Riverside and Drinagh put title aspirations on the line

By Ger McCarthy

RIVERSIDE Athletic and Drinagh Rangers’ West Cork League PremierHiSpecCars.com Premier Division clash is the standout game of this weekend’s fixture-list.

Castletownkenneigh will host Riverside and Drinagh’s crucial Premier Division showdown on Sunday afternoon with second placed Athletic two points ahead of the Canon Crowley Park club in the current standings.

Clonakilty AFC – level on points with Riverside – co-lead the table but have only one game left while Riverside have four and Drinagh five fixtures still to negotiate, underling the importance of this weekend’s showdown. 

Rangers recently bowed out of the Beamish Cup but a 7-1 defeat of Leeside sees the reigning champions in decent form and eager to make it five league wins on the trot. Riverside have yet to lose a Premier Division fixture this season, yet recent draws with Mizen and Dunmanway have hurt their title challenge. Expect a close game where both sides may have to settle for a share of the spoils.

Elsewhere in the Premier Division, third from bottom Leeside will be desperate for all three points at home to Dunmanway Town in an effort to move away from fellow relegation strugglers Mizen. Leeside enter the weekend three points ahead of Mizen but with a game extra played, heightening the importance of overcoming Dunmanway on their Inchigeela pitch.

The result of Beamish Cup finalists Crookstown’s midweek clash at home to Durrus will go a long way to determining which of the two clubs will survive dropping out of this season’s OBrienWaterServices.com Division 1 League. Both clubs are back in action once again on Sunday, Durrus hosting a Baltimore side still not out of relegation danger while Crookstown travel to Inchisine hoping to overcome a Kilmichael Rovers side lining out for their final league fixture.

In West Cork League Division 2, Drinagh Rangers B will be eager to move closer to a third placed finish with victory at home to Ardfield in Canon Crowley Park while Clonakilty AFC B’s productive campaign concludes in Mohona against Dunmanway Town B. 

Fixtures

Saturday, May 14th

O’Herlihy Bacon U18 League: Skibbereen v Castlelack in the Baltimore Road, at 2.30pm.

Sunday, May 15th

PremierHiSpecCars.com Premier Division: Leeside v Dunmanway Town in Inchigeela, at 2.30pm; Riverside Athletic v Drinagh Rangers in Castletownkenneigh, at 2.30pm.

OBrienWaterServices.com Division 1: Durrus v Baltimore in Durrus, at 11am; Kilmichael Rovers v Crookstown in Inchisine, at 11am.

West Cork League Division 2: Drinagh Rangers B v Ardfield in Canon Crowley Park, at 11am; Dunmanway Town B v Clonakilty AFC B in Mohona, at 11am.