Killyclooney and Ardmore in weekend title joust
There’s still plenty to play for as the Long’s SuperValu senior league reaches its penultimate weekend with three teams vying for this year’s title and six more fighting out the remaining five Premier Division places for 2024.
Bready are probably the exception to both of those rules- the Magheramason club could mathematically still be involved in the race to win the league, but more realistically they’re pretty much guaranteed their top-eight finish.
While there are a host of top half v bottom half clashes on Saturday, the game between Killyclooney and Ardmore has a definite title twist to it.
The Bleachgreen side have a game in hand of the field as they host Fox Lodge next Sunday, when, weather permitting this weekend and next, the curtain will fall on the 2023 campaign.
‘Clooney need to win on Saturday to stay in the hunt themselves so there is much to play for with the winners here going top for one day at least, as Brigade aren’t in action until Sunday when they go to St Johnston.
Timmy Dougherty’s side will have to do it without their talisman, Blayde Capell, who returned to South Africa last week having racked up 1778 runs for the season.
That’s just 125 short of the all-time record held by Decker Curry, and with two matches still left, few would have bet against him posting a new target; however we’ll never know!
Six teams will finish their season this Saturday, including Bready, who will guarantee their status with a win at home to Glendermott- another side wrapping up their campaign.
Bonds Glen, Strabane, Ballyspallen and Burndennett are the others closing out their summer this weekend- and while all four will be playing in the Championship next year, ‘Dennett have one last attempt at recording a win in this season’s league programme when they visit Fox Lodge.
Unfortunately for them, the Foxies can’t afford to be in end-of-season mode as they are one of the sides chasing a Premiership place, and there is much work still to be done for the Ballymagorry boys.
This weekend could go a long way towards deciding that issue as Fox Lodge then host Coleraine on Sunday- the pair currently separated in the race for eight by just two points.
That’s very much the game of the day with both sides knowing how pivotal the outcome is likely to be.
The Bannsiders host Ballyspallen on Saturday knowing two wins for either themselves or Fox Lodge would be a massive boost to their chances of finishing in the top eight.
It’s all to play for now over the next couple of weekends and with the weather seemingly set fair for the next few days, we could know a lot more come Sunday evening.
The weekend fixtures and current league standings can be found below-
LONG’S SUPERVALU LEAGUE FIXTURES
Saturday (12 noon)
Coleraine v Ballyspallen
Donemana v Strabane
Bready v Glendermott
St Johnston v Eglinton
Fox Lodge v Burndennett
Killyclooney v Ardmore
Newbuildings v Bonds Glen
Sunday
Strabane v Bonds Glen
Newbuildings v Donemana
Fox Lodge v Coleraine
St Johnston v Brigade
LONG’S SUPERVALU SENIOR LEAGUE- CURRENT STANDINGS
| TEAM | PLAYED | WON | LOST | NO RESULT | BONUS PTS | TOTAL PTS |
| 1-Brigade | 12 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 51 | 231 |
| 2- Ardmore | 11 | 9 | 2 | 0 | 34 | 214 |
| 3-Killyclooney | 12 | 9 | 3 | 0 | 32 | 212 |
| 4-Bready | 13 | 9 | 3 | 1 | 27 | 207 |
| 5-Eglinton | 12 | 7 | 5 | 0 | 35 | 175 |
| 6-Newbuildings | 11 | 7 | 3 | 1 | 29 | 169 |
| 7-Donemana | 11 | 6 | 4 | 1 | 38 | 158 |
| 8-Fox Lodge | 11 | 6 | 4 | 0 | 29 | 149 |
| 9-Coleraine | 11 | 6 | 5 | 0 | 27 | 147 |
| 10-St Johnston | 11 | 5 | 5 | 1 | 21 | 121 |
| 11-Strabane | 12 | 4 | 7 | 1 | 29 | 109 |
| 12-Bonds Glen | 12 | 3 | 8 | 1 | 21 | 81 |
| 13-Glendermott | 13 | 3 | 10 | 0 | 12 | 72 |
| 14- Ballyspallen | 13 | 2 | 10 | 1 | 11 | 51 |
| 15-Burndennett | 13 | 0 | 13 | 0 | 29 | 29 |
