Northern Switchgear Antrim Senior Football Championship, quarter-finals
Lámh Dhearg v Dunloy; Dunsilly, Friday, 7pm
THE first of the Antrim Senior Football Championship quarter-finals takes place at Dunsilly on Friday and it is a unique pairing as Lámh Dhearg face last year’s Intermediate winners, Dunloy.

On the face of it, the Hannahstown outfit are strong favourites to advance into a semi-final against Creggan or Portglenone given their pedigree at this level, but write Dunloy off at you peril.

They have plenty of Championship know-how with a large proportion of the squad members of the hurling team that reached this year’s All-Ireland final including the Elliotts, Nigel and Seaan, Conal Cunning, Keelan Molloy, Eoin McFerran, Eoin O’Neill, Chrissy McMahon, Oran Quinn and Deaglan Smyth.

They will be missing Ryan McGarry who was sent off in their final group game against Creggan, when they lost out by a goal, but running the 2021 champions so close after defeating St Gall’s is all the warning Lámh Dhearg and those who feel this may be a foregone conclusion need.

The Cuchullians have plenty of quality and their group performances prove they are right at home at this level, but then the Red Hands are not found wanting in that regard.

They navigated a four-team Group Two with victories over Ahoghill and Portglenone, but had to dig deep in the final round against Naomh Éanna when they trailed by three and were in danger of exiting the competition with scoring difference looking like it was coming into play, but driven on by Paddy Cunningham and Marc Jordan, they found a way and a draw was enough to see them top the group.

It was far from a vintage display, but finding he answers when things were looking a little precarious is a positive and that they ender the quarter-final with improvements to make is also a plus.

The pace of Jordan and Eoin McKeown, experience of Conor Murray and Cunningham is a good blend and they may have enough to get over the line.

Creggan v Portglenone; Dunsilly, Saturday, 4pm
One of the contenders for game of the weekend takes place at Dunsilly on Saturday as 2021 winners Creggan face this year’s league champions, Portglenone.

Both sides are yet to fully find their feet in this year’s Championship but that is perhaps not a bad thing considering they emerged from the group phase and find themselves exactly where they want to be at the business end.

Creggan got past St Gall’s in their opener and a goal from Aidan Maguire proved the difference against Dunloy as they topped Group Three, but they will know it’s time to step up a gear.

Backboned by the McCann’s, Johnston and Smalls, they have plenty of experience and talent in their ranks and will be keen to step it up and they will need to do so against a Portglenone side that has been knocking on the door in recent years.

Their league title win represented another step forward but next is finding their way in the Championship as they seek to return to the last four.

They opened their campaign with a win at Naomh Éanna but would fall to Lámh Dhearg, leaving them needing a win against Ahoghill they duly delivered.

Despite being without Dermott McAleese, they have plenty of quality with the Delargy contingent, Niall McKeever, Caolan Tierney and the trusty Paddy Kelly.

This game certainly falls into the ‘pick em’ category and it would be no surprise to anyone should it require extra-time to determine the winner.