county final goalscorers Conor Rehill and Stephen Smith. The latter, a former Cavan player, contributed a vital 1-1 after being brought into the game against Ramor United. The Ulster Club Football Championship fixtures for the weekend are as follows: Saturday: Kilcoo v Crosserlough, Pairc Esler, 18:00 GMT Sunday: Cargin v Errigal Ciaran, Corrigan Park, 13:00 GMT Newbridge v Clann Eireann, Celtic Park, 15:30 GMT