Four places in County Senior Hurling Championship are confirmed

Four of the eight sides that will contest the quarter finals of this year’s JJ Kavanagh and Sons County Senior Hurling Championship are now known after the completion of games in round four of the league phase of the competition over the weekend.

Reigning Champions Passage moved a step closer to the last eight of the competition after they beat Fourmilewater having six points to spare at Fraher Field on Friday evening.

The champions were always in control in this game and headed to the dressing rooms at the break holding a 2-11 to 1-9 advantage.

Former inter county hurler Eoin Kelly struck the winners first goal on nine minutes when he was lurking in front of Brendan Lawlor’s goal when Killian Fitzgerald’s shot from out the field fell short.

Credit Fourmilewater however as they tried to pull that goal back, but they came up against Eddie Lynch who was in fine form for Passage who did well to keep efforts from Tommy Cooney and Shane Ryan out.

Fourmilewater did manage to raise a green flag five minutes from the break when Dermot Ryan flicked to the net. Passage however cancelled the score out two minutes later when Conor Carey having being set up by Rory Walsh finished to the net.

Fourmilewater did try to fight back in the second half with Jamie Barron landing some crucial scores, but a third goal for Passage from the hurl of Rory Walsh after some good work by Sean Hogan finished the game as a contest, with Passage running out 3-18 to 1-18 winners.

The second game on Friday evening saw De La Salle run out comfortable winners in an all city clash at Walsh Park against Roanmore.

The 2008, 2010 and 2012 champions who played without John Mullane were always in control in this game and at the break they held a 1-8 to 0-7 lead, the goal coming mid way through the half from John Keane.

Gavin O’Brien accounted for half a dozen scores for Roanmore in the first half and when he had to retire early in the second half with an injury, the Sky Blue hopes all but evaporated.

De La Salle hit six points in a row to open up a good lead towards the end of the game, and when John Keane struck for his second goal of the game five minutes from time, there was no disputing the outcome as De La Salle coasted to a 2-19 to 0-11 victory.

Ballygunner kept their winning start to this years championship in tact at Fraher Field on Sunday evening with a comprehensive 1-25 to 1-7 win over Tallow.

Inter county players Pauric Mahony and Brian O’Sullivan were on fire for Ballygunner in this game.

Mahony who has impressed throughout the year with Club, County and College hit ten points over the course of the hour while O’Sullivan hit six.

Playing against the breeze in the first half, Ballygunner held a double score advantage (10 points to five) at the break.

Tallow struck a goal through Evan Sheehan seven minutes after the restart, but it failed to ignite Tallow, who conceded a goal from Conor Power soon afterwards.

Dungarvan booked their place in the last eight of the championship when they beat Ballyduff Upper in the first of two games played at Fraher Field on Friday evening.

The Old Boro Club last contested the final in 2012 where they were beaten by De La Salle and have not won the final since the 1940’s but look as though they are heading in the right direction this year with what is a young but experienced team.

Dungarvan at the break having played with the wind at their backs in the opening half held a 0-14 to 0-4 advantage with all six starting forwards getting their names on the score sheet.

With the wind at their backs in the second half and spurred on my Mikey Kearney who hit seven points and the rock solid Cian Leamy Ballyduff played better in the second thirty minutes, but they had left themselves with too much to do.

Patrick Curran hit a goal eight minutes from time which was cancelled out with a Jamie Kearney effort after some good work by Stephen Molumphy, but it was not enough to prevent them from going under on a 1-18 to 1-11 score line.

Mount Sion also booked their place in the last eight of the championship when they easily accounted for Ardmore at Kill.

The Monastery Men proved far too strong for last years intermediate champions winning 1-26 to 2-8.

The result will have those making calls for the way the championships are run in Waterford to be seriously looked at.

Over the past number of years, only Dungarvan that has come up from winning the intermediate championship have made any real impact in the senior grade.

Roanmore have held their own, but have each year since coming up found themselves closer to a relegation battle than winning a place in the knockout stages of the competition, while An Rinn (twice) and Dunhill have found themselves relegated the year after moving up to senior.

Maybe now is the time that the numbers playing in the senior grade be cut and that a Senior ‘B’ or an Intermediate Premier Championship be set up as a stepping stone from the Intermediate and senior grades, with teams playing in such a championship coming from the two or four senior teams relegated plus the best performing intermediate teams from both divisions over the past three to five years.

Richie Roche had the ball in the Ardmore net in this game after just thirty seconds which helped his side to a 1-15 to 0-4 lead at the change of ends.

Not for the first time in recent years, Seamus Prendergast finished top scorer for Ardmore with 2-6 behind his name on the score sheet while there was also impressive performances from Austin Gleeson and Martin O’Neill for the winners.

Twelve months ago, Abbeyside went on a terrific run in the second half of the league stages of the championship to book their place in the knockout stages which they bowed out of at the semi final stages and it looks as they could be coming good at the right time again this year.

At the end of a tight first half Abbeyside held a 2-5 to 1-5 advantage.

Patrick Hurney hit the first of the games goals mid way through the first half. John Heneghan cancelled it out three minutes from time but Abbeyside from the restart went straight back up field and hit a second goal through John Hurney.

Playing with the breeze at their backs in the second half, Lismore were for times the better of the two sides.

The sides were level three times in the second thirty minutes but a second goal from John Hurney, five minutes from time proved to be crucial as Abbeyside held out for a 3-13 to 1-15 victory.

League Table Senior Hurling Championship Group 1

Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points For	Points Against	Points Diff	Points
De La Salle	4	4	0	0	84	52	32	8
Passage	4	1	2	1	82	79	3	4
Abbeyside	4	2	0	2	75	75	0	4
Lismore	4	1	1	2	70	82	-12	3
Roanmore	4	1	1	2	58	72	-14	3
Fourmilewater	4	1	0	3	63	72	-9	2

Round Five Games:

Abbeyside V Roanmore at Kill; Fourmilewater V Lismore at Fraher Field; Passage V De La Salle at Walsh Park on Saturday evening.

League Table Senior Hurling Championship Group 2

Team	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Points For	Points Against	Points Diff	Points
Ballygunner	4	4	0	0	109	57	52	8
Mt. Sion	4	3	0	1	87	59	28	6
Dungarvan	4	3	0	1	94	69	25	6
Ballyduff Upper	4	1	0	3	63	83	-20	2
Tallow	4	1	0	3	53	85	-32	2
Ardmore	4	0	0	4	55	108	-53	0

Round Five Games:

Ballygunner V Ballyduff at Fraher Field, Mount Sion V Dungarvan at Walsh Park, Tallow V Ardmore Clashmore on Sunday evening.