St Patrick's wait on challengers

Seven second round games in the Leinster senior football A championship will this week decide the line-up for next month's quarter-finals.

Already through are the holders St Patrick's, Navan, as they were given a walk-over by St David's CBS, who were unable to gather the numbers necessary for the challenge.

This unfortunate situation follows the disastrous results for two other Dublin schools in last Friday's first round.

St Benildus and Colaiste Eoin were both handed heavy defeats by Patrician College and Dundalk Schools respectively. The latter result (2-10 to 0-6) is made all the more disappointing in that Colaiste Eoin were outright winners of the Leinster title just four years ago.

Now it appears that Dublin schools are no longer a major factor in the Leinster football championship, yet another timely reminder that the GAA's Strategic Review Group is right to question the future development of Dublin football.

Anyhow, it will be another couple of weeks before the full extent of St Patrick's strength will be revealed. The word so far is that the Navan students are very much going to be the team to beat, but the likes of St Mel's, Longford, Marist, Athlone, and Good Counsel will have ambitions of toppling them.

St Mel's should progress comfortably against Scoil Dheaglain tomorrow, while Marist face an interesting challenge with fellow Westmeath outfit Mullingar CBS. On Friday, another Westmeath school, St Joseph's Rochfortbridge, guided by a certain Luke Dempsey, play Dundalk Schools.

FIXTURES: Leinster SF A round two - Tomorrow: Marist, Athlone v Mullingar CBS, Pairc Chiarain, 1.30; Scoil Dheaglain v St Mel's, Longford, St John Paul Park, Cabra, 1.30; Thursday: Boyne CS v St Peter's, Wexford, Athy, 1.30; Friday: Colaiste San Froinsias v Maynoth PP, Colaiste San Froinsias, 2.0; Moate CS v Good Counsel College, Stradbally, 2.0; Dundalk Schools v St Joseph's, Rochfortbridge, Dundalk, 1.0; Patrician, Newbridge v St Mark's, Tallaght, College Park, Newbridge, 1.30.