Getting tight at the top in the race for title honours

Game of the day could be at Burndennett where St Johnston are the visitors, both sides sitting now just two points off the top.

The Saints look likely to go into the game missing one or two first team regulars however, so much may depend on the personnel available in the respective camps.

Joint leaders Glendermott have another tough day on their hands as they head to Bonds Glen looking to recover from that reverse at the Boathole on Sunday.

Both of these sides were beaten by the Donegal outfit last weekend so it could be interesting to see which one responds best.

There is a huge match at the bottom of the table where Sion Mills with no league wins clash with Creevedonnell who have one. Another defeat for Sion here may well seal their fate however a win could well be the spark that they have been looking for.

The final match sees joint-leaders Killyclooney likely to be given a stern test when they host unpredictable Drummond as these two also look to throw their hats in the promotion ring.

It was a fairly quiet weekend by recent standards on the Championship front with three league games on Saturday and just one on Sunday with Creevedonnell’s rearranged Danske Bank Senior Cup tie at Bready thrown in for good measure.

Stephen Scroggie’s men were supposed to be at the Rectory to tackle leaders Glendermott but were finding the Premier Division side much too good as Bready advanced to this week’s Senior Cup semi-finals and a home tie against Brigade.

The Creevedonnell skipper actually put his opponents in to bat on winning the toss and although his bowlers started well, the class of Bready professional Ernest Kemm shone through as he made a century. It was all uphill for the Curryfree Road boys after that as Craig Young took six wickets and his skipper David Scanlon four to allow Bready to win as they liked.

Glendermott’s inactivity provided the chance for the chasing pack to close and that they certainly did. Much has been made of Killyclooney’s dramatic improvement this season and Mark Gordon’s men were at it again on Saturday as they moved joint top with Gordon Montgomery’s side. Mind you they got an almighty scare from bottom of the table Sion Mills before they claimed the win - the visitors bowling ’Clooney out for just 66.

None of the home side’s batsmen were able to get away as Johnny Havern claimed four wickets for Sion while Mark McNulty, Lee Finlay and Nigel O’Neill shared the other six between them. McNulty then gave the currently winless Tyrone men every chance of their first points as he hit 24 in reply but 4 wickets each for Christopher Neely and Keith Stephenson and 2 for Richard McMorris saw Sion dismissed for 56 having come agonisingly close.

Bonds Glen and St Johnston are both on the leaders’ tail as well and it was the Saints who emerged with the points from a really entertaining contest at the Glen. A solid batting display was the cornerstone of this win with Kushpal Singh and David Macbeth both posting half centuries while there were cameos from Ian Macbeth and Ethan Lapsley. Leslie Curry and Lee Britton picked up three wickets apiece for the home team but an impressive total of 280 for eight meant that the Bee Gees would have to bat really well if they too were to move on to 10 points. Graeme Boyd certainly did his part in that, the former Donemana man hitting 10 fours and two sixes in an unbeaten 83. Boyd apart however only Willie Jackson with 27 was able to keep pace with the required scoring rate and in the end Bonds Glen were all out for 228.

There were three wickets here for the rapidly improving David Anthony and two apiece for Ryan Macbeth, David Lapsley and top scorer Singh.