Connollys and Harps set sights on retaining league crowns

DUNEDIN Connollys and Tír Conaill Harps will be looking to make it two-in-a-row in their respective Senior and Intermediate League Finals, with both teams having been the stand-out performers in their competitions.

The ever-formidable Edinburgh side head into the Senior League Final at the end of this month undefeated, after a thrilling win over the side they’ll face in the final—Glasgow Gaels—by the tightest of margins 2-15 to 2-14. Gaels, however, will be buoyed by strong wins over Tír Conaill Harps and Stirling Carrigans, two games in which they racked up a massive nine goals and 36 points.

The final, set to take place in Peterson Park, Yoker in the last weekend of June is not to be missed if previous clashes between Scotland’s Senior Football heavyweights are

anything to go by.

Harps, meanwhile, have built on some excellent results in May to confirm their place in this year’s Intermediate League Final, which will be played on their home ground in Cambuslang on the same weekend as the Senior League Final.

Tír Conaill saw off Glasgow Gaels Intermediates in Clydebank by a scoreline of 1-11 to 0-06, before going on to defeat Connollys Intermediates with a 4-08 to 2-09 win (above) with Phil Lambert and Kieran Turner playing pivotal roles in securing the victory.

The Glasgow side could face Connollys Intermediate side again if they overcome last year’s finalists Stirling Carrigans in the Intermediate Play-Off match. Dunedin bounced back from the loss to Harps with a hard-fought win—4-14 to 3-16—over a Dalriada side who had enjoyed an emphatic victory over Gaels Intermediates the week previous.

Will having played more games in the lead-up to the play-off benefit Connollys? Or will Carrigans, having had time to rest and recuperate after their loss to Gaels be primed and ready to reach another final? Time will tell!

Tír Conaill Harps Ladies, meanwhile, can look forward to a Junior League Shield Final against Stirling Carrigans, having shown plenty of promise and determination already this season.

In a match that would decide who would play Connollys in the Junior League Final, Dalriada eventually came out on top by a scoreline of 1-10 to 2-04. It was an impressive performance from the Harps side, which boasted a host of new faces who combined seamlessly and showed great understanding across the pitch.

Harps led for large periods of the contest and demonstrated tremendous heart, grit and commitment, but it was the home side who booked their place in the Junior League Final. Plenty of positives for the Harps management team though to take forward.

In a dress-rehearsal for the Junior League Shield Final, however, Harps came out on top 1-17 to 2-03 in Stirling. Determined to build on the encouraging signs shown against Dalriada, Harps produced a superb all-round confident display to get the win.

With one league fixture remaining against Dunedin Connollys, Harps will be eager to carry their positive momentum forward and finish their campaign on a high.