League success a prelude to or a curse for championship ambitions?

Sometimes I wonder if we sports fans are rooted in fatalism or reality as we search for omens and signs as to how our teams might go in a forthcoming competition. Certainly, it feels that way when it comes to this weekend's Masonite ACL Finals.

Friday night sees a double header with a mouth watering Division 2 decider between fierce rivals Glencar Manorhamilton and Melvin Gaels in Drumkeerin while Drumshanbo hosts the Division 3 meeting of Aughavas and St Patrick's Dromahair.

On Saturday, it is the big one, the clash of Ballinamore Sean O'Heslins and St Mary's Kiltoghert in Mohill's Philly McGuinness Park and you can be sure everyone is going flat out for success.

Momentum is huge in sport so carrying a winning feeling into the championship which starts for the Senior & Intermediate grades just a week later is crucial. It also comes with a caveat as the last three Division 1 champions have all failed to complete the double - Mohill and St Mary's both falling at the final stage in 2021 and 2022 while Fenagh St Caillins didn't even reach that stage last year.

Allen Gaels won the Division 2 decider against Carrigallen but neither made the final, the Drumshanbo men beaten by eventual winners Annaduff in the semi-final while the Division 3 winners Drumkeerin didn't make it out of the group stages and Gortletteragh avoided relegation in the senior grade.

MANAGER GARRITY WANTS LEITRIM TO STRIKE A BALANCE AHEAD OF FINAL

That's not to turn the nose up at the League Finals - they are often a prelude to a good run later in the year but the championship is a different beast with many teams timing their runs for later in the year so how much we read into this weekend's games is hard to know.

Division 1 Final: Ballinamore Sean O'Heslins v St Mary's Kiltoghert in Mohill, Saturday at 7pm

The stats and the formbook would suggest Ballinamore in this game, having beaten St Mary's in the League and possessing the superior scoring difference but the Carrick men defeated Mohill while O'Heslins fell to last year's champions so who knows who has the advantage.

What we do know is that Ballinamore's firepower is getting stronger with the addition of Paul Honeyman and some good young players but St Mary's are hardly short of talent themselves and it may come down to who wants it most. Meetings of these two teams tend to be fiery, town rivalry and all that, but Ballinamore get the dreaded nod in this one.

Division 2 Final: Glencar Manorhamilton v Melvin Gaels in Drumkeerin, Friday at 7pm

Always a ferocious battle between these two, Manor edged the League meeting between the two teams and have the better scoring average. Both teams have different ambitions this year - the Gaels are aiming to win the Intermediate title while Manor will want to avoid being drawn into a relegation battle.  They will be without Barry McNulty which is a big loss so this will got right down to the wire on Friday evening

Division 3 Final: Aughavas v St Patrick's Dromahair in Leitrim Village, Friday at 7.15

The anomalies of the club game means Aughavas, competing in the Intermediate grade, face off against a St Patrick's Dromahair team who will see action in the Senior Championship. The form book suggests Aughavas who handed Dromahair a big beating in the first outing but the north Leitrim men have improved vastly since then. This will be very close.