Another huge weekend looms in the déise

It appears in recent weeks within the Déise County that no sooner has one big G.A.A. past us when another one comes along.

Last weekend we saw Stradbally advance to a tenth County Senior Football Final in twelve years and saw The Nire advance to a semi final meeting with Clashmore in the same competition after they beat Kilrossanty after a quarter final replay.

In hurling, we saw Butlerstown make up for the disappointment experienced in 2011 by beating Geraldines in the Junior County Final and to round it off we saw De La Salle win a third County Senior Hurling Final in five years at the expense of Dungarvan who were featuring in their first final since 1941.

This weekend there is big games down to be played at Kill, Walsh Park and Fraher Field.

In the Minor ‘B’ Hurling championship two semi finals are down to be played. At Kill at 3pm on Saturday, Passage and Clonea meet in the first of the games. This grade of competition proved to be very close in 2012 with just two points separating the table toppers in the league section of the competition from the fourth placed team. At 6pm at Fraher Field Cappoquin take on Erins Own.

Clonea and Erin’s Own proved to be the slightly better of the two sides in the league section of the competition and get the nod to advance to the final.

Three games are down for decision in Walsh Park on Saturday.

First up is the meeting of Tallow and Kilmacthomas in the junior final at 1-15pm.

Kilmacthomas appear to have had it all too easy in the Eastern Championship and won many of their games with ease. Playing in such a competition will possibly have done the mid county side little or no good and it’s hard to know going into this final how good they are.

Tallow has had an impressive run in this year’s championship. They have played in ten games, loosing just one, a League Final against Modeligo who won by three points. In the Championship semi finals they beat their neighbours Shamrocks at the second time of asking and in the western final they beat a fancied Affane side.

Tallow will go into this game with the better knowledge of where their strengths and weaknesses are. Two years ago they reached this stage of the championship and having played in what is a traditionally close intermediate football championship in the west of the county should stand to them in this game and get the nod to move back up again for 2013.

The middle game at Walsh Park on Saturday is the County Junior Football ‘Intermediate Attached’ final between De La Salle and Ballinameela. This is a grade where little is known about either side. It’s anticipated that both sides will have a mix of youth and experience with the final outcome likely to go either way.

The final game at Walsh Park on Saturday afternoon is the County Intermediate Football Final which coincidently is between Ballinameela and De La Salle.

Ballinameela won this grade in 2009 and played in the senior championship for two years, reaching the semi finals of the competition in their first year back playing senior after a number of years in the lower grades.

This year in the western championship along with Ballinacourty they proved too strong for most and it was no real surprise that they won the championship recently.

Many people will be rooting for De La Salle in this final. It would be a great achievement to win a county football final a week after they won the county senior hurling final.

They have gone close to winning the competition a number of times in the last decade and a half and surely it is only a matter of time before they do.

Many argue that if Waterford is to have a future in football it needs as many clubs in and around the city area competing at the top. For a long time now Saint Saviours and Gaultier have been keeping the flag flying with Tramore coming up as well for a short stint in the senior ranks.

De La Salle is one of these clubs that could do a football a lot of good, especially around the city area if they were to win promotion. This is a game that could well go either way. Its one of these games where the heart says one thing (De La Salle) but the heat says another (Ballinameela).

The final game to be played on Saturday is the second semi final of the senior football championship between The Nire and Clashmore at Fraher Field.

This is a game that could well prove to be a memorable one for the right reasons. Both sides have some good footballers and which ever were to advance to the county final against Stradbally will be worthy of doing so.

The two sides could go into this game with different mind sets. The players lining out for the Nire have played a lot of games recently. If they have not been wearing the yellow and blue shirt of The Nire they’ve been wearing the Blue and White of Fourmilewater.

While we all look for games to be played, playing week in, week out eventually catches up on you. In 2008, Ballyduff Upper played six games in the senior hurling championship in seven weeks and in the last of these games they did look a tired team.

In recent weeks some of The Nire/Fourmilewater players have looked a little tired. It has been a long season for many of them with both club and county. However, the win over Kilrossanty last weekend should instil some new life into them.

In recent years some great work has been done within the Clashmore club. They have put a lot of work into their underage set up and it’s beginning to pay off now with some fine young players coming through.

They were unlucky to be relegated in 2009 from the senior grade but bounced back up at the first attempt in 2010.

To say with a degree of certainty that one of these sides over the other is going to win is a difficult thing. The Nire have been playing some very good football all year while Clashmore have developed a habit of hitting goals at crucial points in the game.

The Nire get the nod to win in this game but it could be very, very tight.

Two games take place on Sunday at Fraher Field.

First up is the meeting of Saint Cartages (Lismore and Ballysaggart) and Dungarvan.

From a very early age there is always great rivalry between these sides and it is expected to show in this game.

Both sides have some very good young players. During the week some players from each side opted not to line out with Blackwater Community School and Dungarvan Colleges in the Dr Harty Cup in a bid to try and save themselves from picking up any possible injuries ahead of this game.

The Division one championship at minor level this year was very close, with little separating more than half the teams taking part.

It’s no surprise that the best two in the league section of the competition have reached the final. Dungarvan had the slightly better campaign in the league and they get a hesitant vote to win this game.

The final game of the weekend is the meeting of An Rinn and Portlaw in the Intermediate Hurling County Final at Fraher Field on Sunday afternoon.

This is another game that could go either way.

Portlaw did not have a great start to the year, but as the year progressed, they have put together a series of results that saw them reach and win the Eastern final in recent weeks.

An Rinn while they have not looked impressive this year, are winning games and that counts for a lot.

Portlaw have in recent years won some underage finals. They have some good young players who if they were to move up a grade would be able to hold their own against many opposition players.

An Rinn in 2009 played in the senior hurling championship and did remarkably well. They more than held their own against clubs like De La Salle who months earlier had played in an All-Ireland Club Final in Croke Park.

They may go into the game as the fancy of a sizeable number of people, but they won’t be taking anything for granted until close on 5pm on Sunday.

 

Weekend Fixtures:

 

Saturday:

Junior Football Proper County Final in Walsh Park at 1:15pm Kilmacthomas v Tallow - Referee: John Condon (An Rinn)

Junior Football Intermediate Attached in Walsh Park at 2:45pm De La Salle v Ballinameela - Referee Des O'Leary (Erins Own)

Minor Hurling Division 2 semi-final in Kill at 3pm- Passage v Clonea - Referee Tim O'Byrne (Erin’s Own)

Intermediate Football County Final in Walsh Park at 4-15 De La Salle v Ballinameela - Ref Martin Curran (Old Parish)

Minor Hurling Division 2 semi in Fraher Field at 6pm - Erins Own v Cappoquin - Ref Timmy Organ (Abbeyside)

Co. Senior Football Semi final in Fraher Field at 7:30pm - Clashmore/Kinsalebeg v The Nire - Ref Tommy O'Sullivan (Affane)

Sunday:

Co. Minor Hurling Division 1 Final in Fraher Field at 2:00pm - St. Carthage’s v Dungarvan - Ref Thomas Walsh (Fourmilewater)

Co. Intermediate Hurling Final in Fraher Field at 3:45pm - An Rinn v Portlaw - Ref Paul Foley (Ballygunner)