Kick-off 10.30am
Gilfillan Cup
Group 1
CREGGAN SWIFTS v FOYLE HARPS
(at Brandywell Showgrounds)
The Gilfillan Cup started with a bang last weekend when treble winning Clifton Villa were sent a prodigious message from arguably their biggest challengers for the coming season Creggan Swifts.
Swifts put in an impressive performance against last year’s title winners and they will be looking to build on that back of that performance as they prepare for their next test in Foyle Harps.
Last year’s Championship winners Foyle Harps won their opening game of the new season with an empathetic 7-1 win against Phoenix Athletic Colts and made a statement to the other teams in the league that they won’t be any pushovers for the season ahead.
PHOENIX ATHLETIC COLTS v CLIFTON VILLA
(at Clooney Park West 2)
These two sides are yet to get a win and that’s exactly what they will be aiming for tomorrow after suffering heavy defeats in last weekend’s opening encounters.
Villa manager Paddy Tracey thought his team were the team to beat this season, and beat they were at the weekend by Creggan Swifts.
The Gilfillan Cup was the only cup to elude Villa last season and they didn’t get the opening win they were after.
Colts were on the end of heavy defeat against last year’s Championship winners Foyle Harps, but they take Villa who will be out to prove a point.
Group 2
MAIDEN CITY SOCCER v CITY COLTS
(at St. Columbs No.2)
Maiden City showed exactly why they fancy their chances in the Championship this season as they came back from a 1-0 deficit to win their opening game 3-1 in the Gilfillan Cup against Sion Swifts.
Maiden will be looking to kick on from their comprehensive victory tomorrow but the games don’t get any easier as they take on Colts who got 11 goals without conceding last week against a young Ballymoor side.
It might be too much of an ask for Maiden City this week, but a win against Colts would be a massive statement.
SION SWIFTS v BALLYMOOR
(at Strabane)
Sion Swifts impressed last season and did so last week for a spell against Maiden City, but ultimately they failed to see out the victory, and in the end they lost control of a game they had in their grasp for much of the first half.
Ballymoor had a Gilfillan Cup debut to forget as they conceded 11 against a strong City Colts.
The young side were technically sound, but the physicality of their opposition proved too much in the end.
Physicacality will be something Ballymoor will have to get used to and quickly if they are to stop results like last week from happening again.
Group 3
TROJANS v ROSEMOUNT
(at Lisnagelvin No 4)
Trojans earned a hard fought point against Foyle FC in their first match of the campaign and they will be looking to secure all three points tomorrow against Rosemount.
Trojans return to the league after a long spell out and will be hoping to get off to the best possible start with a decent run in the Gilfillan Cup.
Rosemount will be no easy task for the Creggan side and they, too, will be looking to improve their mid-table finish from last season and get their hands on silverware.
Group 4
BENTLEY v STRABANE ATHLETIC
(at Prehen No.4)
Strabane Athletic would have been pleased with their opening win against Artigarvan, but will be disappointed it wasn’t more than a 2-0 win.
A mixture of poor finishing and good goalkeeping kept Strabane at bay against a side that struggled badly last campaign.
Bentley will have to improve if they are to challenge for any silverware this season.
An eighth place finish last season wasn’t what they team would have been hoping for and they have a good opportunity to show what they can do this season with decent performance in cup competitions.
Group 5
DU PONT v BRANDYWELL CELTIC
Du Pont have really got a whopper of a fixture in this group.
Coming up against one of the best teams in the North West is never going to be an easy challenge, especially when you’re that teams first game of the new campaign.
However, it might be the perfect time to play Brandywell Celtic for Du Pont as they might catch Brandywell with a bit of ring-rust.
Celtic’s game against O’Sullivans never went ahead last Saturday due to a communication error, which the League claimed full responsibility for.
Group 6
WESTBANK UNITED v TAMHANHERIN CELTIC
(at Lisnagelvin No.2)
Westbank United open their new season against last year’s Gilfillan Cup winners Tamnaherin Celtic who will be confident going into the game after coming from 2-0 down last week to earn a point as the game finished 2-2.
Tamnaherin beat some quality sides on their route to winning the cup last season including Clifton Villa and Brandywell Celtic.
The target for Westbank this year will be to win a trophy after coming desperately close last season.
A win against last year’s current Gilfillan Cup holders would be a statement of real intent and would get their campaign of to the best possible start.
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