The Michael Lyng Motors Carlow Senior Football Championship reaches the semi-final stage this weekend with both games live on KCLR.
First up at 7.15pm on Saturday, undefeated Palatine take on county champions Rathvilly.
Then on Sunday, there’s a 3.45pm throw-in for the clash of Mount Leinster Rangers and Tinryland.
Netwatch Cullen Park promises to be brimming with colour and atmosphere as four proud clubs look to seal their place in next month’s decider.
Here, we take a look at the first semi-final between Palatine and Rathvilly.
Palatine vs Rathvilly – Michael Lyng Motors Hyundai Carlow Senior Football Championship semi-final – Saturday, 7.15pm, Netwatch Cullen Park
This really is as box office as it comes in the Carlow Senior Football Championship.
Rathvilly are on a mission to prove that last year’s success was not merely a fluke but rather the start of a dominant reign on Barrowside.
There’s no denying that they have not been in the greatest shape this season with defeats to Saturday’s opponents Palatine and Mount Leinster Rangers coming in the group stages.
They did respond last weekend with a quarter-final win over Eire Og and they will be hoping that they are about to come good at just the right time.
Palatine have been the form team of this year’s championship and come into this clash undefeated.
They will come into the game as slight favourites and it will be interesting to see if they can maintain their high standards in knockout football.
With Eire Og no longer involved and the championship as open as it ever has been in recent memory, there’s an opportunity for Palatine to make history or Rathvilly to repeat it.
The Pal men will be hoping that they will be the main contenders come the final whistle on Saturday evening, but Rathvilly may well put in a performance and find a result that sends them into yet another decider.
Verdict: Rathvilly will show why they are champions and win by a single score after a titanic tussle in Carlow GAA Headquarters.
