Dungannon secure promotion to AIL Division 2A but Omagh's senior stay ended
Dungannon will play in Division 2A of the All-Ireland League next season after winning 28-23 at Navan to secure promotion from Division 2B in a tightly contested Play-Off Final.
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Belfast Telegraph
an hour ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Fermanagh boss Kieran Donnelly reveals what his side must do to overcome Sligo in Tailteann Cup showdown
He may have been without a couple of key players lately but for Saturday's meeting with Sligo at Brewster Park, Enniskillen (5.00pm), Donnelly is aware that he has additional firepower in his attack. This is provided by the very much in form Conor Love who has been turning on the style recently as the Erne County have charted an encouraging course. Up until recently, Garvan Jones was Fermanagh's scorer-in-chief, a player who can be depended upon to unsettle opposing defences and make the most of scoring opportunities that come his way. But right now Jones is being given some vital assistance from Love who has been very much on song lately. He landed five points against Down and then pocketed seven against Wexford with six of these scores coming in one half of the game. Right now, it can be taken for granted that Sligo manager Tony McEntee, a 2002 All-Ireland winner with Armagh, will have Love very much in his sights as he bids to ensure that his defence is in an unyielding mood. 'Obviously Sligo are in good form at the moment and we certainly cannot take anything for granted. We have to get off the mark in this one and make sure that we take our chances,' said Donnelly. His opposite number McEntee is in his fifth year in charge of Sligo and is strongly focused on capturing silverware given the effort that he and his players have put in of late. Meanwhile, triple Tyrone All-Ireland winning manager Mickey Harte will undoubtedly have a big say in Offaly's bid to overcome Kildare in the Tailteann Cup at Cedral St Conleth's Park, Newbridge (6.30pm). Harte has watched the Lilywhites slip into a consistent vein of form and the fact that the county's hurlers won the Joe McDonagh Cup last Sunday by overcoming fancied Laois in the Final will provide their footballing brethren with another boost in their bid for glory. They could face a huge threat, though, from the accurate Dylan Hyland who scored 1-12 when Offaly overcame New York by 2-25 to 1-12. Home advantage will certainly favour Kildare in what should prove a lively affair given the manner in which both teams performed in the league. There is no doubt either that Wicklow manager Oisin McConville will have his squad fired up for the Tailteann Cup clash with Westmeath at Aughrim on Sunday (1.15pm). Wicklow have progressed quietly of late and McConville will certainly have them at concert pitch for their mission against a Westmeath side that are playing with confidence just now. It was Westmeath, indeed, who were the inaugural winners of the Tailteann Cup three years ago and by all accounts they are strongly focused on getting their hands on the trophy again. Should Wicklow hit the ground running they may well get the upper hand although this could still prove a feisty affair. In Dean Healy, Oisin McGraynor, Eoin Darcy, Mark Jackson and Joe Prendergast, Wicklow possess accomplished finishers who played a big part when the side overcame Waterford by 3-29 to 0-21 in some style in their most recent high-scoring outing.
Belfast Telegraph
an hour ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Former Ulster star on why ‘desperation' for trophy success will have major say as he plots to lead Bulls to URC Grand Final joy
And while the odds may seem somewhat weighted against the South Africans ahead of running out at Croke Park, all those involved will readily recall the Bulls having won in Dublin before when it's been sudden death. Indeed, the record isn't great as Leinster have bowed out to this opposition in the League's Semi-Final stages in 2022 (at home) and two years later in 2024 over in Pretoria. The visitors have something else going for them, too, through the presences of the hugely experienced Marcell Coetzee and Willie le Roux, who both missed out on the 2023/24 season's Final when Jake White's squad rather surprisingly lost in Pretoria to Glasgow Warriors. Coetzee, of course, was at Ulster for five years, starting in 2016, and though this was heavily punctuated by injury and didn't exactly end well with his earlier-than-anticipated departure back to Pretoria, he is a key part of what the Bulls will bring on Saturday. At 34, the still dynamic back-rower will probably not get too many more opportunities at claiming silverware and, as such, is ready to go all-out to derail Leinster, who come to this showdown with some extra baggage having already crashed out of the Champions Cup at the Semi-Final stages at home to Northampton Saints and are desperate to end their four-year trophy drought. 'It all builds up to desperation from both sides this weekend,' Coetzee admitted, with the Bulls also aiming to lift the URC title for the first time. 'So, you can expect a massive clash with a lot of energy and a lot of intensity.' He continued: 'Look, it's going to come down to moments and how we manage them and how calm, collected and controlled we are. 'And that comes with experience,' added the 31-times-capped Springbok. 'Take our captain, Ruan (Nortje). When I first arrived (at the Bulls) he was 22, now he's close to 27 and has played for the Boks. 'With guys like Willie le Roux and Johan Goosen, we have that good balance between experience and youth. 'And our leadership group has really grown by being involved in high-pressure games. 'I think you saw by our performances on the previous tour (when the Bulls beat Munster and Glasgow away in the URC) how we have matured.' Leinster have shown certain frailties in the 2024/25 season when the going has ramped up, and the Bulls are intending to bring their extra physicality to this contest as one means of getting an edge on the hosts. 'We've identified a lot of areas that we might exploit this weekend,' admitted Coetzee. 'But it's going to come down to work-rate, to being composed, and then to making the right decisions at the right time.' The Bulls also know that they must keep their heads as, though they finished runners-up to Leinster in the final table from the regular season, they are bottom of the pile in terms of discipline. Coetzee added: 'Playing against a quality side like Leinster, you can't afford to have one or two guys in the bin. You need everyone on the pitch to stop their onslaught. 'We've played each other a couple of times in the seasons prior to this and we know each other very well, and I think that's just going to make the contest more exciting this weekend.' Coetzee was on the losing side at this stage of the competition when the Stormers claimed the title in 2022 but is hungry to make amends this time around.
Belfast Telegraph
an hour ago
- Belfast Telegraph
Down riding crest of a wave in push for All-Ireland Quarter-Final slot, insists Ceilum Doherty
And no one is more aware than manager Conor Laverty that Doherty's ability to keep opponents at bay will certainly be needed when the team line out against Monaghan in an All-Ireland Championship Group Three encounter on Sunday at the Athletic Grounds, Armagh (2.00pm). In their most recent outing, Down triumphed over recently crowned Leinster champions Louth, and since then, Laverty's men have been viewed in a new light. Laverty, it goes without saying, is conscious that Monaghan will carry a huge threat on Sunday, even though they suffered relegation to Division Two in the recent Allianz Football League. While this was a setback for team boss Michael Bannigan, he believes that his side can respond to Sunday's challenge against the Mournemen. 'We know that Down will be a big test for us. That win over Louth was a huge boost for them and they will be keen to rise to the occasion on Sunday,' insists Bannigan. His optimism, though, is countered by that of Doherty, who helped Down win the Tailteann Cup in 2024 and has captured a shoal of honours in the colours of Kilcoo. Doherty is convinced that Down have gained in confidence and energy of late, and he is particularly keen to see the side get into their stride quickly against Monaghan. 'There is a buzz in the county since that win over Louth, and now the challenge for us as players is to build on it,' points out Doherty. 'We would very much like to land a place in the All-Ireland Quarter-Finals because we feel we have some new players in the side now who are producing the goods.' In this connection, goalkeeper Ronan Burns along with Adam Crimmins and John McGeough have stepped up smartly to the mark to show just how capable they are of making an impact at this level. 'It's good to see players like this coming through and they will be up for the challenge. This is a huge game for us, that's for sure,' adds Doherty.
