The mercurial weatherman is an obvious concern at this time of year, but if conditions are favourable the marathon programme promises to provide thrills, spills, and excitement on a lavish scale.

Topping the bill is unquestionably the eagerly awaited senior football showdown in which Stradbally will be attempting to win back to back titles at the Nire’s expense.

They are the bookies favourite to do so, but they can prepare themselves for one mighty challenge from an opposition that will relish this one in a very big way.

The senior game is timed for 3.45 and will be immediately preceded by the county minor final (2.30) which uniquely pits Ballinacourty and Gaultier in opposition for the very first time at this level.

This one would ordinarily have been played at Walsh Park this year, but very sportingly Gaultier agreed to come to Fraher Field to play it with the senior game.

JUNIOR HURLING

It will be an early start for the fans with the junior Ahurling decider between Geraldines and Fenor timed for 1 o’clock.

This one on its own would attract a bumper attendance, and no teams are more deserving to lift the coveted title than Sunday’s finalists.

Both know all about the heartbreak of defeat at this particular final hurdle, and while one of them will come away wrapped up in the glory of victory on Sunday, equally certain is that the misery will linger on for the other.

SENIOR FINAL

The big one however is the senior football final, and what more attractive pairing could there be than the defending champions Stradbally and the Nire who lifted the coveted pot three times in the 1990s, the last in 1999. If both play to their undoubted potential then a cracker of a game is in prospect.

The reigning champions have been a model of consistency throughout the current campaign, save with the drawn semi-final against Rathgormack when both sides failed to measure up.

They put all that right however in last Sunday week‚s replay, with the Reds shading an out and out thriller by just two points.

Their form in the first half of that replay in particular was compelling, highlighted by three quality goals which had such a crucial bearing on the final result. If they can mount and sustain a similar effort for the whole game on Sunday one has to ask if there is a team in the county capable of dethroning them.

The Nire of course will have a major say in how the titleholders perform, and not for one fleeting moment can I visualise them rolling over and handing the laurels to the Reds.

They may not have set the scene alight in their semi-final defeat of Dungarvan, but the Nire still displayed enough in that one to suggest they are a match, and possibly a little more, for any opposition in the county.

I’m not privy to team selections at the time of writing, but I don’t expect many, if indeed any, changes from the respective semi-final line-outs.

From a Stradbally perspective it remains to be seen if there will be a recall for Trevor Curran who was surprisingly left out of the first fifteen for the semi-final replay but was introduced as a substitute during the course of the hour.

I have a hunch that Trevor will get the nod this time, but at whose expense is another question.

Certainly not at Stephen Cunningham’s who, despite his long injury lay off, proved just how lethal a forward he is in that replay victory over Rathgormack.

The Nire will again be without one of their long term injury stalwarts, Bobby Power, but rest assured that his brother Connie, the Ryans, the Walshs, Michael Byrne, and team captain John Moore will thrown down the most formidable of challenges to the champions.

Favouritism rests with Stradbally and deservedly so. However favourites don’t always prevail, and if any side is capable of lowering those red and white colours it is the battle hardened championship campaigners from the lovely valley.

Mind you I’m still standing with the champions but it‚s a final I can see going right down to the wire.

’COURTY CAN DO IT

With the sister club Abbeyside having already failed narrowly in their quest to win the minor hurling title, Ballinacourty will be in determined mood when they face Gaultier in Sunday’s corresponding football final.

They have come through a tough and testing western campaign, and while they may have had the rub of the green against Brickeys in the replayed divisional decider they are certain to be all the better for those two thrilling games.

Their one serious injury concern relates to their brilliant midfielder Mark Gorman who will be a huge loss if he is unable to start the game. Fingers tightly crossed however that he will.

Selectors Joe Cleary, Greg Fives, and Bernard Shields have moulded a really good side together with Seamas Lavan proving to be an inspirational captain. Declan and Mark Fives, Simon Hanrahan, David ‘Guicky’ Ferncombe, and Patrick Hurney, are exceptionally gifted footballers in the grade, but the real strength of the side is its overall near perfect balance.

Gaultier have proven their credentials in some style in winning out in the east, but it will take something rather special on their part to thwart Courty’s title ambition. Somehow I don’t see it happening.

GERS GO FOR GLORY

Earlycomers to Fraher Field on Sunday, and there will be many, should be generously rewarded when Geraldines and Fenor get down to sorting out the destination of the county junior hurling championship title. This one has a 1 o’clock throw in.

Having been losers in no fewer than three of these finals in recent years no one would be more deserving of success on Sunday than Fenor. However to achieve it they are going to have to master a Geraldines outfit that is itself thirsting for success, and with it a step back up into the intermediate grade in 2003.

The Gers have had a decent run in the West, culminating in that hard earned victory over Tourin the final.

For half an hour they played quality hurling and eased into a seemingly unassailable half-time lead, but worrying they leaked goals on the turnover, four of them to be exact, and in the end it took a late scoring flurry including a last gasp goal by substitute Noel Downing, to ensure victory for them.

Rest assured that a repeat of that defensive slackness will not be tolerated and should Fenor enjoy the level of goalscoring that Tourin created for themselves it is improbable in the extreme that the title will have a home in Aglish for the next twelve months.

All that said by way of warning however, I have every faith in the Gers to do the business although they are not without their injury concerns.

Ger O’Donovan is probably their biggest worry and right now he is said to have virtually no chance of being fit. His brother Pat, Raymond Connery, and Caimin Radley also receiving treatment with fingers being kept tightly crossed that they will be alright on the day.

On the credit side the experienced Tholm Keane who has been conspicuous by his absence all year, has joined the panel for training and is likely to be included among the substitutes on Sunday.

Michael Murray, who was on fire in the western final, will carry a huge weight of responsibility on his broad shoulders, but if victory is to be garnered then it will require nothing less than a quality team performance.

This one could go either way, and don‚t be at all surprised if it takes a replay to decide it. Meantime the very best of luck from everyone in the west division to the gallant Gers.

HISTORIC HURLING WIN FOR ARDMORE

Tremendous scenes of celebration followed the final whistle at Fraher Field last Sunday after Ardmore had captured the divisional intermediate hurling title for an historic first time with a narrow but deserved two point win, 1-9 to 2-4, over Abbeyside.

It may not have been the greatest game of the year, but that will matter not one iota as far as Ardmore are concerned, and they can now prepare themselves for a county final date probably next month against the champions of the East with senior championship hurling a very real prospect in 2003 for the first time in the club’s proud history.

They just about edged out Abbeyside’s dour challenge last Sunday in a decider largely dominated by the respective defences.

In the end however Ardmore had their inspirational captain, Seamas Prendergast, to thank for the victory, with his eight points from frees and play a priceless contribution to it.

Abbeyside to their credit fought the good fight, and in Gavin Breen at corner back they, like Ardmore, had an inspirational skipper.

Veteran defender Michael Collins was another to play his heart out, but on the day they shot too many wides (fourteen in total), a tall that will come back to haunt them whenever this final is recalled.

The indepth match report can be read elsewhere in this issue, but heartiest congratulations to Ardmore, and hopefully they’ll now go on and bring the even more coveted title back to the division and to the lovely village.

LISMORE IN RELEGATION DANGER

After just two seasons in senior football ranks, Lismore are now in very serious danger of being relegated back to the intermediate grade in 2003 following their 2-10 to 0-4 defeat by Kilmacthomas at Fraher Field last Saturday.

This was their worst display since they won their place in the top flight, and to compound a day of misery for them they had Paul and Barney Prendergast sent off in the space of a minute in the second half.

Checking with referee Pat Walsh afterwards however his confirmation that both players went on second yellow cards means they will be available for the make or break relegation joust with Kill within the next fortnight.

IFC SEMI-FINAL DRAWN

The result Western Board officers didn’t want, last Sunday’s divisional drawn intermediate football championship semi-final at Fraher Field when Ring’s 1-9 tally was matched by Ballyduff’s 2-6.

It was a lively, exciting, game and in the end the result was spot on. That said Ballyduff will bemoan a missed first half penalty when John Twomey blasted his spot kick wide.

A minute earlier Brendan Hannon’s goal had put them two points clear, 1-2 to 0-3, but Ring recovered from the let off, scored a fine goal themselves through Lnute, and went in at half time leading by 1-6 to 1-3.

It was nip and tuck throughout a hard fought second half, with Tom Molumphy’s 47th minute goal bringing Ballyduff level. Mikey Flaherty seemed to have won it for Ring when he gave them the lead point on the hour, but in added time Twomey levelled from a free and so its back to a replay next Saturday at a venue not finalised at the time of writing.

TRAGIC YOUNG DEATH

The sincere sympathy of the column and columnist is extended to the Curran family of Aglish on the tragic death of twenty three year old Martin last weekend.

The Curran family has been intrinsically linked with the Geraldines club for decades, and Martin’s dad, Tom, is a regular on the gate at Fraher Field.

To Tom and Ann, Martin’s brother Tomas, his sisters Ann, Trish, and Mary, and his many other relatives our deepest sympathy on their very considerable loss.

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