When the championship draw was made, both Sarsfields and Dromintee would have been happy with who they got.
It’s a massive opportunity for both sides to reach the last eight of the senior championship.
It’s been five years since Sarsfields last featured that late in the competition. They faced champions at the time, Maghery, who won 1-16 to 3-7.
Eamon McGeown hit two goals that night and he remains one of the main men in the High Moss ranks.
Edge of the square
The McGeown brothers, Eamon and Paul, could feature anywhere from midfield up and have the potential to form a twin tower effect in the full forward line.
Sarsfields attacking unit is their strong point. The McAlinden’s Thomas and Kevin along with Colin and Michael Stevenson are all sharpshooters on their day.
In defence, they’ll rely on the likes of Shane and James McAlinden as well as captain Niall Kerr, who lines out at centre half back.
Declan Breen has been named at midfield but will likely head back towards the defence and help out there.
Especially if Dromintee opt to play Cathal McKenna on the edge of the square. They could choose to bombard the last line of Sarsfields’ defence.
Conor Martin is back this year to help out the Dromintee attack that will be minus Niall Courtney, who is out for the rest of the season.
Experienced goalkeeper Phillip McEvoy is also back in the fold and will line out between the sticks for Dromintee.
The St Patrick’s club haven’t made it to the last eight of the Senior Championship since 2016. Maghery also ended their run that year.
This is a massive chance for both teams to make it through and it’ll be about who can keep the scores down.
Neither look to have any real problem working the scoreboard, but it’s at the other end that both managers will be concerned.
It should be an interesting and even affair, and Sarsfields may just have enough to get across the line.
