ABBEYSIDE and Ardmore will contest next Sunday’s divisional intermediate hurling championship final following their respective victories of Ring and St. Mary’s in last Saturday’s doubleheader at Fraher Field. Not the fare the fans had come in expectation of however, and overall the standard of hurling in both games was hugely disappointing.
First things first however, and an acknowledgement that both victors were thoroughly deserving of the spoils. Abbeyside were always that vital step ahead of the Ring challenge, and on a day when St. Mary’s never measured up to expectations Ardmore were good value for their 1-12 to 0-9 victory in the second semi.
FLYING START
Abbeyside couldn’t possibly have bettered their start against Ring when they raced into a decisive eight point lead inside thirteen minutes. Goals by Laurence Hurney and the excellent James Keohan gave them a 2-3 to 0-1 advantage, and at that stage Ring looked to be staring annihilation in the face.
To the losers credit however they managed to steady the ship, and a superb Liam Lenane goal on sixteen minutes threw them a lifeline, although they were still seven points adrift, 2-6 to 1-2, at the interval.
The second half, sadly, saw an already moderate contest deteriorate even more, and the closing quarter yielded just a solitary point, that coming in the 59th minute. That statistic probably best sums up a semi-final that just never took off, and while Abbeyside will be well pleased that they’ve again booked their place in the divisional decider they’ll know that much better will be needed of them if they are to lift the coveted title.
Their hero in this semi-final win was undoubtedly Alan Ryan, who gave a tremendous performance at wing back, with the Keohan brothers and Gavin Breen also contributing in handsome measure to it.
ARDMORE ALL THE WAY
The second semi final was little better, although no one can question the justice of Ardmore’s 1-12 to 0-9 victory over a strangely lethargic and even subdued St. Mary’s.
The winners always looked the probable winners, although at the end of a competitive enough opening half St. Mary’s were still in with a genuine shout as they trailed by just three points, 0-8 to 0-5. However with the Prendergast’s, Seamas and Declan, having a major input the seasiders were never headed in a very lack lustre second half, and Damien Lenane’s goal in the 58th minute finally killed off St. Mary’s disappointing challenge.
Ardmore were four points clear, 0-12 to 0-8, when Lenane struck for his priceless goal, and though St. Mary’s had the final score in the dying seconds they were, overall, soundly beaten. Seamas Prendergast was the game’s top scorer with a rich dividend of eight points, while Colin Geary picked off a few real gems for St. Mary’s.
Incidentally the Prendergast brothers just made it home in time for the game after enjoying a Turkish holiday. Certainly without them it is St. Mary’s who would now be preparing to face Abbeyside in the decider.
SUNDAY’S FINAL
The form of both winners last weekend was just too bad to be true, and my expectation is that Abbeyside and Ardmore will now serve up a final next Sunday at Fraher Field (3.15) worthy of the occasion.
On their day these are two quality sides by intermediate standards, and what bigger or better stage than the final itself on which to prove that. Ardmore will probably go in as the marginal favourites and if Seamas Prendergast can wave his own particular brand of magic they will be hard to halt.
Yet for all that my gut feeling is that the Villagers will prevail in this one. They showed just how good they can be in their quarter final defeat of Shamrocks, and if they rediscover the splendid form they displayed in that one they just might shade it. Whatever the outcome however it seems destined to go right down to the wire.
IFC SEMI FINAL
As I write, nothing has been officially confirmed, but the probability is that Sunday’s Fraher Field curtainraiser will be the intermediate football semi-final between Ring and Ballyduff. Clashmore, following their five-point victory over Brickey Rangers last Sunday evening await the winners in the final.
Ring are probably still smarting over their hurling defeat by Abbeyside last weekend, but that reverse could well provide them with an additional spark of inspiration. They needn’t expect anything soft from a Ballyduff outfit well capable of troubling the best in the grade and I don’t expect a wide margin to separate victors and vanquished at hour’s end.
A tentative vote, nothing more to Ring, with the addendum that a Ballyduff win will occasion little more than a very mild surprise.
CLASHMORE IN FINAL
Clashmore copperfastened their place in the divisional final with a hard earned but deserved 2-7 to 0-8 victory over Brickey Rangers at Fraher Field last Sunday evening.
A first half goal by the outstanding Stephen Barron and another early in the second half by Brian O’Neill sent Clashmore on their victory way, although they could never completely shake off what was a very determined Brickeys challenge. They lacked the necessary firepower in attack however, and ultimately that proved to be their fatal shortcoming.
Clashmore will know however in the immediate flush of post match victory that they will need to perform better if they hope to go and annex the divisional and county titles. That they are capable of doing that I have no doubt, and they still remain my banker bet to at least land the western crown.
SENIOR FOOTBALL FINAL FOR FRAHER FIELD
Following their thrilling two point victory over Rathgormack in an epic county senior football championship replay at Walsh Park last Sunday, the great news is that the county final against the Nire will now be staged at Fraher Field on Sunday week. Had Rathgormack prevailed then under county bye-law the final would have gone ahead at Walsh Park, but with both finalists coming from the same division (West) its their prerogative to switch the game to Fraher Field by agreement.
That agreement was forthcoming following an emergency meeting of the Stradbally club last Sunday evening. It’s fair to say that it was not a unanimous decision to come to Fraher Field for the decider, but in the end the crucial vote came down in favour of the Old Boro venue.
THREE GAMES
Sunday week will in fact be a hectic day at Fraher Field with no fewer than THREE county finals down for decision. The big one Bally/Nire senior showdown, but also on the programme is the minor final between Ballinacourty and Gaultier, with the Eastern champions very sportingly agreeing to come to Dungarvan and give up the chance of playing it so much nearer home in Walsh Park.
If all of that isn’t enough to whet the appetite the county junior A hurling final will also be played, bringing together Geraldines and Fenor for what should be a marvellous decider. This one on its own would guarantee a bumper attendance, but as part of a three game county final afternoon the certainty is that Fraher Field will host its biggest attendance of the year todate. More anon about all three finals next week D.V.
REDS IN LINE FOR BACK-TO-BACK TITLES
A few brief comments on that senior football semi final replay last weekend, which was a marvellous advertisement for club football in the county. In the end the spoils of victory went to the defending champions on a 3-11 to 1-15 scoreline, but Stradbally only prevailed in the face of a quite magnificent second half Rathgormack fightback.
Those three Stradbally goals came in the first half when the Reds were on fire and playing a brand of football that was a delight to behold. The first was scored after eight minutes by Ger Power with Niall Curran in the role of provider, and the second on fourteen minutes was clinically finished by Stephen Cunningham with the outstanding Michael Walsh laying on the vital pass. Goal number three came on twenty-five minutes and this time Walsh was the scorer with Niall Curran again the one to provide the centre.
Stradbally went in leading by 3-4 to 0-06 at the interval, and at that stage the Rathgormack challenge looked dead and buried. Oh ye of little faith! They came out a much more determined and positive outfit, and though little enough inroads were made into the Stradbally lead throughout the third quarter they were now threatening in a way they hadn’t done in the opening half.
In fact the champions extended their advantage to eight points, 3-10 to 0-11, by the 53rd minute before Joe Murray’s goal sparked off a thrilling Rathgormack fight back. Super sub Kenny Hassett scored the second of his points, and with Eoin Clifford and Edmund Hogan chipping in with one apiece the deficit was suddenly down to a brace of points.
Niall Curran gave the titleholders valuable breathing space with a point from a free, but there was one final moment of drama as Clifford bore down menacingly on goal with just seconds left on the clock. His goal intended effort however sailed just inches over the bar when a goal was a very definite possibility, and Stradbally, having been in cruise control for so long, eventually held out by the proverbial skin of their teeth.
In stark contrast to the previous Sunday’s boring draw between the great rivals, this was one belter of a game, the best by a mile in the championship campaign todate.
‘COURTY WIN M.F. REPLAY It was not without its controversy, but at hour’s end Ballinacourty captured the divisional minor football championship title with a 1-6 to 0-7 victory over Brickey Rangers in a tense replay at Fraher Field on Tuesday evening of last week.
Declan Fives was the ‘Courty matchwinner with his converted penalty, but whenever they reflect on this replay the Brickeys will surely have nightmares. Territorially they dominated for lengthy spells but kicked a veritable ocean of wides, and to compound all of that they will always believe that they were on the wrong end of many of referee Pat Casey’s decisions.
In fact some Brickey fans vented their verbal anger on the referee after the game, and for a while it looked as though a nasty situation could develop. Fortunately that was not the case, but it was disappointing that the outcome should become so entangled in the decisions the referee did and perhaps didn’t make.
The bottom line of course is that Ballinacourty completed the minor championship double, and will I suspect be strong in Sunday week’s county final.
BOARD MEETINGS
Western Board officers were in session last Monday night to consider the current state of championship progress, and to pencil in as many fixtures as they can for the coming weeks. The involvement of Ardmore and Abbeyside/Ballinacourty in more than one of the championships is complicating matters more than a little, and it looks very much as though some divisional finals here in the west will now spill over into November.
Meanwhile County Board meets next Monday night when I understand there will be major discussion on expenditure, and in particular what it is costing to train and prepare the various county teams in a given year.
In the current year it seems that some of those costings have all but gone out through the roof, so one can look forward to an interesting debate next Monday night.
