Big weekend of cup action starts tonight!
Having managed to find a format that worked really well in difficult circumstances this year, the NWCU was prompted this week to try to find reserve dates for their knockout cup competitions given the huge amount of rain to fall in recent days.
With a busy fortnight looming it is hoped however that most grounds will be able to recover in time to accommodate what could well be an exciting finale to this strangest of years.
Scheduled action starts tonight with the two T10 finals- Brigade hosting Newbuildings in the senior competition while Bready meet Fox Lodge in the Plate. The game at Beechgrove is sure to attract plenty of interest between two sides who have been very well matched this season. Prospects of play are quite good at the Limavady Road venue and fingers crossed that the Plate final at Magheramason may also get the green light.
There are a host of Qualifying finals lined up for over the weekend as well as the semi-finals of the senior competitions. A lot of attention will focus on the senior cup games involving Donemana and Coleraine as well as Bready v Brigade.
The game at the Holm looks very well matched up although the hosts have a fantastic recent record against the Bannsiders, especially in the blue riband competition. Donemana will start slight favourites although the visitors look to have a lot of quality in the side this season and will be a real handful.
Holders Brigade will be fancied by many to see off Bready and the Magheramason side will be hoping that Conor Olphert is fit to lead the attack against Andy Britton’s men. Brigade have had to dig deep a few times this season already and with the cup final set to be played at their ground next weekend, they would dearly love to be involved.
Clubs should note for these games that although a reserve date is being facilitated, every effort must be made to play games at the first attempt, including on ‘mats’ if necessary.
Good luck to all involved in knockout ties this weekend.
WEEKEND FIXTURES
28th August (6:30pm)
T10 Premiership Final
Brigade v Newbuildings
29th August (all 2pm)
Senior Cup
- Donemana v Coleraine
- Bready v Brigade
Faughan Valley Cup
- Newbuildings v Eglinton
- Killyclooney v Fox Lodge
Sammy Jeffrey Shield
- Bonds Glen v Burndennett
- Ballyspallen v St Johnston
Eric Cooke Cup
- Ardmore v Strabane
Qualifying Cups
- Killyclooney 2 v Fox Lodge 2
- Donemana 2 v Letterkenny
- Coleraine 2 v North Fermanagh
- Eglinton 2 v Newbuildings 2
- Brigade 2 v Ballyspallen 2
- The Nedd v Ardmore 2
- Glendermott 2 v Sion Mills
- Bready 2 v St Johnston 2
- Burndennett 2 v Maghera
Sunday 30th August (2pm)
Q3 semi-finals
- Bready 3 v Newbuildings 3
- Eglinton 3 v Ardmore 3
