Graham Tarmac Antrim Junior Football Championship, semi-finals
O’Donnell’s v Éire Óg (MacRory Park, Sunday, 3pm)

IT’S a repeat semi-final in the Junior grade as for the second year in a row, O’Donnell’s will play host to Éire Óg.

This time last year, the St James’ outfit were expected to win with a bit to spare, but it didn’t quite pan out that way as Éire Óg put it on them and were on the brink of victory until Ciaran McKissock popped up to force extra-time and then they would power on to the final.

Many will expect O’Dees to advance once more as they enjoyed a good league campaign with McKissock and Sean Pat Donnelly in fine form, but as last year proved, absolutely nothing can be taken for granted as these sides will know each other extremely well and therefore, will not require an in-depth scouting mission.

O’Donnell’s have been one of the form teams in the competition this year, sweeping through Group One with three wins from three.

Two of those, against Laochra Loch Lao and St Agnes’, were fairly comfortable, but they sandwiched a close encounter with, you’ve guess it, Éire Óg.

That game saw them win through 2-12 to 0-15 with Marc McKenna hitting one goal and the other coming by way of a deflection, a slice of bad luck the Ogs will hope will balance itself out in this rematch between the teams.

They reached this stage having won one from three in the group, against St Agnes’, but would power to victory in the quarter-final as they took care of business against Wolfe Tone’s a fortnight back.

PJ Toal has been on song in front of the posts throughout the campaign, while the midfield partnership of Conor McKenna and Caomhin Daykin has also proven solid.
They won’t have been happy with some aspects of defending against the Greencastle side, but room for improvement is not a bad thing.

O’Donnell’s have earned the right to be classed as favourites for this one, but as those recent Championship meetings have shown, Éire Óg have not been far away.

Rasharkin v St Malachy’s (Rasharkin, Sunday, 3pm)

St Malachy’s had the rare distinction of being the only team in Group Two to actually play all of their games as they edged Ballycastle in the first round before the McQuillan’s opted out of the competition.

That was enough to see them into the knockout phase despite losing out to Wolfe Tone’s and notably, Sunday’s opponents in their remaining fixtures.

That 3-15 to 0-5 win for Rasharkin will see them installed as the hottest of favourites for this game that is played on their home patch and as winners of Division Three, they are also many people’s tip to go all the way in this competition.

Colm Kennedy, Ruairi O’Boyle and Donagh Quinn all found the net in that game but they are just some of the names that St Malachy’s will need to keep close tabs on as in Ryan Lynch and Shane Hasson, they have an abundance of match-winners, doing just that in the group phase to go three from three and take the direct route into the last four.

In their quarter-final, The Market men showed their mettle as late scores from Anthony Dobbin and Ciaran Vernon edge past Laochra Loch Lao and they will hope this will be the shot in the arm they need heading into Sunday’s last four clash.

They have plenty of fine footballers including Jack McGivern and Aidan Connor, yet will know this must be a 15-man effort and a game in which they will be seriously tested and likely face some setbacks.

Last year, they fell at the semi-final stage against eventual winners, Pearse’s, so will be keen to go at least one better, but it will take something special to do so.