By Kevin Regan
The Carlow Intermediate Football Championship commences tonight in Netwatch Cullen Park with Clonmore facing Fenagh at 7.30.
Here’s how I think each team will get on this Season.
Group 1
Fenagh
Manager: Martin Murray
Captain: James Kinsella
Key Player: Sean Murphy
Young Gun: Eoin McDonagh
Verdict: Fenagh struggled at the start of the year but have slowly but surely started to get the wheels back on the wagon. Quarter Finalists.
Clonmore
Manager: John McCormack
Captain: Anthony Byrne
Key Player: Niall Humphries
Young Gun: Anthony Byrne
Verdict: The first game against Fenagh is a crucial one, but its hard to know what to expect from Clonmore each year. They could well be in a relegation decider this year.
Fighting Cocks
Manager: Niall Connolly
Captain: Liam Shepherd
Key Player: Kieran Nolan
Young Gun: Tom Eustace is a borderline young gun given the age profile of the team!
Verdict: The Cocks are a team which are extremely hard to break down and have got things in order in recent weeks. Quarter Finalists
St Andrews
Manager: Hamish Beaton
Captain: John Doyle
Key Player: Shane Clarke
Young Gun: Rory Doyle
Verdict: The Bagenalstown outfit have been going well this year with Barry Hayes in as trainer and I fancy them to have a big say in this years championship. County Finalists.
Group 2
Grange
Manager: Pierce McCarthy
Captain: Ned Pender
Key Player: John Murphy
Young Gun: Cathal Bailey
Verdict: Grange have changed manager after coming up from Junior A last year, but find themselves in a very difficult group along with Ballinabranna, Naomh Eoin and Kilbride so they could well be heading straight back down.
Ballinabranna
Manager: Damien ‘Smiler’ Sheehan
Captain: Gary Dunne
Key Player: Darren Lunney
Young Gun: Colin Byrne
Verdict: Ballinabranna will be disappointed having come down from Senior last year and will be eager to atone for that this year. Semi Finalists
Naomh Eoin
Manager: Mick Redmond and James Smithers
Captain: TBA
Key Player: John Michael Nolan
Young Gun: Donal Smithers
Verdict: The Myshall outfit are always a tough nut to crack regardless of who they have. Semi Finalists
Kilbride
Manager: Damien Farrell
Captain: Seamus Gray
Key Player: Darragh Foley
Young Gun: Kilbride are a very experienced side, Mark Curry is probably the closest age to a young gun!
Verdict: Kilbride were beaten by a classy O’Hanrahans outfit in last years county final and I think they will have learned enough from that experience to become county champions this year.
