Senior hurling race set to really start as safety nets removed
De La Salle's Jack Twomey in a tussle for possession against Passage's Kevin Cullinane. Both teams are back in action this weekend in Fraher Field. Photo: Maurice Hennebry.
The sparring is over. There have been a few very interesting results in the Group stages of the Senior Hurling Championship but with all twelve clubs still involved the championship starts for real this coming weekend. The Preliminary quarter final draw has, as expected, thrown up two real championship fixtures and two games the outcome of which looks easily predictable. The four seeded sides would have hoped to avoid Dungarvan and Passage in the draw and De La Salle and Clonea got their wishes drawing Tallow and Ferrybank respectively leaving the remaining four teams making up an attractive double header in Fraher Field on Saturday afternoon.
A one point defeat by Mount Sion followed by a one point win over Passage saw last year’s beaten finalists De La Salle to second place and a seeding in last Sunday’s draw. On Friday next they have a chance to settle into their stride and secure a quarter final place when they face a Tallow side that has had two disappointing Group results, losing heavily to Clonea and Roanmore.
Anything other than a decisive win for a talented De La Salle side that has yet to reproduce last year’s form would be a big surprise. Tallow are a side in transition and without Ryan Grey they will need big games from such as Jordan Henley, Ian Beecher Dara Buckley and veteran Tommy Ryan to put it up to a De La Salle side with Shaun O’Brien, Adam Farrell, Jake Dillon, Jack Fagan, Rueben Halloran and Jack Twomey in top form and Eddie Meaney coming off the bench.
Ferrybank’s return to senior ranks has coincided with the departure of a few key players from last year’s Premier Intermediate winning side. Still, they were not overwhelmed by Abbeyside in their opening game and on Saturday last they pushed Fourmilewater all the way in Dungarvan before going down to a 2-20 to 0-17 defeat. That result would have been much closer had Ferrybank’s free taking been a bit sharper on the day but they will not be overawed facing a Clonea side that has yet to deliver on the promise of recent years.
It is a Power packed Clonea side with Ciaran and Mairtin in defence , Billy in midfield and Kieran and James in attack backed up by such as Willie Hahessy, Jason Gleeson and Stephen Curry. They can be expected to have far too much in hand for a game Ferrybank side depending on Mark O’Brien, Cormac Heffernan, M. J. Sutton, Robbie Carew, Ryan Tierney, Ruari McGarrity and Neil O’Sullivan to keep them in contention.
Lismore will be favourites going into this game following their impressive showing in pushing champions Ballygunner all the way in Fraher Field on Sunday last but they will not have wanted to face a Passage side that has had the edge over them when the sides have met in recent years. Lismore will be confident going into this game as a result of their strong showing against Ballygunner last Sunday but they will need big performances from such as Iarlaith Daly, Finbar Reaney, Ray Barry, Jack Prendergast and Maurice Shanahan to overcome a Passage side well aware of the threat posed by Ben O’Sullivan on the edge of the square. Passage will be looking to Mark Fitzgerald to provide leadership with players such as Callum O’Neill, Gary Cullinane, Darragh Lynch and Liam Flynn well capable of rising to the challenge backed up by youngsters such as Thomas Carey, Sean Kelly and Eoghan Reilly.
It should be a very close game with Lismore slightly favoured to come through with a point or two to spare.
This is probably the game neither side wanted. Both have failed to impress in their respective Group games with Fourmilewater failing to recover last year’s form in losing to Abbeyside and doing just enough to overcome Ferrybank on Saturday last. Dungarvan for their part lost out to Lismore in their opening group game and, not surprisingly, were decisively beaten by Ballygunner.
It is not clear if Dungarvan will have Darragh Lyons home to face the side managed by his father at this early stage of the knockout championship but Dungarvan will be depending heavily on Patrick Curran and his brothers John, Cathal, and Colm as well as Michael Kiely, Mikey Burke and Eoin O’Callaghan to get them through to the quarter finals.
Fourmilewater have big players in Conor Gleeson, Tom Barron, Jamie Barron, Aaron Ryan, Sean Walsh and Tholum Guiry backed up by outstanding players out of minor grade in such as Evan Spellman and Michael Morrissey and have scope for improvement on their recent outings.
This is a very hard game to call and in the end the respective contributions of Jamie Barron and Patrick Curran could prove decisive.
