Saval to give Reds their fill

ROSTREVOR have been favourites to win the Down Parador Lodge Intermediate Championship from before a ball was thrown in.

A team perhaps too good for the middle tier but struggled at the top end at the start of the season. Results and performances have improved in the second half of the season and wins against Ballyholland, An Riocht and Loughinisland in Division One and they haven’t looked back. Benny Coulter is expected to win the title, but his former Down All-Star team-mate Danny Hughes has quietly been building a force at his native club Saval.

Hughes cut his managerial teeth at Carrickcruppen, Newry Shamrocks before returning to his home club. And Saval will give the Reds their fill of it.

Saval last won the Championship in 1995, whereas Rostrevor won the title in 2017 and reached the Ulster Final where they lost to Moy by a point, who went on to win the Intermediate All-Ireland.

But this is a different Rostrevor, there’s half the team left from that era. They are team that blow hot and cold during every match. They have put teams away in the campaign without too much fuss or excitement. They tend to soak up what is thrown at them and when they need to add a touch of class, we certainly haven’t seen the best of them.

The Murdock brothers Finn and Eoin are fine corner-backs. Tenacious and solid, they come out of most battles with the ball. Joe Morgan is someone who gets about the pitch and puts Rostrevor on the front foot. Tomas Mulholland is a fine operator, while James Donaghy, Paddy and Peter Magee, James Rice, top keeper Jonny Parr and Jonny Connolly are seasoned campaigners but with plenty of years still in them. If Piaras Kane and Conor Doyle are in shooting form then they might have too much for the men in green.

However, Saval are a team that have grown with every game in the championship. They are in the last two of the competition on merit but will need to be more clinical in front of the posts than they have been so far if they are to lift the title.

Daniel McCarthy is an excellent man-marker and is likely to pick up Doyle or Kane and be expected the help out around the middle. Ronan McCarthy is a tough no-nonsense tackler while Dean Rice is another player that has become useful around the middle. A great high catcher, Dean Rice hasn’t got forward as much as previous seasons but cousin Keelan Rice offers an attacking edge, whether he starts or springs from the bench. Michael McCarthy is a decent target man and that route could be an option, should Pat Havern drift to midfield.

The battle on the line between Down legend’s Benny Coulter and Danny Hughes will be an interesting one and regardless who wins, there’ll be a south Down team in the Ulster Club Championship. This should be a tasty encounter.

Saturday (October 15) at 5pm

Down Parador Lodge Intermediate Club Championship

At Pairc Esler: Rostrevor v Saval

KEY MEN

ROSTREVOR

Shaun Parr: Parr is the player that keeps this Rostrevor team ticking over. He makes things happen and is almost always at the right place at the right time. That doesn’t happen by chance. A great awareness, fine passer and picks off points. If he is quiet then the Reds usually are, but when Shaun is on fire, the Rostrevor are a different beast.

Ardghal McMahon: A talented tennis player, McMahon is a player that will run all day and tires his marker out. A fantastic eye for goal, solid use of possession too, so don’t be surprised if he nets in the final. McMahon will carry the fight to Saval and he’ll take some stopping.

Piaras Kane: A sharp shooter, especially in the scoring zone. He is quick on the turn but comfortable winning ugly ball when he needs to. Strikes up a good partnership with Conor Doyle, but Kane will come deep and bring team-mates into play if needed.

Saval

Pat Havern: The county man is in good form and driven to succeed with his club. St John’s couldn’t live with him in the semi-final. As strong as a bull, brave as a lion and lively, Havern sometimes need to be more composed in front of the posts, but when he is on it, he is on it and Saval need him firing all cylinders.

Niall Devlin: A fine footballer. He has been a great servant to Saval and manager Danny Hughes has him playing at half-back and Niall prefers facing goal and ghosting forward. A great reader of the game and as reverted forward he isn’t shy of shooting. A big player for the big occasion, was a star for Windmill Stars over the years.

Daniel McCarthy: The Saval captain is a super young player. Magnificent under the high ball, he likes to help out around the middle. Not afraid to take opponents on either, McCarthy is someone who can cause Rostrevor problems.

Key battles

Darren McElinney (Rostrevor) v Pat Havern (Saval)

McElinney has been one of the most consistent and impressive full-backs of the all the championships this season. He’s in the same class as Patrick Megoran of Loughinisland, Point’s Jamie Lynch and Kilcoo’s Ryan McEvoy, but perhaps a more traditional edge of the square defender. He commands his area, gets out in front and throws his body on the line if he needs to, but stays on his feet more often. Havern loves a good battle and he’ll test McElinney, he only needs to win one dual to face goal. Two men good in air, this could be a huge battle, but if Havern drifts out, it’ll be interesting if McElinney follows or one of the brilliant Murdock brothers, Finn or Eoin pick him up.

Lorcan Forde (Saval) v Johnny Connolly/ Eoin Murdock

Forde may not start, or play any time as he could be playing for Newry City’s crunch game against Portadown, in Shamrock Park at 5.30pm.

. Forde was MacRory Cup star with the Abbey CBS, before shooting straight into the Irish Premiership as teenager with Warrenpoint Town, then Linfield and now with Newry City AFC.

He still possesses that pace; his angled running and agility and he is a massive asset to Saval. Connolly could be the man to mark Forde but he is coming back from injury, so young Eoin Murdock may be given the task. He is quick too, deceptively strong and a good clean tackler.

This could be an exciting dual.