LADIES FOOTBALL [13.08.07]

After several weeks of inactivity it’s a return to club football in Tyrone this coming week and it’s straight into the county championships which are at the semi-final stages in all grades.

Ahead this week then, its three great nights of football action at five venues with no doubt plenty of good football on the cards, all the clubs eager to reach the finals in five WJ Dolan championships. In the past month it’s been a case of challenge games and training for the bulk of the clubs as Tyrone progressed in the TG4 senior football championship.

Cill Iseal will play host to a double bill on Tuesday night, beaten senior football championship quarter finalists St Dympnas face Moy at 7-30pm while that games preceded by the junior championship tussle between last years beaten finalists Galbally and the improving Pomeroy.

In the night’s senior tie both teams are capable of serving up quality football, Dromore slight favourites though, they hold the B championship already and after their championship exit earlier this Summer the focus has been on retaining the crown again. Bolstered by county stars Sinead Mc laughlin and Orla O’Neill, they certainly have the way for all to beat the former Intermediate champions.

Galbally were left ruing missed chances in last years Junior final as Beragh secured the Brenda Logue cup at Greencastle, there’s no doubt that they will want to reach the final in 2007 , Armagh boss Hayley Boyle is just one of an experienced line up, the McGahans and Elaine Mallaghan offer the “Onagh Celts” a slight edge but Pomeroy have a young team keen to drive on to a decider.

The other Tuesday double header features quite a novel  Junior B championship semi-final coupled with the other B senior semi and unfamiliar ground for An Charraig Mhor. Newtownstewart is the venue for these fixtures and indeed for the perennial champions its Glenelly who they will have to beat if they are to reach another final. Gemma Begley and the returning to form Eilish Gormley has been in outstanding form for Tyrone and with several key personnel back the ten time senior championship holders will be hard to stop. First up at 6-15 is the Junior B championship clash between Drumquin and An Charraig Mhor B, quite a unique occasion there in Tyrone footballing history. The division four clubs in this new championship are from very different footballing backgrounds, years of underage work and a renewed vibrancy in Drumquin sees them take their place in the last four coming up against a club that has a strong championship tradition that goes back even before the formal recognition of the ladies game. The B team came together to give some of the older players and younger stars of the future a platform to play football, the championship tradition will be very evident at Newtown on Tuesday.

Moving to Wednesday and Fr Rocks will face the challenge of the county driven St Macartans in the WJ Dolan senior football championship.Five players who plied their trade with Jimmy McCloughans side through the championship and League will line out in this semi-final and the “valley” club must feel too, that with Carrickmore out of the mix, this championship is wide open.

The double header at Drumquin opens with a cracking intermediate semi-final, Sperrin Og take on the Sarah Donnelly inspired Trillick and the Donnelly park side will offer the Greencastle side plenty of food for thought. Theres no Eimear Teague but Sperrin Og have quality still and this could be a great curtain raiser, the action starts at 6-15pm. The other intermediate semi-final goes ahead in Strabane and will offer Ardboe quite a hike to North Tyrone, but the vastly improved loughshore side winners of the minor league recently and boasting some good players won’t mind if they can turn over Beragh.

Last year the Red Knights claimed the junior title but it may be as bridge too far to reach the intermediate decider, that said they are at full strength and could certainly put it up to the O’Donavan Rossas.

Drumragh will face Clann Na Gael in the Junior B championship as the curtain raiser to the Ardboe Beragh clash.

Theres plenty of attention about Thursdays encounter at Donaghmore as Aodh Ruadh go head to head with Errigal Ciaran . the Dungannon side are hungry to reach the final once again while Errigal will see this as a golden opportunity to progress. Sarah Connolly though has taken a break from football buts its likely she will line out for Tiffy Quinns side this week. Shannon Quinn, Connolly, Siobhan McGarvey and Selina Oguz though could be key to an Errigal victory.

So plenty of quality football on the cards this week as the Tyrone club scene finally roars back to life.