Senior Hurling Championship to be cut from four to two this Sunday

Let’s begin with a question.

Hands up, who foretold a few weeks back let alone a few months back the four sides involved in this Sunday’s County Senior Hurling Championship Semi Finals.

I’ll be honest, I won’t be raising my hand and I doubt there is many others reading this who will if we are all honest.

Yes, many if not all of us would have said Ballygunner would be involved, but the other three teams maybe some might have picked out one, but few would have picked two of the other three involved and a lot fewer would have picked all three.

There is no Mount Sion who were in last years final involved. The winners from the previous two years to last, Passage and De La Salle are not involved. Dungarvan the beaten finalist from 2012 are not involved. Abbeyside who appeared in recent semi finals are not involved.

Instead we have Tallow who last appeared in a final four years ago loosing to Ballygunner, Ballyduff Upper who last contested and won a county final back in 2007 and Fourmilewater who never appeared in the final and whose best finish was in 2012 when Dungarvan beat them at the semi final stages of the competition.

Its hard to know at this stage if they are seeing a change in power when it comes to Waterford hurling.

Have we seen the likes of Fourmilewater, Ballyduff Upper, Tallow and even Roanmore who reached the quarter finals of this years championship move closer to the standards set by the above named clubs in recent years? Honest answer, I for one don’t know.

Or is it a case that the likes of De La Salle, Mount Sion, Passage, Dungarvan and Abbeyside had a year that you have every so often, and that for all of them it happened to be on the same year? Again, honest answer, I don’t know.

Since the championship went knockout a few weeks back we have seen attendances at games go up and as a result gate receipts will have gone up, something I am sure the County Board Officers are happy with.

Maybe this is something clubs and officers should sit down and think about.

Has the system used in recent years gone stale? Do players and supporters alike have the stomach for County Senior Leagues and League Style Championships? The numbers attending these games would suggest no from the supporters anyway.

For what it is worth, I think things have gone stale. Changes are needed and consolation needs to take place with a variety of people including Board Officers, Clubs, Players and Supporters on formulating a new plan.

But such plans would be for the future. This Sunday’s games at Fraher Field are about the present.

Attendances for knockout games are up on games in the league section of the competition and this weekend the County Board would be expected to have its biggest gate so far this year for the double header.

First up is the meeting of two sides from the furthest west parts of the county with the meeting of Ballyduff Upper and Tallow.

Neither of these sides will want any motivation going into the game. local bragging rights for the next few weeks is motivation enough for all involved.

Both sides go into the game on a fairly equal footing.

Tallow got results in their (5pts) in their opening three games, drawing with De La Salle before beating Ballyduff Upper and Abbeyside before loosing their last  two games in the group section of the competition against Fourmilewater and Ballygunner.

Ballyduff Upper on the other hand had a very disappointing start to the championship loosing to Ballygunner, Tallow and Fourmilewater before finishing with a late surge beating De La Salle and Abbeyside when written off by most and consigned to a relegation play off.

In their quarter final games Ballyduff Upper had a 1-12 to 1-10 win over 2013 champions Passage while Tallow had a 3-13 to 0-18 win over a fancied Dungarvan side.

Both sides will go into the game in a confident mood.

Both sides have very good panels and are where they are on merit.

Tallow will look to Shaun O’Sullivan, Mark, David and Paul O’Brien, Kenneth and Aidan Kearney, James Murray, Robert Beecher, Kieran Geary, Thomas Ryan, William and Jordan Henley, Ryan Grey and Evan Sheehan for their inspiration.

Ballyduff Upper on the other hand will be looking to the likes of David Walsh, Tom Feeney, Shane, Mikey and Jamie Kearney, Kevin and Andrew Casey, Cian Leamy, Shane, Seamus and Brendan Hannon, Tom and Stephen Molumphy and Eoin Scanlon for much of their inspiration.

The second game sees reigning champions Ballygunner take on Fourmilewater.

These have been a very difficult few days for the Ballygunner Club with the sad passing of Paul Foley at the age of 41.

Paul was someone that was known to many through playing, refereeing and his business. I have no doubt that as happens at G.A.A. games when a moment is taken before this game on Sunday to remember Paul that a pin will be heard dropping inside the ground as patrons from across the county unite.

The ‘Gunners’ are the warmest of favourites not just to win this game but also this years championship.

They have come through the group stages relatively easy, winning four of their five games, their only loss coming against De La Salle.

But it has to be said that while Ballygunner have come through with some ease, it has to be said that they have not impressed.

Yes they are without the likes of Wayne Hutchinson and Pauric Mahony from last years final, but with the success the club has had in recent years, you would expect the club to fill the voids, even if those coming in are not of the same standard as those they are replacing.

Fourmilewater in recent years have played some good hurling, but football with a long number of years is the number 1 game in the area and come this time of the year more footballs than sliothars are put in their baskets.

However it’s worth noting that the Fourmilewater Club have had many of their players called up by different inter county management teams.

Ballygunner in this game will look to the likes of Stephen O’Keeffe, Barry Coughlan, Philip Mahony, JJ Hutchinson, Peter Hogan, Brian O’Sullivan, Billy O’Keeffe, Gary Molloy, David, Barry and Shane O’Sullivan, Ian Kenny, Shane Walsh as well as Conor and Stephen Power.

Fourmilewater for their part will be looking to Liam Lawlor as he returns from injury, Brian and Diarmuid Wall, Shane Walsh, Jamie Barron, Conor Gleeson, Craig, Darren and Dylan Guiry, Dermot Ryan, Justin Walsh, Thomas and Maurice O’Gorman, Shane and Dermot Ryan and Gearoid Hearne for their inspiration.

So who will be advancing to the county final later this month?

Ballygunner would be expected to come out on top in the second game, but who will win the first game?

It’s going to be close. Tallow won the first game between the two but that does not mean they will win this time around.

Confidence is going to be high in both clubs. Both have come through from quarter finals that few could have seen them win. Both have teams containing youth and experience. Tallow look to have slightly the better balance of the two, but the winner could well be the side that puts over the most placed balls over the hour.

 

Mini League involving four clubs
	Played	Won	Drawn	Lost	Goals	Pts	Goals	Pts	League
					for	for	against	against	Points
Ballygunner	3	3	0	0	3	52	1	31	6
Fourmilewater	3	2	0	1	3	36	2	34	4
Tallow	3	1	0	2	3	47	2	46	2
Ballyduff Upper	3	0	0	0	1	33	5	49	0