Glenullin face their toughest task to date in Ulster Championship

Glenullin v Carrickmacross at Healy Park, Omagh, 1.15pm Sunday

Referee: Noel Mooney (Cavan)

After cruising past Moneyglass (Antrim) 2-17 to 0-6 and High Moss Sarsfields (Armagh) 4-16 to 2-8 Michael O’Kane’s Glenullin will face a much tougher challenge when they take on a very strong Carrickmacross team from Monaghan this weekend.
Glenullin have a slight advantage in that they were in the preliminary round and have two games to Carrickmacross’s one.
That was in the Ulster quarter final where they thumped St. Columba’s of Donegal by 1-22 to 0-9. This game has all the indications of a high scoring affair.
Healy Park is like a lot of grounds at this time of year and can be very heavy so this will be a test of stamina for both teams.
Glenullin have shown a high degree of fitness in both games to date.
In the quarter final against Sarsfield’s they ran the Armagh champions off their feet, scoring 3-3 in the final 15 minutes.
With scoring forwards like 18-year-old Conrad Mullan and 41-year-old Eoin Bradley manager O’Kane is spoiled for choice in attack.
Add in Cormac Hasson, Donal O’Kane, teenager Joe McNicholl and the excellent Ryan McNicholl and the manager has quite a selection headache.
At midfield the experienced Traglach Bradley is accompanied by Neil McNicholl, one of the best midfielders in the county.
Experienced goalie Niall O’Kane has a solid unit in front of him with the experienced Eunan O’Kane still going like a teenager.
Conor Rafferty is having a great season at wing back with Daniel O’Kane a solid number three in the full back line.
The key man for the Monaghan champions is county player Stephen O’Hanlon who scored six points from play against St. Columba’s. Aaron Lynch is a brilliant free taker, scoring eight times in that victory.
Darragh Swinburne got 1-2 so the Glenullin defence will need to be at their best to keep these potential match winners in check.
Both clubs have won their county intermediate four times with Glenullin taking three of the last four in Derry.
There tends to be different standards in each county at intermediate level but in Monaghan it is always high. Twenty years ago Carrickmacross claimed the Ulster title.
This game is a step up for both teams with the goal scoring ability of Ryan McNicholl possibly tilting the game in Glenullin’s favour.
Manager O’Kane was worried by his team’s slow start against Moneyglass but they were much better against Sarsfields.
In what is their centenary year it would be quite a boost for the Derry champions to reach the Ulster final.
The other semi final is between the favourites Clonoe from Tyrone and Cuhullian of Cavan which will be played at Armagh on Saturday