PREVIEW: Big weekend for Kildare champs Milltown and St Kevin’s in Leinster Club

While Sarsfields will be heading to Parnell Park on Saturday for Leinster Club SFC quarter-final action, both Milltown and St Kevin’s will also be attempting to make it to the last four in the intermediate and junior club respectively.

Kildare intermediate champions, Milltown, will head to Cedral St Conleth’s Park, Newbridge, on Sunday with a 1.30 throw-in, where they will play Meath champions Duleek Bellewstown.

It took a replay before Milltown got the better of Suncroft in the National Electrical Wholesalers (NEW) final a few weeks ago and they followed that up with a comprehensive victory over Mostrim of Longford, a scoreline of 2-18 to 0-1 tells its own story.

Of course at Leinster Club level, the opening game is the vital one with teams coming back after a week or so of celebrations and while that game may not have been as competitive as John Donnelly may have been hoping for, it is all about getting over the first game, and then getting the focus right as a place in the last four is up for grabs.

Needless to say Milltown led from start to finish in that opening game, played in Glennon Brothers Pearse Park.

Again to the fore that day was the strong midfield pairing of Joe Dunne and Conor Sheerin, the latter scoring five points in total, which included one two-point free. Also showing up well that day were Alan Dignam, Paddy Donoghue, Ronan O’Shea who got one goal, the other coming from Ben Curran who hit 1-2 on the day.

Milltown will be full of confidence and hopefully they get the win in a competition that Kildare clubs have done exceptionally well over the past number of years.

JUNIOR CLUB

Meanwhile St Kevin’s will be on the road when they travel to take on St Brigid’s, a game fixed for 1.30 in Daingean GAA.

Philip Casey’s side also had a very comfortable victory in their opening Leinster Club when they had too much for Kilkenny’s Muckalee, winning 4-20 to 2-10.

It was a comfortable win and the boys in red and black never looked in any trouble when leading 202 to 0-2 after just ten minutes, the goals coming from Mark Grace and Kevin Ward, they led at the break 4-8 to 0-6, Kevin Ward and Jamie O’Brien raising the green flags.

A little worrying was the fact that St Kevin’s did concede 2-4 in the second half and while it can be difficult at times to keep the concentration levels up in such circumstances, nevertheless they will need to tighten up a little as the opposition will get stiffer and they progress.

Still they will head to Daingean, more than hopeful and after enjoying a great championship to date they will be anxious to extend their season and book a place in the Leinster Junior club semi-final.

FIXTURES - Saturday November, 14

AIB Leinster Club Senior Football Championship Quarter Final, Parnell Park, Cuala V Sarsfields 4:45pm Referee: Alan Coyne

AIB Leinster Club Intermediate Football Championship Quarter Final, at Cedral St. Conleth’s Park, Newbridge, Milltown V Duleek Bellewstown 1:30pm Referee: Eamon O’Connor

AIB Leinster Club Junior Football Championship Quarter Final, at Daingean GAA, St. Brigids V St. Kevins 1:30pm Referee: Enda Kelly