Ballincollig bid to make third minor football final in row

The semi-finals of the Cork ETB Premier 1 and 2 minor football championships take place tonight, with a double header at SuperValu Páirc Ui Chaoimh 4G pitch.

Title-holders Ballincollig will be second into action against Clonakilty at 8pm, and before them Douglas face Carrigaline at 6.30pm.

The Premier 2 semis are also on with St Finbarr’s facing Macroom at 6.30pm at Ovens, as Diarmuid Ó Murchu play Killeagh at Sallybrook, also at 6.30pm.

Ballincollig will be hoping to make it three in-a-row in the Premier 1 competition but know they face a tough test against Clon this evening.

In the group stages, they started with a loss to Carrigaline, before recovering with good wins over Nemo and Bishopstown.

Ballincollig, Nemo, and Carrigaline all finished level, with the latter two having to play-off to see who reached the semi-finals.

Ballincollig won the draw and avoided the playoff to go straight to the semi-final.

The West Cork side are the only undefeated team after the group stages and will be considered slight favourites to win tonight.

They have plenty of talented players in their side, with their attack led by the likes of Tom Whooley, Emmet Nolan, Mattie Lyons, and Jack Byerley.

James Costello and Fionn O’Donovan will anchor their defence.

In the group stages, they got the better of Douglas, Na Piarsaigh, and Glanmire to top the group and now have the chance to dethrone the reigning champions tonight.

The Village have Cork All-Ireland winning minor captain Joe Miskella to lead them, along with the likes of Luke O’Mahony, Bobby Power, and Alan Joaefoswki.

Defensively, they will need big games from the likes of Jack Costello and Jack Ryan to see them through.

In the other semi-final, Carrigaline will also be slight favourites against a Douglas team that had a mixed campaign.

Carrigalline started with an impressive win over Ballincollig and followed it up with a narrow one over Bishopstown.

In their third game, they lost to Nemo, which forced the play. But at the second time of asking, they were too strong for the Trabeg side and advanced to the semi-final.

They will look to the likes of Eoghan Ahern, Jack O’Grady, Sam Collins, and Matthew Kiernan tonight. Douglas were poor in their opening game against Clon, but followed it up with a good win over Glanmire. Against Na Piarsaigh, they started well, but were hanging on towards the end.

For them they will need big games from the likes of Thomas Murray, Ben Herlihy, Liam Cregan, and Diarmuid O’Donoghue to have any chance of reaching the final.

 In the Premier 2 deciders, the Barrs and Diarmuid Ó Murchu’s drew in the group stages, and it would be no great surprise to see them meet again in the final.

Both will be slight favourites in their respective semis, with both games expected to be close affairs.

FIXTURES

TONIGHT

Cork ETB Premier 1 MFC semi-finals: Douglas v Carrigaline, 6.30pm. Ballincollig v Clonakilty, 8pm, both games at the SuperValu Páirc Ui Chaoimh 4G pitch.

Cork ETB Premier 2 MFC semi-finals: Diarmuid Ó Murchu v Killeagh, Sallybrook, 6.30pm. Macroom v St Finbarr’s, Ovens, 6.30pm.