It’s National Football League finals weekend and JOE looks firstly at the Division 3 and 4 titles up for grabs.
By Ciaran Brennan
It’s an Easter weekend feast of football at Croke Park, as Saturday evening gives us the League finals of Divisions 3 and 4, while on Sunday it’s the turn of the top two flights to put on their decider. And yet judging by the coverage of most media outlets, you’d be forgiven for thinking that there was no match at all on Saturday and just one big game on Sunday with a little bit of a curtain raiser before it.
But I guess when we say “most media” we’re talking about outlets churning out production in the capital. And they just can’t stop handing over a big stick to their country cousins, with which to be spanked, can they?
Okay, we can understand the concentration of interest on the Dublin v Cork game. It is the Division 1 decider, and in Dublin you have the biggest draw in the game. And in the Rebels, the Dubs happen to be playing the current League and All-Ireland champions. But in the interests of balance, let’s talk a little about the first two finals that are being played over the weekend, and then we can concentrate on the “big one”.
Division 4
The entertainment kicks off at 5pm on Saturday when Roscommon and Longford meet in the Division 4 decider. Roscommon are the current Connaught champions and comfortably qualified for promotion to Division 3 for next year. Manager Fergal O’Donnell has a very well drilled outfit here, and even without too much shine from Donie, they were well able to keep the scoreboard ticking over throughout the campaign.
Longford meanwhile are a difficult nut to crack. Especially in this, a Lough Ree derby. And just because the Rossies have a championship game against New York the following weekend, don’t expect Longford to treat them with kid gloves in the tackle. In the Barden boys and Sean McCormack, among others, Longford have the personnel to worry any team and given the ability of both teams, this game should set the tone for an exciting weekend.
Division 3
Westmeath also have a “special one” on their roster, the irrepressible Dessie Dolan.
The Division 3 final sees Westmeath and Louth go to battle. A lack of quality? Well, no. These two met in a cracking Leinster semi-final last summer, won by the Wee county men, and remember how close they subsequently came to be crowned champs? Peter Fitzpatrick’s team, with the magnificent Paddy Keenan in midfield are looking to push on from last year’s exploits and will see this game as a very useful exercise before their championship opener against Carlow in June, also at headquarters.
Westmeath also have a “special one” on their roster, the irrepressible Dessie Dolan. It’s not all that long ago since the maroons were Leinster champions and they would dearly love to sit at the top table again. But they know that this will not happen if the reliance is on Dolan alone to pull them through. And in fairness to them there seems to have been a greater spread of scoring responsibility across the team, throughout the League.
So, who will be the victors and who the vanquished before the Easter bunny visits on Saturday night?
These are two difficult games to call, but in the first game, if they’re not too much in a New York state of mind, Roscommon should just have enough to pip Longford. Unfortunately for Westmeath the breaking news is that Dessie Dolan won’t make it for the game. There are plenty experienced performers capable of stepping up to the plate, but Dolan’s absence may prove too much of a handicap for them. So it’s Louth by a few points for me.
Check in tomorrow to see how we feel the two Sunday fixtures will pan out.
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