Carrickcruppen in the mix in wide-open Championship

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Saturday October 5 (3.30pm) at The Box-It Athletic Grounds: Carrickcruppen v Wolfe Tones

The Intermediate Championship is wide-open for the taking for all four remaining teams after Division 2A champions and title favourites Pearse Ogs fell by the wayside in the last eight.

Carrickcruppen will be hoping that they can capitalise and the 2021 champions have every reason to believe that they have a very good chance of going all the way.

Barry Flynn’s men had a decent league campaign, finishing second behind the Ogs and have improved game-by-game as their Championship has gone on.

They weren’t at their best against Belleek and Clann Eireann II in their opening two games, but did enough to take three points out of four. Since then however, they blitzed Tullysaran by 10 points and saw off Grange by four.

Eoin Woods is their marquee forward and whilst he has been on form, he has been supported by Eoin Kane, who hit two goals against Tullysaran and was a handful against Grange – scoring one of the points of the Championship – a beauty off the outside of his right boot from the left wing.

Team captain Jack Cunningham was instrumental to their success in 2021, and he has had a fine year in midfield alongside exciting young prospect Micheal Hughes.

Cruppen have overcome the loss of county star Blaine Hughes to injury, with Miceal Browne a more than capable back-up, Adam Matthews has excelled in a sweeper role and centre half-back Oisin O’Hare has excelled at both ends – he held then Championship top-scorer Mark McKeever scoreless from play against Tullysaran, and found the net against Grange.

Their opposition this weekend is Wolfe Tones, who came into the Championship under the radar after just missing out on promotion from Division 2B, but with four straight wins under their belt they will be no pushovers.

Sunday October 6 (3pm) at The Box-It Athletic Grounds: Clann Eireann II v St Paul’s

Clann Eireann II are arguably the most remarkable story of the Armagh Championship at any level.

They fielded a Seconds team for the first time in 2023 and upset the odds by going all the way and winning the Junior Championship.

They have made their mark on this year’s Intermediate Championship by taking out a strong Keady side, before claiming the upset of the year by defeating Pearse Ogs last week.

Buoyed by their JFC title in 2023 and a host of Minors coming through after recently winning the Championship, Clann Eireann II are hoping to make history by being the first Seconds team to win an Intermediate title – keep an eye out for Rogan McVeigh, as he makes the team tick in attack.

However, they are up against it when they face St Paul’s this weekend. They are hoping to get over the hump having lost Intermediate finals in 2020, 2022 and 2023. They boast arguably the best player at Intermediate grade in dangerous full forward Andrew Murnin.