Derrynoose vs Forkhill
Forkhill have nothing to worry about when it comes to gaining promotion to Division 2B as they have already achieved that feat.
The 2020 Junior Championship winners will compete in the Intermediate Championship later on in the year, but still have outstanding league fixtures to fulfil in the basement division.
Derrynoose on the other hand have everything to play for as they are still in with a chance of topping the table and reaching Intermediate football.
They sit in fourth position, three points off the leaders Dorsey and two behind Eire Og and Crossmaglen IIs.
A win this weekend would allow them to tackle the top teams, but Forkhill aren’t just there to make up the numbers.
The Peadar O Doirnin club have had two wins on the bounce since club action returned two weeks ago.
They defeated both Redmond O’Hanlon’s and Thomas Davis and look intent on finishing the league as strong as possible.
They rest on the exact same points as Derrynoose and sit just behind this weekend’s opponents on scoring difference.
There is a bit of history between the two sides, who have been among the top teams in the division for the last few years.
They’ve clashed in the previous two championship semi-finals and the record currently stands at 1-1.
Derrynoose where victorious in 2019 on their way to reaching the Junior final, but ultimately lost out to Collegeland in the end.
The result was reversed in 2020 as Forkhill this time got the upper hand and went on to lift the Sean Quinn Cup after a replay.
Cormac Toner remains the dangerman as Jemar Hall will be absence due to his county commitments.
Toner showed his quality last season when he claimed 2-2 in the final replay, being named Man of the Match and picking up a club All-Star.
Tony Canning was also awarded with an All-Star while being named the Junior Footballer of the Year as well.
Canning was hugely impressive when man-marking last year, most notably against Derrynoose’s Conor McNally.
McNally was named Junior Footballer of the Year in 2019 but Canning held the talented attacker scoreless from play last year.
They could again meet in a fascinating duel and the winner of that contest will go along way in helping their team get over the line.
Derrynoose will be minus the likes of Aaron Fox, Paddy Kelly and the returning Peter McKearney, who are all involved with the county hurlers.
Patrick Quinn is available however after stepping away from the county set up for the year and is likely the man to pick up Forkhill’s go-to man Toner.
It appears Derrynoose have more to play for, but Forkhill have started brilliantly and wouldn’t mind getting one over their old rivals this weekend.
