IAFC and Premier JFC quarter-finals and relegation play-offs previews

We have entered the business end of the McCarthy Insurance Group Football Championships with big games taking place this weekend in the IAFC and Premier JFC.

The first of the two quarter-final encounters takes place on Saturday from the IAFC. A large crowd is expected in Mallow for the meeting of Boherbue and Glanworth at 5.30pm.

Boherbue fell at the quarter-final stage last year and will be aiming to do better than that this time around. They are one of the leading contenders for this year's championship, but they will need to improve from their one-point loss to Glanmire in the final group game two weeks ago. Kevin Cremin, Gerry O’Sullivan and Liam Moynihan will be key players.

Glanworth have surprised a lot of people in reaching this stage, but they won’t just want to settle for this. They did lose to Mitchelstown by four points in their final group game. Before that, they were excellent in wins over Ballinora and St Vincent’s. Darragh O’Brien, David Pyne and Stephen Condon lead their charge.

The other quarter-final tie takes place on Sunday in Páirc Uí Rinn at 2pm between Mitchelstown and Gabriel Rangers.

The Town don’t need reminding that they have been the nearly men at this grade for a while now. They have lost finals in 2017, ’20, ‘21 and ’23. Having Mark Keane available while he’s home with the AFL over until next year is a big plus for them. Cathail O’Mahony isn’t exactly firing on all cylinders due to injury, but if he does, Mitchelstown will be hard to beat.

Despite the loss to Adrigole in the final group game, Gabriel Rangers were already through. They only conceded 0-10, but scoring 1-5 even taking the conditions into consideration would have been frustrating for the West Cork team. Paddy O’Driscoll, Mark Cronin and James O’Regan will be integral figures. 

Glanmire and Adrigole are in the respective semi-finals as they can sit back and take in the two quarter-finals.

Mayfield is the venue on Saturday for the IAFC relegation play-off between city rivals St Vincent’s and Na Piarsaigh with throw-in at 4pm. Both sides lost all three group matches, with Na Piarsaigh hoping to avoid a second successive relegation.

St Vincent's Blake Murphy, who left the Cork football panel earlier this year, hit 3-3, all coming in the second half, in the two-point loss to Ballinora in the final group game. If Murphy is on fire again, it’s very hard to see anything other than a St Vincent’s victory.

Moving down to the Premier JFC, the two quarter-final encounters take place this weekend.

In Ovens tomorrow, last year’s beaten finalists Kilmurry take on Glenville at 7.30pm. Kilmurry were well below their best in the loss to neighbours Canovee last time out, while Glenville were beaten by Kinsale. Both will be looking for a positive response. The winners face Buttevant in the last four.

Last season’s County JAFC winners Canovee lock horns with Urhan on Saturday in Drimoleague at 5.30pm, with the winners meeting Kinsale in the semi-final.

Both will be coming into this one high in confidence. Canovee were impressive in the five-point win over Kilmurry to secure their knockout place, while despite the one-point defeat to Buttevant, Urhan showed a lot of positive signs in the second half in that final group game.

The relegation play-off in this grade is on Saturday in Newcestown at 4pm between St Nick’s and St James’.

St Nick’s were in the top grade of Cork football in 2019, and could be in the sixth grade in 2025. That would be some fall from grace.