This weekend brings with it some cracking fixtures in the Kilkenny & District League as we reach the semi-final stages in the KCLR McCalmont Cup.
Four teams across three divisions will battle it out for a spot in the final of Kilkenny’s most coveted cup competition. Both Freebooters and Callan United represent the Premier Division, whereas Deen Celtic will fly the flag for Division 1 and Evergreen 46 are the Division 3 ambassadors.
Derdimus plays host to both games on Sunday, with the clash of Callan and Evergreen 46 kicking off first at 11 a.m. while Deen Celtic meets Freebooters at 3 p.m.
Let’s have a look at how each team progressed in the competition so far.
Freebooters
The Pat Maher Shield Champions have had a pretty unforgiving schedule with the side competing on all fronts. Booters are coming off some tough defeats after losing to Trim Celtic in a Leinster semi-final and finishing runners-up to Evergreen in the Premier Division, bringing it down to the wire. Still, though the city side would have to be considered favorites to win the competition outright. The cup competition started out with a 4 – 0 over Division 3 champions East End, before dispatching Fort Rangers 3-0. Fort Rangers were by no means an easy side to get passed after they knocked out defending Champions Evergreen in the opening rounds. Next up was their fellow Pat Maher Shield finalists Bridge United, and repeated the same result they did in that final, which was 3-1.
Deen Celtic
The Comer side ended the season with a promotion to the Premier division finishing runner-up in the second tier, and unfortunately for them losing out in the Billy Leahy Memorial Cup Final to St. Canices. This goes to show how committed Deen Celtic will be to winning silverware this season, having come so close in two competitions. After getting passed Spa United in the competition opener, Celtic did manage to get one over Division 1 rivals St. Canices in the last 16, with a 2-1 win. Clover United then brought them to the wire in the quarter-final stages. With the two sides reaching a draw at 2-2 after extra time, Deen Celtic managed to pull off a 3-2 win on penalties.
Callan United
After experiencing a difficult season in the Premier Division, Callan United have proved their credentials in the KCLR McCalmont Cup this season. Callan United received a bye in the first round of the competition before meeting Castlewarren Celtic in the next round. A last-minute winner secured the win over the Division 2 side in The Watershed and it was onto the next round for Eddie McEvoy’s side. They then faced a tough task against last season’s KCLR McCalmont Cup finalists, Thomastown United. A 3-1 win over their fellow Premier Division side secured Callan a semi-final berth against Evergreen 46
Evergreen 46
Evergreen has had an interesting journey in the tournament so far having yet to win a game in the competition. They received a bye in the first two rounds and their result against Highview was reversed after their opponents were deemed to have fielded an ineligible player. Considering other Evergreen sides have been knocked out of the competition in the early stages, there may (Waiting on rule clarification from KDL) be players not cup-tied from their Premier Division winning side, along with their second team and Division 2 league winning team, who are eligible to play in the semi-final for 46. If they go this route, which is well within their rights, the Division 3 side will be a dangerous threat. However that would be the case regardless of what team they play, as ’46 has already managed to reach a final this season. The Kells Road team is in The Division 3 Jim Maher Memorial Cup Final where they will take on defending champions Newpark on the 21st.
