Maryland now in bonus territory

MARYLAND have so far managed to surpass many people's pre-championship expectations by qualifying from the group stage and reaching the quarter-finals where this weekend they face Tyrrellspass - one of the favourites for the competition - at Lakepoint Park on Saturday (7.15pm). Finbar Egan's Maryland are this year competing at senior level for the first time in 28 years and many observers were predicting they could struggle to simply retain senior status this year. However, Maryland managed to pip the outgoing holders Castledaly to the third qualifying spot in Division 1A and have coped admirably on their long-awaited return to senior level. Although finding the going tough against group winners Garrycastle back in May, victories over Killucan and Bunbrosna, and a draw with Mullingar Shamrocks, secured their place in the top three of their group and a quarter-final berth. Before the championship began, manager Finbar Egan said a successful campaign would see Maryland avoid relegation. But now they are one step away from a big semi-final meeting against Garrycastle. However, Tyrrellspass - who won the championship in 2006 and 2007 and also contested a Leinster final in 2007 - provide one of the stiffest tests Maryland could have possibly asked for. They also have to face Tyrrellspass without the injured Anthony Reynolds while his possible replacement in the half-forward line Conor Egan is also struggling with an ankle injury. David Reynolds and Kieran Martin also have slight knocks but are expected to play. Manager Finbar Egan said: "We are really looking forward to the game and are really up for it but we realise that we're very few people's favourites and Tyrrellspass are a very good side. However, we won't go into the game with fear in our minds. We will give it a good shot and hopefully provide a good account of ourselves." "But they have some exceptional talent. The likes of Denis Glennon, Martin Flanagan and Keith Scally can rip you apart on any given day. We can't afford to give these type of players room to play. We have to defend a bit better than in recent matches and also use the ball better going forward. I think the players have shown they can compete at this level and hopefully we can put on another good showing at the weekend." The Maryland manager believes his players are growing in belief. "In our fourth group game against Castledaly we were probably a bit disappointing, while Garrycastle gave us something of a lesson early on. But I felt a great improvement in our last outing against Mullingar Shamrocks and we were absolutely thrilled to secure a place in the knockout stages. I think the players have lost any inferiority complex about playing at senior level and long may that continue. The players are believing in themselves a bit more and they're a very capable bunch of young lads," said Egan. Tyrrellspass finished level on eight points apiece at the top of Division 1B alongside Coralstown-Kinnegad, but were pipped for top spot and a place in the semi-final courtesy of Coralstown-Kinnegad's victory over them at the start of the month. Tyrrellspass won their other four group fixtures though, beating Athlone, St Loman's, St Malachy's and The Downs, and Laz Molloy's team are likely to give Maryland's championship credentials a severe test on Saturday. The Maryland-Tyrrellspass game follows the intermediate championship clash in the same venue of Castletown-Finea/Coole/Whitehall and St Mary's Rochfortbridge (Lakepoint Park, 5.45pm). The other quarter-final of the weekend between St Loman's and Mullingar Shamrocks takes place on Sunday at Cusack Park (6.15pm), with the winners of that particular contest meeting Coralstown-Kinnegad in the semi-finals.