Edenderry vs Brosna Gaels/Birr
Killeigh vs Killurin
They didn't do any others. Again, I don't know anything about any of the teams due to not being around, but it's nice to see that an actual intermediate club will make the inter final this year. I'm not sure it's in Offaly's best interests if Killavilla go back up (unless they've changed management and are no longer hatchet men?) but at least there'll be one club in Offaly that will make a final and it'll mean something to them. (I'm not saying it wouldn't mean anything to Birr and Rynaghs, but I don't think either of those clubs would consider it a good year to have made an intermediate final, while likewise I don't think making a senior final by itself would be much joy for either Birr or Coolderry unless they went and won the bloody thing)
Other than that - go on Brosna Gaels!! Theoretically Doon could be hurling senior before they get back to top flight football...
I see Brosna Gaels beat Birr last night, 1-10 to 0-5.
The last four in Junior A are all their clubs' first teams, ie no traditional teams from the hurling area. Looks like it's wide open. I winder would Killeigh, with their Intermediate experience go on to win it out?
Lone Shark wrote:
Other than that - go on Brosna Gaels!! Theoretically Doon could be hurling senior before they get back to top flight football...
Whats yere predictions for the winners of the eventual championships?
Senior- Birr Or Coolderry?
Intermediate - have seen both Rynaghs and Birr, Dont know what Ballinamere are like this year , but they pushed Birr all the way in the intermediate semi final last year.
The most competitive and open championship left is probably the intermediate one.
Junior - Killeigh maybe ,since they were intermediate last year..
Would be leaning towards Coolderry at the moment myself. Hopefully they'll meet before the final, giving us a novel final as well as the clash of the big two. Lusmagh to upset the winners in the final would be my outside bet.
Haven't seen anything in the other grades this year - though if Brosna Gaels can keep training together, they'd certainly have the legs of most other junior teams.
The other intermediate semi-final, between ballinamere and killavilla takes place on saturday evening in o'conor park at 3:15. The intermediate football semi-final between edenderry and ballyfore is on after that, followed by the rhode vs shamrocks senior semi-final.
I think that's a great draw for the county. It's a bit harsh on Shamrocks and Tullamore who've just had their mountain to climb turn positively Tibetan, but it now looks like we still get the Birr Coolderry showdown in a semi, while the other four now all have real prospects of reaching a final. In fact I fancy Coolderry to knock off Birr and rightly or wrongly any opponent of Coolderry will give themselves every chance in a final.
Tullamore’s win over Ballyskenagh confirmed the four quarter final pairings, two of which will be played on Sunday afternoon in Rath. There’s no second chance any more, no back door and no safety net. It’s time to sink or swim; to do or die!
LUSMAGH v KINNITTY Sunday, 4.30pm.
Lusmagh topped their group with a rare win over St. Rynagh’s three weeks ago. However, they say the biggest test of a team is how they perform in the match after a great one. If they should fail here and St. Rynagh’s advance the ‘bragging rights’ over their neighbours will cease having lasted all of twenty-one days! The three-week break will have given them time to regroup however. The defence is hurling well as a unit with the half back line forming the platform for recent wins. They vary the puckout to good effect. They did well in Aidan Hanrahan’s absence though this will be increasingly felt the further they progress. The Lusmonians are seeking to qualify for the semi-final for the first time in ten years - a long gap.
Kinnitty also are unbeaten since the resumption. They blew hot and cold in their two matches against Shinrone and Clareen yet were in a position to win both in the last five minutes. That Clareen match was four weeks ago now, a long gap at this level though with Lusmagh not having played in three weeks it’s not such a disadvantage. Their intermediates have long since exited their championship leaving them a full panel to pick from, unlike their opponents whose juniors contest a final next weekend. They were able to introduce both Justin Kinsella and Matthew McRedmond from the bench against Clareen. Match winning moves. Both will probably start on Sunday. Kinnitty contested the semi final two years ago when they probably should have beaten Coolderry. They will be anxious to advance to that stage again and won’t lack for belief.
Both teams do best when the ball is on the deck. Lusmagh won most ‘rucks’ against ’Rynagh’s while Kinnitty won the scraps against a strong Clareen side – no mean feat. Whoever can gain the edge in this area on Sunday will probably win it. They have only met once at senior level once this decade, Kinnitty scoring a decisive win on a wet evening in Clareen three years ago. Kinnitty again scored a good win in the league back in the spring. A low scoring game means it will be decided in the closing stages where it will come down to hunger. Very difficult to call. Maybe the Lusmagh spirit will see them through – just.
LAST MEETING: Kinnitty 3-13 Lusmagh 2-9 (4th round, 2004)
LAST QUARTER FINALS: Coolderry 1-11 Lusmagh 0-12 (2006). Kinnitty 0-13 St. Rynagh’s 0-9 (2005).
ST. RYNAGH’S v KILCORMAC/KILLOUGHEY Sunday, 6pm.
While Kilcormac/Killoughey have a decent record against St. Rynaghs’s at underage levels, they have never beaten them at senior level. They will see this as their best chance of breaking that particular ‘duck.’ They have thrived since losing out to Tullamore, an upset that has been put in context since with Tullamore’s indifferent form against Drumcullen and Ballyskenagh.
St. Rynagh’s have not hurled well this year. They were poor against Belmont where they had the cushion of two early goals and they never sparked into life at all against Lusmagh. While they are all decent hurlers and most are physically strong they don’t seem to gel into a good team. The setback of the defeat to Lusmagh may just act as the spur to kick them into gear. The defeat of their intermediates last weekend gives them much more options now. They seem to be lacking in leadership on the field given that this year they line out without any senior county medal holders.
To sum up, the best criteria to judge from is current form, which emphatically points in the direction of the Kilcormac/Killoughey men.
LAST MEETING: St. Rynagh’s 1-13 Kilcormac Killoughey 1-9 (play-off 2005)
LAST QUARTER FINALS: Kilcormac/Killoughey 2-18 Shinrone 1-11 (2006). Kinnitty 0-13 St. Rynagh’s 0-9 (2005).
Who do you think will go down? How is the relegation working this year ? Do all the teams play each other and is there points difference.
Or just a semi final and final for relegation play offs??
