Nine F&W teams bid for Junior Cup last-16 spot

TRADITIONALLY knockout football takes centre stage in the opening weekend of the new year and for some local junior clubs that means their focus is on the fourth round of the Craig Stanfield Junior Cup.

Nine Fermanagh and Western League clubs have reached the last-32 and the pick of the Round 4 ties is the meeting of north Tyrone neighbours Killen Rangers and Ardstraw at the Village Ground.

Given their respective positions in Division One and the fact that they have home advantage, Killen will start as firm favourites. Rangers, too, defeated Ardstraw 4-2 in a league game earlier in the season but by all accounts it was anything but a straightforward victory.

Joint Killen managers Andy Crawford and Clive Morrison will know they have a good opportunity to reach the last-16, yet, will be well aware that Andy Patterson’s battlers are well capable of causing an upset.

Two other teams hoping to make home advantage count are two-time winners Strathroy Harps and Beragh Swifts.

Wes Ferguson’s Swifts host All Saints OB while Harps entertain Mid Ulster opposition in the form of Ballyoran. Swifts and Harps should advance but the quality of their opponents – Ballyoran are currently top of Division One of the Mid Ulster League – will mean that both teams will have to earn a place in Round Five.

Tummery Athletic will also fancy their chances of making it into the next round when they travel to Armagh Celtic, third round victors over Castlederg United.

Last time out Tummery accounted for a good Trojans side, on the same day their opponents defeated Castlederg 3-2, and, on paper, the Dromore men should progress.

Dunbreen Rovers are also on their travels when they take on Mid Ulster Division One outfit Hillsborough Boys. Boys will be the bookies’ favourites, even though they have only won two of their nine league games thus far, however, Rovers do have a chance.

Dunbreen have had a decent season, are very much in the mix for promotion from Division Three and have saved some of their best form for the Junior Cup.

Elsewhere Enniskillen Town visit Belvoir, Lisbellaw United travel to FC Antrim while NFC Kesh play host to Foyle Harps, a tie that potentially has all the makings of a festive cracker. All ties kick-off at the earlier time of 1.30pm.

Fixtures: Belvoir v Ekn Town Utd; Armagh Celtic v Tummery Ath; Hillsborough Boys v Dunbreen Rvrs; Strathroy Harps v Ballyoran; Beragh Sfts v All Sainst OB; Killen Rgrs v Ardstraw; NFC Kesh v Foyle Hps; FC Antrim v Lisbellaw United