One of the heavyweights of the Intermediate Championship will be gone by Saturday night as Shane O’Neill’s take on St Peter’s.
They were probably the two teams that everyone wanted to avoid before the draw was made two weeks ago.
Shane O’Neill’s have already earned promotion to senior level for next year having won the Division 2A league.
But they’ll be targeting a league and championship double and won’t want their season to end just yet.
During their successful league campaign, they met and beat St Peter’s twice, giving them the edge this weekend.
The Lurgan men finished just behind the table toppers in second place, losing three games in total.
The Camlough men solidified their title as championship favourites with a huge win over Whitecross in the first round, although they didn’t get it all their own way.
Youngster Ruairi O’Brien came off the bench to finish the game as top scorer with 2-2. The experienced Paul O’Rourke claimed 1-2 from the full forward line.
Match Ups
Ciaran Mackin is the main man at centerfield and his class with former Armagh midfielder Aaron Findon could be crucial.
Another match up that could be worth keeping an eye on is in the Shane’s defence. Greg McCabe is likely to go head-to-head with St Peter’s sharpshooter Niall McConville.
The pair are hugely influential players in their respective teams. Whoever comes out on top of that tie could go a long win in deciding the game.
Shane O’Neill’s got over the first hurdle without Connaire Mackin, and his availability is still unknown.
If Mackin is back and in the mix that will certainly give Patrick Gregory’s men an extra boost and offer another headache for St Peter’s.
If Davy Wilson’s side are to prevail, they’ll need Niall McConville and Niall Creaney on top of their game and expect another star performance from Emmet Haughian at half back.
