Enniskillen v Irvinestown

Saturday August 29

in Tempo, 4.45pm

It is the clash of two Division One sides as Enniskillen take on Irvinestown on Saturday in Tempo in the quarter final of the Intermediate Championship.

It is the Gaels who are the side tipped not only to advance from this game but to also win the championship but coach Simon Bradley believes that a number of sides are more than capable of lifting the silverware this year.

“Any team in the Intermediate could win it. I accept that people are looking in from the outside and saying that Enniskillen are one of the favourites but it means absolutely nothing in championship football,” he said.

Enniskillen’s league form has been good so far, winning four of their five games in Division One, including victory in their opening game against Saturday’s opponent’s Irvinestown.

Bradley though is expecting a big test from the St. Molaise outfit.

“We beat Irvinestown by a point in the first game and we know that they are well capable, particularly if they have a full panel of players to pick from.

“We will prepare as much as we possibly can for what we expect to be a really, really tough championship game,” he stated.

This is a youthful Enniskillen side and Bradley says that most haven’t tasted a win at adult level in a championship game. That is something they are keen to put right.

“We are a very young team and most of them haven’t won a championship game and that’s the first thing that they have to do.

“I’ve been saying since the start that these lads are learning on the job although playing Division One football is certainly a good help.

We’ll go out on Saturday and set our stall out to try and win the game and play positive football,” he said.

Irvinestown will be hoping that a change of scenery brings a change in fortunes after a difficult league campaign to date. Indeed, they go into the championship on the back of two heavy defeats although manager Paddy O’Brien is hopeful to have a stronger side out on Saturday after injuries had taken their toil.

“We are hoping that the championship will be a different ball game and things will change for us.

“Look, the teams we were playing the last couple of weeks were very strong but it is good to play those teams coming into championship.

“It is just a lack of players through injury which hasn’t helped but we will hopefully be able to get them cleared up and get them on the field for Saturday night,” he said.

And he says that he is aiming for a big performance from his side.

“Championship football is only an hour or so and it is all about on the day and you don’t know what will happen if you give it a good rattle.

It is just one game at a time and you just have to think about winning that game,” commented boss O’Brien.