A high stakes weekend in the Intermediate Football Championship

It is the third round weekend in the Donegal Intermediate Championship and it is a crunch one for a number of clubs according to one former player and manager.

Ex Kilcar star and, more recently, Letterkenny Gaels manager Sean McBrearty, once played on a losing Towney side in an IFC final.

Back then, it was a straight knockout gauntlet. But given the group format now in place, McBreaty says this coming weekend has the possibility to seal a number of fates if certain teams come out on the wrong side of the results.

“This is definitely a big weekend for a lot of teams,” he explained. “If you take my own club Letterkenny Gaels, they are away to Buncrana.

“And after last Saturday night’s draw with Red Hughs, they will be hoping to build on that result.

“If Ronan Frain and Conor McBrearty hit form up front they will not be far away. Buncrana are one of the favourites for the championship and have a win and a draw under their belts.

“And they are already through to the quarter-final. Caolan McGonagle and John Campbell are two big players for Buncrana and we’ve never had much success at the Scarvey.

“Our lads' championship form is much better than we showed in the league. A number of key players are back and injury free and I do give them a chance up there.

“The reality is they need to pick up points against Buncrana, this weekend or the following weekend at home to Burt, if they are to make the quarter finals”.

The other games in Group B are the meetings of Burt and Red Hughs and Malin at home to Naomh Muire.
Burt are point-less after two rounds while Red Hughs have three points on the board after last Saturday night’s draw with Letterkenny Gaels.

“Burt versus Red Hughs is a massive game for Burt who have yet to register a win.

“They have been desperately unlucky in both the league and championship and have been badly hit with injuries.
“It is a fight for survival for Burt over the next two weekends. They are away to Letterkenny Gaels, in the last round.
“And yet if they were to beat Red Hughs, they would be heading to Letterkenny the following weekend chasing a quarter final spot.

“Red Hughs were very lucky to get the draw with Letterkenny Gaels.

“They were without Stephen McMenamin on Saturday night and I don’t know what the story is with Stephen and if he will be available or not.

“They are away to Malin, in the last of the group games so they will see this weekend’s game as their best shot at two points.
“Red Hughs will go into the game as favourites and I think they might just shade it.”

He added: “Malin are another of the fancied teams and fancy them to cement their quarter final place against Naomh Muire.
“I was reading where they were very wasteful last Sunday against Buncrana so I expect they will have done some work on that this weekend.

“And in Brendan and Christy McLaughlin they have two of the top forwards in the championship.

“Naomh Muire are still in the hunt and I think their best shot of making the last eight is next weekend at home to Buncrana”.
Termon currently top Group A with two straight wins and the men from the Burn Road laid down a big marker with their 2-8 to 1-3 win over Downings on Saturday night.

“Termon are the form team in the championship and the manner of their win over Downings, on Saturday evening was impressive.

“The fact they won the game was not a huge big surprise given they were the home team.

“But I have to confess I was expecting a much closer game.

“The fact they restricted Downings with forwards like Johnny McGroddy, Lorcan Connor and Paddy McElwee to 1-3 was a major surprise”.

Gaeil Fhánada, Bundoran, Naomh Columba - last year’s beaten finalists - and Downings, are on two points so there is a lot to play for in this group over the next two weekends.

“Termon obviously got their defensive structure right against Downings and given the forwards they have such as Ryan McFadden, Bobby McGettigan, Daire McDaid and Enda McCormick - though Enda did not play against Downings after picking up a red card in their opening game - they are a very serious intermediate team.

“They are playing Bundoran at home this weekend and if I was not going to Buncrana for the Letterkenny Gaels game, I would be heading to the Burn Road.

“I think this has the potential to be a great game. Bundoran have Paul Brennan back from injury and Jamie Brennan is, going on reports, playing the football of his life at centre half-back. Shane McGowan is by all accounts playing well too.

“A Bundoran win would see them go into the last round at home to NaomhBrid, in a great position.

“I think this will be a very close game but with home advantage I expect Termon to shade it.

“The real crunch game in Group B is the clash of Downings and Fanad Gaels. It is a home tie for Downings and a real pressure game for Kevin ‘Cookie’ Gallagher and his side.

“It really is a must win game for Downings because I don’t expect they will want to go into next week’s round four tie away to Naomh Columba wanting points.

“It will be a tricky tie for Downings, it is a local derby though I notice Michael Sweeney was not playing for Fanad last weekend.

“Bernard McGettigan has been sidelined with injury all season and Mark McAteer was in America for the summer. I'm not sure if he is home yet.

“With Termon in Portsalon, in their last game Fanad will see this weekend’s game as their best shot at the points that will take them into the last eight.

“In the final game in the group Naomh Columba are away to Naomh Brid which should see them through to the knockout stages. After losing last year’s final to Dungloe they will be anxious to get another crack at silverware.

“This weekend is going to decide the championship and as I see it you are looking at a possible quarter final line-up of Termon, Buncrana, Malin, Naomh Columba, Downings and Bundoran.

“That is six of the eight quarter-final places and leaves Red Hughs, Fanad Gaels, Naomh Muire and Letterkenny Gaels bidding for the remaining two places.”