Junior Championship Preview: Group stage pairings sees plenty of intriguing contests

Group 1

Of the three teams contesting this group, it is clear one team is in much better form then the rest, that being last year’s Junior Quarter-Finalists Stabannon Parnells. They have been paired alongside the newly relegated Naomh Fionnbarra and Sean McDermotts.

The North Louth side come into this year’s championship off the back of an impressive league campaign, one which saw them finally secure a promotion by toping the Division 3B standings.

They did this via 11 wins in row, the vast majority of which were won with plenty to spare having won them by an average of 10 points. Their only really close call coming at the hands of the Wolfe Tones, the side which ultimately ended their unbeaten run.

An injury hit Parnells were defeated last year, 2-11 to 2-7 by Na Piarsaigh, having managed to get through a group involving Glyde Rangers and Naomh Malachi.

With the experienced Derek Crilly now among their ranks and rising stars such as Harry Butterly and Sean Reynolds to call upon, they will be hopeful of being a major player in the race for the Christy Bellew Cup.

The opening fixture of the group sees the Finnbarrs and the Seans collide, with neither seemingly in the best of form.

The Togher based side were plying their trade in Division Two this season, however having lost 12 of their 16 matches they have found themselves being relegated from another competition. Yet they have been playing high class opposition which should have them primed for the Junior tier.

Sean McDermotts ended the year low in 3B, picking up just two victories. Last season they were unsuccessful in three games in the championship against Cuchulainn Gaels, Dowdallshill and Na Piarsaigh.

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Group 2

Once again, there seems to a clear favourite here, as another quarter-finalist from last year in Lann Leire, should be strong enough to hold off the challenges of the Westerns and Annaghminnon Rovers.

Across their 15 games only eventual champions Glen Emmets managed to defeat them in Division 3A, while they also drew with them once. It left mid Louth club sitting nicely in second, primed for a tilt at Junior glory.

They exited the competition last year at hands of Glyde Rangers, having sorely missed out on the services of one of their marquee playmakers Bob Murphy, going down narrowly by 1-8 to 0-7. They will be hopeful of avenging that loss and going deeper in the competition this year.

Who will come second will probably be decided after the first round of action when Rovers take on an out of sorts Westerns outfit. The Reaghstown men have had a year to forget in Division 3A, slumping to some big defeats as they ended the campaign without registering a win.

The Westerns were also accounted for pretty easily in the race for the Christy Bellew Cup, John Mitchels and St Nicholas both dispatching them.

Annaghminnon haven’t exactly been impressing in 2022, but have been going along steady in Division 3B, notching up six wins to finish around the middle of the table. Last year they failed to get out of a group that involved Lann Leire, Glen Emmets and Wolfe Tones. 

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Group 3

This would seem like the hardest group to call, with three of the sides in it feeling like they have realistic chances of lifting the title. Of the four teams here, John Mitchels were last year’s runners up, while Glyde Rangers and Na Piarsaigh were beaten semi-finalists. They are joined by Dowdallshill.

Easily the best tie of the opening round of fixtures across the four groups, the Michels square off this Sunday against Glyde Rangers. Both teams’ championship journey’s were ended last year by an in form Glen Emmets, the eventual champions.

Trailing by three points at half time, The Tullyallen men put in a stunning second half performance to win by six against Glyde Rangers, 2-11 to 1-8. In the final, a hattrick from Kealan O’Neill was decisive as the Ballybaile men fell by 3-7 to 1-8.

Looking to the league form, both had similar campaigns, recording nine wins apiece, albeit the men for Tallanstown were doing so in the higher Division 3A.

The other fixture in round one sees the first Dundalk Derby of the championship season, as Na Piarsaigh take on Dowdallshill. The Blackrock based club are having decent season so far, making it to the final of the Kevin Mullen Shield where they were beaten by Glen Emmets.

In the league they finished with six wins in 3A, enough to keep them safe from relegation but well off the pace of the front three in Glen Emmets, Lann Leire and Glyde Rangers.

They made a great run to the Semi-finals last year, before eventually crashing out to the Mitchels by the narrowest of margins. Two well taken frees from John Gallagher giving them a one-point victory, 2-12 to 0-17. Their rematch later in the group is sure to peak the interests of many neutrals.

Their opponents are Dowdallshill, who will count themselves extremely unlucky to end up paired with so many of the Junior grade’s top sides.

They have picked up just two wins in the league this year while their only victory in the championship last year came in a dead rubber fixture with Sean Mcdermotts. They will need to show significant improvement to upset any of these highly rated sides.

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Group 4

Another intriguing pairing here, that pits four teams that may fancy their chances of progression having avoid the top sides.  Cuchulainn Gaels and St Nicholas were both Quarter-finalists last year while Naomh Malachi and the Wolfe Tones will be hungry to prove themselves.

The Gaels made a first appearance in the knockout stages in 2021, having navigated a group that included Sean McDermotts, Na Piarsaigh and Dowdallshill. However, with many players missing they were dumped out of the championship by John Mitchels, 1-15 to 0-4.

2022 has not been good to them, as they ended their Division 3B campaign rooted to the bottom of the table, having picked up just two wins from 13 games.

They open their championship against Naomh Malachi, a side which was also languishing towards the rear of the table, albeit in Division 3A, where they managed to win three games.

Pitted with Glyde Rangers and Stabannon last year, they failed to pick up a point. This clash is a great chance for both teams to reignite their seasons.

In the other game, St Nicolas collide with the Wolfe Tones in a Drogheda Derby. The Nicks had a decent run last year, putting it up to eventual champions Glen Emmets in the knockout stages for a period and doing themselves justice in defeat.

In 2022, they have been going about their business nicely, picking up eight wins to finish midtable in Division 3B. However, their opponents have had a superb year in the same league, picking up 11 wins to grab second position and a chance at promotion via the play-offs.

Coupled with Lann Leire, Glen Emmets and Annaghminnon in 2021, they failed to progress to the knockout phase, but will fancy their chances here in a group that looks wide open.