MOST of the boxes in the Teamkit Antrim Senior Camogie Championship are likely to be ticked by 6.30pm on Saturday evening.
Dunloy currently head the table after two comfortable wins over Brídíní Óga, Glenravel and Cushendall. Cushendall and Loughgiel drew with each other and picked up one victory each, while Ballycastle are on one win.
Results in the two games down for decision can probably determine the top three teams ahead of the last round of games next week.
Dunloy won the Division one league earlier in the summer and have been playing particularly well with pace and accuracy up front. They have also beaten Loughgiel in league games and don’t fear them.
There is always a lot of expectation on the Shamrocks. They have won the last 10 Antrim titles, so their recent draw with Cushendall and then a less-than-convincing performance against Ballycastle have some believing that they are at their most vulnerable.
However, they have been coping with a lot of changes in the team this season as well as recent injuries.
Caitrín Dobbin came off the bench to hit three points against Ballycastle and see them over the line and the fortnight since should see the ace poacher back in the starting line-up for the visit of their main rivals.
Later on Saturday, Ballycastle host a resurgent Cushendall. Last year’s beaten finalists have lost a number of key players in their title challenge, while Cushendall are bringing through some superb under-age players.
Maeve Kelly looked sharp in the last outing against Loughgiel, while the McIntosh sisters have done a lot of scoring. If the Cushendall defence hold out against this threat they have minors like Kady McNeill and Orlaith McAlister who can pick off the scores to guarantee them a place in the semi-finals.
It’s Cushendall’s last group game and they need to get something from it to progress, while Loughgiel, Dunloy and Ballycastle will all get another bite of the apple in the final round of games next weekend.
Also on Saturday, there’s a Derry quarter-final double-header in Ballinderry, with the first game sure to be feisty enough. That’s between Bellaghy and Lavey.
Bellaghy didn’t really get out of the blocks the evening they played Swatragh in the group section, but they have performed well in the other two games with a good range of scorers.
Aoife Shaw and Maria Rafferty can cause them problems, however, while Carla Collins, from frees, can eat into their confidence. This should be a close game with a guarded nod towards Bellaghy making the semi-finals.
The second game should be a comfortable win for Ballinascreen – even with the continued absence of top-scorer Áine Barton, who picked up an injury a fortnight ago against Slaughtneil.
Eoghan Rua did well to finish third in their group, but there was a huge gap between them and both Bellaghy and Swatragh.
In Down, the only issue to be resolved in the final round of games in Group A on Sunday is who plays Ballygalget in the quarter-finals. The winner will come from the game in Ballyholland, where Ballycran are the visitors.
Both teams are a little off the pace for competing at the top end of the competition, but Ballyholland have shown more potential in their other group games than a Ballycran side that has more experience, but badly need scoring support for Neisha McCullough.
In the other game, anything but a win for Clonduff over Kilcoo would register as a major shock.
