Attention turns to Football this weekend.

After the excitement of the Hurling championship last weekend where a number of unforeseen results threw the championship wide open, the attention this weekend turns to the County Senior Football Championship with games taking place at Fraher Field and Walsh Park over Friday evening and Saturday.

Three games are down to take place on Friday evening. At Walsh Park, Rathgormack take on Saint Saviours while at Walsh Park the clash of Ardmore and Gaultier will be followed by the clash of Stradbally and Kilrossanty.

Rathgormack have full points from their two games played to date and will be looking to add another brace of points here which would copper fasten their place in the quarter final stages of this years championship in the autumn.

Saint Saviours have been making steady progress in recent years, reaching the final of the last two Phelan Cups, beating Kilrossanty in the 2010 final and the semi final stages of the league last year. However, in the championship they have struggled somewhat and have been involved in a few relegation battles in recent years, and unless they begin to pick up a few points they could well be well drawn into another relegation battle.

Rathgormack won last years Under 21 County Final and recently won the County Minor Football Championship proving that they have some good footballers coming through and will go into this game in a confident mood.

Gaultier went into this years championship as one of the teams that were expected to cause a surprise or two along the way. To date, they have not won any of their two games and if they are to reach the knockout stages of this years championship, like Saint Saviours will have to start picking up some points sooner rather than later before it is too late.

Ardmore in their first game in this years championship recorded an eight point win over Saint Saviours before loosing by sixteen last time out against Ardmore. Which Ardmore side turns up at Fraher Field will be interesting, if they play as they did against Saint Saviours they will fancy their chances, but another performance like against The Nire, could mean it will be a long night.

Near neighbours Stradbally and Kilrossanty meet in the second game at Fraher Field on Friday evening. These two sides have clashed a number of times in recent years and on each occasion, victory has gone to Stradbally.

Both sides go into this game with a win and a loss in their games played to date in the championship. Kilrossanty beat Brickeys in their first game but lost out to An Rinn last time out. Stradbally began with a defeat to Clashmore but more than made up for it last time out when they recorded a comprehensive win over Dungarvan.

When near neighbours clash, results of previous games played should matter. If the two sides cannot motivate themselves to play their great rivals, then you have to wonder what they are at. I have no doubt that these sides will be well motivated but can only see one winner. You have to feel while Kilrossanty have improved a lot in recent years, Stradbally’s experience has to count for something.

Two games take place at Fraher Field on Saturday afternoon.

Great rivals Ballinacourty and The Nire clash in the first game. You have to wonder why this is not the second game to be played on this card as surely it is the main game of the weekend. What ever the reason its not I’m sure it’s a good one.

Ballinacourty go into this game having suffered a defeat to Rathgormack in their first game in this years championship and last time out they recorded a good win over Saint Saviours at Walsh Park.

The Nire go into this game with two good wins in their two games played to date in the championship.

Last time out Gary Hurney suffered a facial Injury which meant he missed two of Abbeyside’s games in the County Senior Hurling Championship as well as Waterford’s Munster Championship defeat to Limerick and it was expected that he would be out for 3 to 4 further weeks after this defeat. However last weekend he returned as a second half sub for Abbeyside in their draw with Dungarvan in the senior hurling championship which should mean he will be available to possibly start here.

Since their win over Ardmore, The Nire have lost Michael O’Gorman who has moved to the Southern Hemisphere and last weekend Shane Ryan picked up an injury with the Fourmilewater senior hurlers and it remains to be seen if he will be considered for selection in this one.

Who wins this game is anybody’s business. A case could be well argued for both sides. If the game was to end in a draw, it would not come as a surprise.

The final game of the weekend sees Clashmore who are unbeaten in the championship take on a Dungarvan side searching for their first win of the year.

While Dungarvan have some quality footballers, all their energy seems to be going into hurling this year. Like a number of teams who are a duel senior team in recent years they are finding it hard to juggle with both codes, and possibly will while they are involved in the hurling championship.

Clashmore have some quality footballers, many of whom have played with the county at various levels in recent years. On their day they can be a match for most. They are one of a number of sides that many who follow the football championship in Waterford that can break up the monopoly enjoyed by Stradbally, Ballinacourty and The Nire in recent years.

Its hard to look past Clashmore to collect another win this weekend and at the same time securing their place in the latter stages of the championship, but Dungarvan are not without their hopes.

The game between An Rinn and Brickeys will not go ahead this weekend owing to An Rinn’s involvement at the Comórtas Peile na Gaeltachta competition in Gaoth Dobhair.

Weekend Fixtures

Friday Evening

Ardmore V Gaultier in Fraher Field at 7pm.

Rathgormack V Saint Saviours in Walsh Park at 7-30 pm

Kilrossanty V Stradbally in Fraher Field at 8-30pm

Saturday

Ballinacourty V The Nire in Fraher Field at 2pm

Clashmore V Dungarvan in Fraher Field at 3-30pm

League Tables

Group One

The Nire          2          2          0          0          +25      4

Rathgormack  2          2          0          0          +6        4

Ballinacourty   2          1          0          1          +7        2

Ardmore          2          1          0          1          -8         2

Gaultier           2          0          0          2          -12       0

St Saviours     2          0          0          2          -18       0

Group Two

Clashmore                  2          2          0          0          +9        4

An Rinn                       2          2          0          0          +8        4

Stradbally                    2          1          0          1          +14      2

Kilrossanty                  2          1          0          1          +2        2

Brickeys                      2          0          0          2          -11       0

Dungarvan                  2          0          0          2          -22       0