Relegated Ballinameela fancied to begin Western Intermediate Football Championship with a win

Just as is the case with the County Senior Football Championship, the Intermediate and Junior Football Championship games will begin this weekend in West Waterford.

Both of these championships are always very difficult to win and there is likely to be many twists and turns along the way before the winners are known.

Brickeys are the current Intermediate Champions and after adding the county title to the divisional title won last year, there will be new champions in the west this year.

In Junior Football, Old Parish are the current champions and they will be looking to retain the title this year and to go a step further than they did last year when they lost out to eventual county champions Kill after a replay.

Ballinameela lost their senior status in 2014 loosing a relegation play off to Ardmore and they will fancy their chances of going straight back up this year.

They last won this championship in 2012 and previous to that in 2009. They played Senior Football for two years each time after winning these championships before getting relegated.

Ballinameela get this years championship underway on Saturday evening when they play fierce rivals Geraldine’s in Fraher Field.

Having played Senior in recent years they will be favourites to begin with a win against the men from Aglish, but they know that the Aglish Men have in recent years being performing well but are unable to make the break through.

Two games are down for decision on Sunday evening.

Ballinacourty and Ballyduff meet in Colligan. Ballinacourty in the last few years have been performing well and are there or there about when it come to deciding who wins the championships.

They will as in previous years be able to call upon some players who have played senior in recent years and players who have come off successful underage teams and who have as yet to make the break through to the senior set up. However come the latter stages of the competition they are minus some of these players having gone back playing senior.

Ballyduff while best known as a hurling club, also have some good footballers. Two years ago they won this competition but they lost out to De La Salle in the county final.

In the third game this weekend, Sliabh gCua play Dungarvan. Its no secret that both of these clubs would be putting hurling first. Dungarvan will be there or there about in the senior hurling championship while Sliabh gCua/Saint Mary’s will be looking to win the junior hurling championship won last year by their neighbours Modeligo. Both sides however have some excellent footballers and could well figure in the closing stages of the championship.

In Junior, Affane and Tallow play the first game of the championship this evening. Both sides will make their way to Ballyduff for the game. Both sides have some good footballers but while both clubs will be attempting to get as far as possible in the championship, the interest of both will be in hurling this year.

Two games are down for decision on Saturday evening. Old Parish and Modeligo meet in the first game of the evening.

This could well prove to be one of the better games in the West this weekend. Old Parish are the current champions while Modeligo are the current Western Junior League Champions, one of five competitions won by the club in 2014.

The sides met twice last year. Modeligo won in the first round of the championship while Old Parish won when they met at the semi final stages of the competition.

This is a game that could well go to the wire. To pick one over the other is a difficult task. Maybe a draw might be the fairest result.

The final game of the weekend sees the 2013 winners and 2014 runners up Colligan take on Shamrocks at Clashmore.

When the sides clashed in last years championship it was the Knockanore met that came out on top. Could the same happen again this year?

In the Intermediate Championship games in West Waterford this weekend, Ballinameela, Ballinacourty and Dungarvan are the fancied sides, while in Junior, Affane and Colligan are fancied with a toss of the coin needed to pick between who is fancied in the Modeligo and Old Parish game.