THE Newcastle League’s big hitters are all eyeing up semi-final spots in the NFU Mutual Harry Clarke Cup this weekend.
That’s when the four intriguing quarter-finals take place with few pundits prepared to predict who will go through.
Top billing has to go to holders Killough who entertain a blossoming Dundrum United side at Mill Field.
Celtic Bhoys entertain giant killing Rossglass County at Kilmore, Ballynahinch Olympic Town are at home to Ballynagross and Division 1 side Strangford
have Carryduff Athletic as their visitors.
Killough — who will play their Bobby Dalzell Cup final against Ballynahinch Olympic Town on St Patrick’s Day — know that they are in for a game of it, given Dundrum beat Castlewellan Forest 6-4 in last Saturday’s rearranged second round game at Bann Road.
The Mill Field side are undisputed cup specialists, but they will be on red alert for this potential banana skin.
However, they should still have too much firepower for Dundrum, provided they can field at full strength.
In Jack McLaughlin, Tony McIlhone, Ross Armstrong, Liam Graham and Gareth George they have five of the most dangerous players in the Newcastle League.
Throw in the exciting talents of young Sean Og and Riain Burns, Ben McLaughlin, Kian Tierney and Eoin Dignam and you have the nucleus of a squad that could rule local football for years to come.
The experience of ‘keeper Eddie Hinc and defenders Seamas Tumelty, Matthew Burns, Matt McKiernan and the indefatigable Colm Stranney will also stand in Dundrum’s way.
Rule out Dundrum, however, at your peril.
They too have proven matchwinners and they don’t come any better than Chris Hogg, who is still scoring goals for fun with great assistance from player/manager Andy Smyth, Chris Mulholland, Ciaran Fitzpatrick and the exciting Scott McKibben.
Mark Grant, Kyle Glavin and Paddy Cunningham also know their way around and will certainly not make things easy for Killough.
A few miles down the road at The Links, Strangford take on a resolute Carryduff Athletic side, but they will do extremely well to prevent the visitors from going through to the last four.
Athletic are the sort of side that always make it difficult for the opposition and in the Boal brothers, David and Ian, they have two combative midfielders who have played at a higher level for Ballynahinch United in the Amateur League.
In striker Jonny Wilkinson they have a prolific goalscorer and over the past decade his prowess in front of goal is as good as anyone’s in the league.
Wilkinson will look to Niall Basketfield, Mark Hanvey, Ciaran Conway and Aodhan McManus for support and Strangford will be hard pushed to keep this unit quiet for 90 minutes.
Strangford’s aspirations were dealt a severe blow last weekend when star striker Callum Shields was sent off in the dying stages of a Division 2 game away to Ballyvea seconds.
Shields’ loss is Carryduff’s gain, although the home side still have outstanding performers in Eoin King, the versatile Conall Magee, Paddy Kerr, Callum Smyth and Conan Hynds.
Over at Kilmore playing fields, Ballynahinch Olympic Town will be looking to progress at the expense of Ballynagross in a repeat of last Saturday’s league game which the visitors won 4-0.
Olympic are a match for any side in the league and managers Barry McGoran and Marty Sloan continue to work on the premise that their primary job is to prepare players for first team football, with success a bonus for them, when it comes.
They have unearthed quite a number of players that have moved on to first team action and in strikers Darren Lyons and Aaron McCaffrey they have a formidable front two.
‘Keeper John McMenamin is an outstanding shot-stopper and he will be fronted by Michael Rice and Simon Marmion with Josh Fennell, Ryan Walsh, Adam and Mark McLean, Reece McConnell, Shane Rodgers and Daniel Rice all prepared to put it up to Ballynagross.
Philip Campbell has done an excellent job with Ballynagross since taking over a few months back and has them competing for honours again.
Cathail Arnold has been reinstated in nets and he should have a combination of Deaglan Craig, Cormac Byrne, the ageless and classy Aaron Beattie, Conor Marron and Gary Carberry in front of him.
Conor McCarron and Karl Johnston will be expected to keep strikers Daniel Taggart and Declan Dowie supplied with decent ball and if they do, Olympic beware.
Perhaps, the most captivating game of the four, between Celtic Bhoys and Rossglass County, has really caught the imagination of local fans.
The sides met at the start of January when the Hoops won a Premier Division game 2-1, but County have gone on an unbeaten run since then and have accounted for Ardglass, Killough and Mourne Rovers in their last three games.
Celtic are favourites to go through with their host of Galacticos, but Rossglass will certainly not fear them.
Mikey Rice, Shaun Megahey, Marc Feenan and Jay Gibney will all be looking for another cup semi-final spot, but manager Kevin Torney knows that Rossglass are a team on the rise and in Barry Mageean and Ryan Tumelty they have two trusted warriors who have seen and done it all before.
Rossglass will also rely on Cailean Toner, Marc Burke, Cormac McLaughlin, Ben Lennon, Eamon Vaughan and Conal Kerr to give the Hoops a run for their money.