A huge weekend of county hurling championship quarter-finals lies ahead
Ballygunner’s Mikey Mahony and De La Salle’s Reuben Halloran battling it out during last year's JJ Kavanagh & Sons Co. SHC Final. The teams will meet on Sunday at the quarter-final stage of this year's championship. Photo: Inpho/Ken Sutton.
Just one week on from last weekend’s Preliminary Senior Hurling quarter finals the County Board has wasted no time in pushing ahead with its fixtures schedule that sees the Senior and Premier Intermediate quarter finals going ahead this coming weekend in accordance with the deadlines set out by the split season.
The divisional boards have the same deadlines to meet with their junior and intermediate championships resulting in a jam packed weekend of fixtures in all grades across venues throughout the county and getting underway on Friday.
Friday next – Walsh Park J. J. Kavanagh & Son Co. S.H.C. Q-Final Mount Sion V Ferrybank
Having secured their hard won senior status with last weekend’s sensational win over Clonea Ferrybank will be in bonus territory on Friday next when they take on Mount Sion in Walsh Park with a place in the championship semi-finals the prize for the winners. With their primary objective achieved Ferrybank will go into this game with nothing to lose against opponents who have.
Mount Sion go into this game having reached the quarter final stage as a result of narrow group stage wins over Passage and De La Salle. There was nothing between the three teams in that Group B and while Mount Sion took the automatic quarter final place it is no surprise that the other two teams have joined them there.
Were Mount Sion to be playing Clonea the outcome would have been difficult to forecast and now that they have been forewarned the Monastery men must show the same respect to Ferrybank. As was the case with Clonea last Saturday Mount Sion will start hot favourites against Ferrybank here but will certainly be taking a more cautious approach. Mount Sion manager Jamie O’Meara will be well aware of what to expect having cut his managerial teeth with Ferrybank a few years ago.
In their games to date both sides have been relying on their respective free takers, Austin Gleeson for Sion and Mark O’Brien for Ferrrybank, to see them through so both will be seeking to concede as little as possible from placed balls. Mount Sion’s experienced players such as Gleeson, the O’Neills, Mikey Daykin and Owen Whelan will be expected to see them over the line here but Ferrybank showed last Saturday that in such as O’Brien, M. J. Sutton, Robbie Carew, Ruadhri McGarrity and Neil O’Sullivan they have the players to take advantage of any lapses in concentration or mistakes that may occur.
Friday – Fraher Field 7 pm. S.H. Relegation Semi-Final Lismore V Tallow.
Heavy defeats for Tallow in their Group games against Clonea and Roanmore and again to De La Salle last weekend has seen them marked down as relegation favourites facing a Lismore side seeking to bounce back from the disappointment of losing to Passage. Tallow are never fearful of their local rivals and will feel they are in with a fifty/fifty chance here. Lismore go into this game with little time to recover from Saturday’s defeat and they are likely to be without Jack Prendergast who, it is reported, suffered a heavy concussion when substituted with ten minutes to play. Lismore will also be without the injured Aaron Whelan. This is likely to be a much closer game than expected but Lismore must still be favourites to retain their senior status.
Saturday Next – Fraher Field – S.H.C. Relegation Semi-Final 5 pm. Clonea V Fourmilewater S.H.C. Quarter Final 6.45 pm. – Abbeyside V Dungarvan This most attractive double header should draw a big crowd to Fraher Field on Saturday next with the eagerly anticipated clash between locals Abbeyside and Dungarvan preceded by an unexpected relegation playoff between neighbours Clonea and Fourmilewater.
The battle between the Comeragh sides will get matters underway and it is fair to say that prior to last weekend neither side would have anticipated being in this position on the coming weekend. While Fourmilewater faced a tricky assignment against Dungarvan they would have expected to come through while Clonea most certainly were looking ahead to a quarter final game. The best laid plans however, go aft astray and both are now in a battle for survival.
With both sides at their best Fourmilewater, with their contingent of county panelists Jamie Barron, Tom Barron, Sean Walsh, Conor Gleeson and promising underage stars such as Michael Morrissey, Evan Spellman and Fionn Hallinan look best equipped to survive but their dip in form this year has been alarming. Clonea will be reeling from last Saturday’s defeat, having failed to take their chances when on top in the first half but if such as Willie Hahessy and the powers, Ciaran, Mairtin, Kieran, James and in particular, Billy rise to the occasion they can come out on top here.
Clashes between Abbeyside and Dungarvan bring out the best on both sides and anything can happen. Abbeyside go into this game on the back of convincing group wins over Ferrybank and Fourmilewater that clinched an automatic quarter final place. Injury hit Dungarvan lost out to Lismore and Ballygunner but with Darragh Lyons back on Saturday last they were in a much better place going up against Fourmilewater and they duly delivered.
Abbeyside have been impressive in both their outings with Conor Prunty, Michael Kiely and Michael O’Halloran providing the leadership for outstanding youngsters such as William Beresford, Rian Walsh, Billy O’Connell and Charlie Treen. While Neil Montgomery is still likely to be unavailable Abbeyside have been playing good hurling and will fancy their chances here.
Dungarvan will draw confidence from their win over Fourmilewater. They will be hoping that their Michael Kiely, free taker and top scorer, who was injured last Saturday, will be back in action for this big test as well as John Curran who is recovering from injury. With the other Currans, Patrick, Cathal and Colm, Eoin O’Callaghan and Jack Lacey in good form Dungarvan are capable of springing a surprise here.
J. J. Kavanagh & Sons S.H.C. Quarter Finals Sunday Next – August 18 in Walsh Park
1.45pm. Roanmore V Passage
3pm. Ballygunner V De La Salle
We have a big championship day in Walsh Park on Sunday with a hugely attractive double header that sees ten in a row champions Ballygunner facing city rivals De La Salle in a repeat of last year’s county final at 3 pm. Preceded by what promises to be a very closely contested clash between Roanmore and Passage.
Roanmore have been very impressive this year, coming through their Group games with decisive wins over Clonea and Tallow and it is widely believed that they are the side to put it up to Ballygunner this year. They are now a much more mature side than that which faced Ballygunner in the final three years ago with such as Billy Nolan and Gavin O’Brien leading the charge backed up by strong players having emerged from underage ranks such as Cian Wadding, Conor Ryan, Rory Furlong and Sean Burke.
Passage just came up short in their games against Mount Sion and De La Salle but came good against Lismore and will be in confident mood facing Roanmore on Sunday. They have a strong defensive set up with Mark Fitzgerald, Gary Cullinane and the O’Neills, Callum and Ciaran holding the line with Mikey Cummins, and young Thomas Carey leading the attack with veteran Owen Connors as back up.
Roanmore have the edge in experience here over a Passage side still in transition and must get the vote to advance.
Champions Ballygunner were given a reminder against Lismore that it may not be as easy as expected to retain the title for an 11th successive year so it can be expected that the champions will be taking nothing for granted against this young De La Salle side despite their comfortable win in last year’s county final. De La Salle have yet to find top form and struggled to a one point win over Passage while losing narrowly to Mount Sion. They will need big performances from their experienced players such as Adam Farrell, Jake Dillon, Jack Fagan, Thomas Douglas and Eddie Barrett here to spur on talented youngsters like Rueben Halloran, Daniel Lalor, Conor Keane and Jack Twomey if they are to put it up to the champions.
Philip Mahony and Dessie Hutchinson have yet to make championship appearances for Ballygunner and it will be interesting to see if they feature on Sunday. Either way there is great strength in depth in the Gunners’ set up and they should advance on Sunday with something to spare.
This weekend will see the four Premier Intermediate Hurling quarter finals down for decision with Brickey Rangers comfortably expected to account for Dunhill in Lemybrien on Friday (7pm.) while high flying Ballysaggart should have no problem advancing against Tramore in Bushy Park on Saturday (5pm.) The meeting of Ballygunner and Cappoquin/Tourin in Colligan on Saturday is very difficult to call with the Gunners seeking to avenge last year’s shock semi-final defeat at the hands of the same opponents. The Cornerstone side have yet to recover last year’s form and may find it difficult here against a well organised Gunners side awash with players of underage title winning experience.
In the remaining game unbeaten Clashmore led by Tadhg De Burca and Brian O’Halloran should have too much in hand for Shamrocks in Fraher Field on Sunday (12.30pm).
