Stradbally play a
third big game in two weeks on Sunday afternoon next when they take on Cork
Champions Castlehaven in the Munster Senior Club Football final at Clonakilty.
The Cove-siders
head to the West Cork venue on Sunday next after two titanic struggles with The
Nire in the County Final at Fraher Field.
After a draw less
than two weeks ago, the sides clashed again last Saturday evening at Fraher
Field where with the hour up, it looked as if extra time was going to be needed
to find a winner.
However, the
extra twenty minutes were not needed as in added time David Grey kicked the
winner for Stradbally, helping them to a seventeenth title.
Stradbally will
travel to West Cork possibly minus two of their most crucial players in recent
years. John Hearne picked up a serious leg injury in last Saturday’s county
final replay and is out of contention for this game. Trevor Costelloe also
picked up a head injury in the same game and was brought to Waterford Regional
Hospital where he was detained over night and his participation in the game
remains to be seen.
Just like
Stradbally, Castlehaven have had a few busy weeks. They played their county
final at the end of October where they bear groups side Duhallow and a week
later they beat Limerick side Dromcollogher/Broadford in the Munster Quarter
final, winning the game much easier than expected, having eleven points to
spare and last weekend while Stradbally were beating The Nire at Fraher Field,
Castlehaven were beaten 0-11 to 0-7 against Nemo Rangers in the final of the
Kelleher Shield in Cork.
Castlehaven are
reported to be without Seanie Cahalane for the game with Stradbally. Cahalane
who is the team’s captain picked up a shoulder injury in the Cork County Final
which forced him to miss his sides Munster Quarter Final victory over
Dromcollogher/Broadford. However they will be able to call upon the likes of Seán Dineen, Damien
Cahalane, Shane Nolan, Mark Collins as well as Stephen and Dermot Hurley.
The Cork side
will go into the game as the favourites with the bookies. However, if there is
one team capable of upsetting the bookies it’s Stradbally. They will refuse to
throw in the towel against their fancied opponents.
In Michael ‘Brick’
Walsh they have one of the countries best footballers. Shane and Robert Ahearne
will cause much panic around the Cork Champions goal. Niall Curran and Ger
Power are players that people in Waterford know all about. David Grey was very
impressive earlier in the year but lost his place in the starting team in
recent times but his performance after coming on last weekend will have done
his chances of starting no harm, while older brother Tony is a model of consistency
at the back and is not afraid to attack when given the chance.
The Cork
Champions may go into this weekend’s game as the warmest of favourites. Some bookies
are offering 1/16 and are offering 15/2 on Stradbally to win. The difference in
prices is ridiculous especially in a row horse race. The prices could be
compared to the great Frankel running against a horse ready for the ‘Knackers
Yard’.
I have a feeling
that this game will be much closer than the bookies are expecting and if they
were to come out on top and set up a meeting with Dr Crokes or Clonmel
Commercials in a Munster Final, it would not surprise me.
History will be
created on Sunday afternoon when two teams run onto the magnificent playing
grounds at the WIT Campus in Carriganore for a Munster Club Championship game
for the first time.
Waterford
champions Butlerstown and Cork champions Kildorrery have the distension of the
first game at the grounds and what a game it could well prove to be.
While the Cork
Champions played in the fourth tier of championship hurling in Cork against
Butlerstown playing in the third tier of Waterford hurling, the chances of the
Cork Champions should not be dismissed.
Since 2004 when
Tramore reached the final of the competition where they were well beaten by
Ballygarvan from Cork, Waterford Club records in this competition has been
under satisfactory with Ballydurn picking up out best result in recent years
only going out of the championship after extra time against Tipperary champions
Saint Patrick’s.
Since Butlerstown
last played a competitive game – the county final with Geraldines back on
October 14, the Cork side have played twice.
They played their
county final against Brian Dillons on October 21 which ended in a 2-15 to 1-18
draw. In that game it looked as if Kildorrery were going to snatch the title
but a converted twenty metre free in added time gave Brian Dillons a second
bite of the apple.
When the sides
met two weeks later, another close battle was fought and it was the old adage that
goals win games as Kildorrery won the game 2-8 to 0-13.
The Cork
champions have a team that will have to be watched closely as they have players
in all sections of the field that could well make a telling contribution.
Peter O’Brien at
centre forward is without doubt their star player. He hit 1-9 for his side in
their drawn county final and two weeks later he hit 0-6.
Finbarr Stapleton
is another player the Butlerstown defence will have to keep a close eye on. He
is likely to start at left corner forward where he could well pose a threat. In
the drawn county final he hit 1-1 and in the replay hit 1-0. Other players that
Butlerstown will have to keep and eye on are Shane Fitzgerald at full back,
Cormac Ó Baoill who could line out in the full back line or in the middle of
the field. Their half back line of Tom Monaghan, Michael Walsh and Michael
Lillis will be key to their chances, while Eamonn O’Connor at wing forward will
also have to be watched closely.
After Butlerstown's
three battles with Ballinameela in last years county final the question was
asked more than once, had they the stomach for another battle this year. They
answered any questions that were asked of them in the affirmative, beating all
that face in the East Waterford Championship, often with relative ease and in
the county final they again proved to strong for Geraldines winning 2-11 to
0-5, which proved to be one of their closer games this year.
Butlerstown have
a team comprising of youth and experience. They will be looking to the likes of
Hugh Kavanagh who was man of the match in the county final, Pat Matthews and
Richie Barron who played in the senior championship with Ballyduff Lower in the
recent past as well as the likes of Tyrone Costelloe, Jim Power and Chris
Breheny for leadership in this game.
Butlerstown long
lay off without a competitive game will not help them going into this game.
Ideally they would have preferred their county final to be played two or three
weeks ago. While they will have been kept ticking over by team manager Philly
Flynn since the county final, the lack of competitive game will be a bone of
concern. Yes, challenge games or in house games may have been played since
winning the county final, but none of these come close to what can be learned
and got for a competitive game.
Will Butlerstown
advance to a Munster Final appearance against Kenmare from Kerry or Saint
Kieran’s from Limerick, we will have to wait and see. We know it won’t be easy
for them, but they have the support of the whole county behind them in their
bid to do so.
Group side Saint
Carthage’s take on Ballygunner in the ‘A’ final and will be preceded by the ‘B’
final between Passage and Fourmilewater.
The ‘A’ final
could well prove to be one of the games of the year played in the county and is
likely to attract some considerable attention, not just from the competing
clubs but also from across the county.
The Western
Champions go into this final not having played a competitive game since the end
of September when they beat Abbeyside 2-16 to 0-15 at Cappoquin.
Prior to this
their semi final game which resulted in a massive win over Comeragh Gaels was
nearly eight weeks earlier and their quarter final game against Dungarvan at
Clashmore took place nearly a month earlier.
The wisdom of
having such games between games has often been questioned, and you have at time
to wonder is this grade of competition a stop game one for the G.A.A., one
where they can take in a few extra euro each year in affiliations and gate
receipts.
However, it is a
difficult competition for Boards to fit in as teams taking part in the
competition are often group sides and boards often have to meet deadlines with
other grades of competitions to have teams ready for the provincial
championships and as a result this competition is often left on the back
burner.
Saint Carthage’s
will be picking players from the Lismore, Ballysaggart, Glen Rovers and Tourin
adult club areas. They will have some excellent players on show on the day and
will be very hard to beat. Seanie Barry will be between the posts for them.
Darren Meagher, the Bennett Brothers, Ray Barry, John and Paudie Prendergast as
well as Peter O’Keeffe are all quality players and are players that the side in
Black and Amber will be looking for inspiration from.
Ballygunner’s
last game in this grade was much more recent. They recently took on De La Salle
in the Eastern Final and needed Extra time to overcome the challenge of their
city rivals.
Like Saint
Carthage’s they have some quality players and will be looking to the likes of
Stephen O’Keeffe, the Mahony Brothers, Jack Ruddle, Conor Power and Harley
Barnes for inspiration.
This is a game
that with the quality of players available to both sides, it’s hard to pick a
winner with a degree of certainty. Maybe toss a coin if you fancy parting with
your cash in a bookies shop to determine which side to back. And maybe both
sides could do the County Board’s coffers a massive favour and return to the
venue at a later date to determine the destination of the winner’s trophy.
Passage and
Fourmilewater meet in the ‘B’ final earlier in the afternoon. Again this is a
game that could well go down to the wire. Both sides have some good players to
pick from. Mark Wyse and Killian Fitzgerald will prove vital to Passage while
Jamie Barron will without doubt be Fourmilewater’s most important player.
Passage could
have their hands full in trying to restrain Jamie Barron and will have to do it
in a disciplined manner as he is likely to punish teams for any misdemeanours. His presence on the field could swing the pendulum
in Fourmilewater’s way, but don’t write out Passage from this game.
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