Castlerahan take on Corduff in Ulster semi

GAA preview

This Sunday, Castlerahan meet Monaghan champions Corduff Gaels in the Ulster Intermediate Club Championship semi-final (1.15pm, Crossmaglen).

The Cavan champions had a tremendous away win over Fermanagh’s Devenish in the quarter-final, a game in which the Breffni men soaked up a lot of pressure before coming up with big scores when they were most needed, with Cormac Daly particularly impressive when the game was in the melting pot.

While Devenish were regarded as the strongest Erne representatives in the competition in a long time, Corduff are expected to represent another step up in quality.

While Cavan have won this competition just once (Ballinagh in 2007), and have been in two further finals (Drumgoon in 2002 and Mullahoran in 2018), four different Monaghan clubs – Magheracloone, Truagh, Inniskeen and Sean McDermotts – have won it while Inniskeen have been runners-up twice, with Doohamlet and Donaghmoyne also making finals.

Corduff’s credentials are solid. They are managed by former Monaghan bainisteoir Seamus McEnaney and have a strong backroom team, with Derry manager Rory Gallagher involved behind the scenes.

They beat Magheracloone with a late goal in the county final and had a good win over Down champions Saval last time out. Seven of their team were named last week on the Monaghan IFC Team of the Year, namely goalkeeper Ben Woods, defenders Sean, Dylan and Conor McEnaney and Padraic Keenan, and forwards Fergal Hanratty and Keith McEnaney.

Corduff are very slight favourites with the bookmakers (10/11) to win the match but Castlerahan have plenty of cause for optimism. Brian Donohoe’s side boast vast experience and have match-winners all over the field, with Oisin O’Connell usually good for a goal in big games and the likes of Enda Flanagan, Oisin Kiernan, David Wright, Enda O’Connell and Stephen Cooney among the top players in senior football in Cavan over the last decade.

A physical, attritional game is likely and those are conditions in which the Cavan side are comfortable.