The quarter final will see the certain elimination of one of the fancied teams to go all the way in the race for Joe Ward..
Ardee St Marys against Newtown Blues will be the standout tie in the quarter finals of the Louth SFC next weekend..
The two heavyweights will go toe to toe, following on from their semi final duel last season, when the Marys atoned for their earlier group defeat at the hands of the Drogheda men..
It'll also be a repeat of the memorable final from 2022, which was won by the Marys after a replay - the first leg of their three in a row.
And back in 2020, it was the Marys who ended the Blues' hopes of making it 4 straight Joe Wards, when they beat them at the semi final stage - now, it's the Blues turn to try and thwart the Marys' 4 in a row aspirations!
That quarter final tie aside, there are a couple of other eye catching tussles to look forward to in little over a week's time..
Naomh Mairtin, with a 100 per cent record from the Group phase, face a tricky assignment against a Pats side buoyed by their Martin McEneaney inspired qualification last Sunday night..
The Dreadnots, after beating the Mochtas on their way to qualifying, will face Cooley
And in the final tie, the clash of Dundalk Gaels and the Fechins means either the 2024 Intermediate winners or the side relegated from the Division One League earlier in the season, will be in a semi final..
Meanwhile the Geraldines' place in the relegation semi finals was confirmed following Thursday night's 2-20 to 0-14 defeat at the hands of the Marys in Darver..
The Blackrock/Haggardstown side now face Roche Emmets, while the other semi final is the Joes against the Mochtas
However heading into their battle for survival, the Gers will take a lot of heart from last night's performance - while the Marys were comfortable for most part, Micheal Magill's team showed glimpses of what they're capable of, and with a but more composure and accuracy, could have been a bit closer at the finish
The Marys on the other hand, displayed their clinical streak, bagging 2 goals in the first half through Ciaran Keenan and Daire McConnon (despite playing into a very strong breeze), and a total of four two pointers, 2 of which came from keeper Tiernan Markey.
At half time, they brought on County man Tommy Durnin for his Marys debut, and were also able to introduce County under 20s Keelin Martin and Adam Gillespie - an indication of the depth at their disposal.
While Sean Callaghan, who started at centrefield, again underlined his huge potential with some excellent fielding.
Cathal Murray, the Marys manager, says the Geraldines deserved credit for their effort and application..
And what about the quarter final, and the mouth watering clash against the Blues..
