Clogher Valley and Portadown, the top two teams in Kukri Qualifying 1, will meet at Chambers Park on Saturday.
KUKRI QUALIFYING LEAGUE 1
BANGOR v COLERAINE
An interesting fixture at Upritchard Park. Bangor will be looking to consolidate their third place position after losing 27-0 to league leaders Clogher Valley last weekend. They will fancy themselves to pick up maximum points from this game ahead of a tricky Powerade Towns Cup match away to Banbridge 2nds on 25th January. Coleraine have won three games on the trot against Ballymoney, Randalstown and UUC. Their key player this season has been their South African out half Bokkie Carstens. Like Bangor, Coleraine have a tricky Towns Cup game away to Armagh seconds. The young Bangor side under the leadership of Jamie Clegg should have too much pace for Richard Beggs’ team. When the two sides met in September at Coleraine, Bangor won 17-37 and a similar result looks on the cards this time out.
COOKE v BALLYMONEY
Coaches Neil Beddow and Jason Taggart must be wondering what has happened to their Ballymoney side after losing 16-37 at home to Dromore last Saturday. Their last win was at home to CIYMS 20-16 on 7th December. They have now lost five out of their last six league and cup games. If they have ambition to finish in the top four they will need to start winning games. Ballymoney will look to their experienced players including captain Alex Houston, James Cleland and Ryan Clyde to turn round their fortunes. Cooke, after a difficult start to the season, have won back-to-back fixtures against Academy and Donaghadee and will look to push clear of the bottom two positions. They had to hang on against ‘Dee after leading 29-7 at half time to scrape home 29-27. With the return of Philip Cartmill they have a backline that with possession can threaten any opposition defence. Cooke have the forwards to trouble Ballymoney with captain Andrew Quigley and player/coach Colin Atkinson hoping to win the forward battle. Ballymoney were comfortable 37-7 winners when the two sides met in September but it could be a different story at Shaw’s Bridge.
DONAGHADEE v CIYMS
Two sides that have been struggling in recent weeks will meet on Saturday. Donaghadee have slipped down to second from bottom, with CIYMS moving outside the top four for the first time this season. Both sides would have had ambitions to repeat their top four placings last season. CI were overwhelmed by the pace, power and fitness levels of a dominant Portadown side at Belmont last Saturday 46-6. They lost two players in the warm up last Saurday. ‘Dee will be hoping that key forwards Chris Good, Gareth Gordon, Richard Martindale and Chris Hamilton will make themselves available for selection this weekend. The return of prop Ali Barnes has strengthened the ‘Dee front row options with Stuart Thompson, Adam Torrens, Morgan Ellis, Stephen Adams and Max Montgomery also pushing for selection in the forwards. With a Powerade Towns Cup game at home to Enniskillen next week, ‘Dee coaches Stuart Hennessy and Paul McKenzie will have a few selection headaches. When the two sides met at Belmont in September CI recorded a narrow 18-12 win.
DROMORE v UUC
There is a buzz around Barban Hill after five wins in a row. They have now moved into that all important fourth place in the league with qualification for the All Ireland Junior Cup a reality. Coaches Dewet Bekker and Jeremy Ogle will fancy their chances of a good Towns Cup run despite facing Ballynahinch 2nds at home next Saturday. First up for the County Down side is a vital league game at home this weekend against bottom side UUC. Their emphatic five try win at Ballymoney last Saturday (37-16), has sent shock waves through the league. Key forwards Adam McGregor, Jonny Maguire, Gareth Fitzpatrick and Michael Harshaw having been doing the hard graft for their talented halfbacks Chris Jenks and Ryan Cobb to bring into play their talented threequarters of Alastair Kinghan, Willy Herron, Brian McClean, Blair McDonald and fullback Aaron Stewart. UUC pushed Coleraine all the way last Saturday before losing 23-18 but Dromore should continue their winning ways.
PORTADOWN v CLOGHER VALLEY
The talk in clubs throughout Ulster has been the meeting of these two teams that will possibly decide the destiny of this year’s league title. Both teams are in excellent league form after registering bonus point wins against their nearest challengers at the weekend; Clogher Valley winning 27-0 at home to Bangor and Portadown demolishing CIYMS 6-46 at Belmont. Clogher Valley have Ballyclare in the Towns Cup next weekend followed by that all important All Ireland Junior Cup final against Skibbereen on 1st February. The next three games will ultimately decide the silverware destined for the Cran this season. On Saturday, two very evenly matched sides, both of whom would hold their own in the Ulster Bank League, will take to Chambers Park in a titanic contest. A win for Portadown will leave them well placed to go on and win the league with no cup commitments to disrupt their remaining league fixtures. Portadown turned in their best performance of the season last Saturday at Belmont with coaches Richard Hedley and Ciaran O'Kane delighted by the players’ efforts. There are so many contests between the front fives, back rows, halfbacks, centre pairings and the dynamic threequarters on both sides. The clash of the two back rows involving Portadown's Gary Hall, Dairmuid O'Kane and their influential No 8 Gareth McCoy up against the Wilson brothers Ryan and BJ and the experienced David Sharkey will ensure a fascinating contest at the breakdown. Unfortunately Clogher captain Stephen Baxter will miss this game due to injury. With injuries to their regular hookers Kyle Cobane and Nathan Orr, the experienced Ricky Stinson has stepped in to fill the void.
KUKRI QUALIFYING LEAGUE 2
ACADEMY v STRABANE
The Roughfort side completed the double over Enniskillen with a 15-0 win at the weekend. Their only defeats in the league have been to Ballyclare (twice) and Omagh away. Strabane remain without a win from ten games and lost 10-35 at home to Lisburn last Saturday. When the two sides met at Strabane in October, Academy ran out comfortable 6-32 winners and a similar fate awaits Strabane on Saturday.
ENNISKILLEN v BALLYCLARE
The Fermanagh side will be looking for an improved performance before they travel to Donaghadee for a Towns Cup on Saturday week. Although Ballyclare ran out 47-17 when the two sides met before Christmas at the Cloughan, they will be aware that they have slipped up in previous visits to Mullaghmeen. Despite the scoreline, Skins were competitive throughout the reverse fixture. Ballyclare players will be mindful of their Towns Cup meeting with Clogher Valley but coach Bob Young will ensure there is no complacency in his team. Promotion is their number one target this season.
LISBURN v LIMAVADY
There would have been relief amongst the Blaris faithful that the 1st XV got back to winning ways with their 10-35 win at Strabane last Saturday. After a promising start to their league programme, the team has slipped to sixth place in the league. When the two sides met in October, Lisburn recorded a hard earned 3-10 win. Limavady sit in ninth place after a difficult season but they have shown promise in recent weeks and ran Randalstown close before losing 18-12. Limavady to win
RANDALSTOWN v OMAGH
The meeting of the two teams with the best defensive records in Qualifying Two will surely decide which of these teams can push Ballyclare for the league title. When they met in November at Omagh the Tyrone side ran out 24-15 winners. Both sides are well organised under the guidance of coaches Gary Longwell and Phil Marshall. Omagh will be missing the leadership of their captain Andrew Ferguson who suffered a serious leg injury in their meeting with Enniskillen before Christmas. Randalstown have benefited from a youth structure that continues to provide players for their 1st XV. In kicker John O'Kane and the hard running Blayne McGarry they have two particularly great talents. The return of No 8 Chris Allen has been timely and along with back row colleague Dan Wilson, will pose a real threat to the Omagh team. Omagh have talent throughout their team with halfbacks Lee Murphy and Stuart McCain key members of the side along with their experienced forwards Mervyn Edgar and Mark Smyth.
KUKRI QUALIFYING LEAGUE 3
DONEGAL v NEWRY
Both teams occupy third and fourth place in the league. The meeting of these two sides will provide spectators with a competitive and entertaining match as these teams battle it out for third position. Donegal still have Holywood and Larne to play at home in their remaining league fixtures, with the potential to influence the outcome of the league. Newry have impressed this season and will look to use the progress they have made to challenge for promotion next season. Newry recorded a 25-11 win over PSNI last Saturday. Donegal won their first meeting at Newry in October 13-22 so home advantage should make them favourites.
MONAGHAN v LARNE
This is the first meeting of the two sides in the league this season. Larne have the best defensive record in the league, conceding only 87 points in seven games and they should win this one.
PSNI v LURGAN
The meeting of the bottom two sides in the league at Newforge on Saturday will determine who potentially will be relegated this season. Lurgan, after a difficult start to the season, have had an upturn in their form with the team suffering a narrow 22-17 defeat away to Larne in the first round of the Towns Cup. Coach Bruce Cornelius appears to be turning around the fortunes of the County Armagh side. When the two sides met in October, Lurgan won 23-14.
KUKRI QUALIFYING LEAGUE 4
VIRGINIA v OPHIR
Ophir remain undefeated in all competition this season and have taken a maximum 18 points from their nine league matches. They swept aside Cavan at Mallusk last Saturday to win comfortably (34-5). When these two sides met at the end of November Ophir won 46-5. Both Cavan and Virginia are Ophir's nearest challengers and both have been emphatically defeated by the North Belfast side. Virginia won on the road at Civil Service last week by 19-26 but they are massive underdogs going into this encounter.
CAVAN V BHSFP
These teams are placed second and fourth in the league: six and ten points behind Ophir in the league. BHSFP have played two games less than Cavan and have the opportunity to use these matches in hand to move up into second place. The Greenisland side will be looking for a strong finish to their league programme and will want to be considered as promotion contenders next season. Cavan had been on an unbeaten run until they played Ophir. This will be a keenly contested fixture, with Cavan the likely winners.
LONDONDERRY YMCA v CIVIL SERVICE
Both teams will look for a morale boosting win after relatively disappointing seasons. When the two sides met at Stormont in November they fought out a 17-17 draw, with the North West side picking up their sole league point. Willy Lamrock will see this game as an opportunity for his side to secure their first league win of the season. YMCA to win.