Tipster's Competition - Round 7 Results

[Lone Shark]

As is now customary for this competition, the lead once again changes hands, as Hocker and As Such Ger give us a Shannonbridge/Tullamore combo at the top of the charts. Nobody gained huge ground this week though, as out of nine points available, the highest score was six - obtained by True Red, Man From Ferbane and the Biff. (All football heartland people!!! ) To compound this, only four players scored two points or less, three of which are hurling first individuals, and the other flies the flag for a dual club ..... what is the world coming to??

To my recollection it's the first time that we had a winner that went completely unselected - nobody saw Clareen winning out in the clash of the mountain men - well there you go!

Round 8 now available, and lapsed posters and lurkers alike, get back on board - the knockouts will start pretty soon, so it's worth getting in the game!

34 Hocker, As Such Ger

33 Seamróga, Harperj, Fit for Junior

32 The Biff

31 Gaaa Head, Del, Mighty Pair o' Hands

30 Plain of the Herbs, True Red

29 Bord na Mona Man, Bart, Lone Shark, Treasurer

28 TheManfromFerbane

26 The Rat

25 Ballymanabroad, Rynagh's Biffo

24 Turk, Bogman

23 Fullback, Skippy

22 Sparklin,

18 Hyper, Minor

17 juteman, Far from Croghan Hill , AZOffaly

16 Leroy , NaasmanrxRhode , Rachralady

15 Barracuda , Offalymanaway , HairyHole

12 Shovels , Stupid like a Fox , Percy Sledgehammer , Sniper

9 Doon Massive

8 Doobane Man

7 the Untouchable

6 The Rover

5 Seán Boyle Ó Rathallaigh

3 96318104

[Plain of the Herbs]

Only David Moran's heriocs from CHB for Lusmagh saved me from a big duck-egg last weekend!

Lusmagh hurled well in the first half and led by 2 at half time (thanks to a well-taken Austin Lynch goal) having hurled into Sunday morning's fresh wind. They were unable to make the advantage count in the second half, however, and a Killavilla goal mid-way through brought htem right back into contention. Some battling Lusmagh defending and Gary Kelly long-range freetaking meant Lusmagh hung on for the win.

Interesting to see K/K adapt a handpassing-out-of-defence gameplan against Coolderry. Its difficult to use at club level though, where one fumbled catch can be fatal. Mark Hand was particularly prominent in those passing moves. Coolderry made full use of Shane O'Connors long puckouts in the first half to lead by 11 at half time where Brian Carroll (prom play) and Paddy Teehan (from lang range frees) kept the scoreboard ticking over. They were unable to win their own ball in the second half and if K/K had a strike-partner for Ciaran Slevin the result might have been in doubt as the game entered is dying moments.

Shinrone continue their superiority in the local rivalry to the south-west. They played the more direct hurling during the final 10 minutes that I saw, where Ballyskenagh suffered from endless ball-carrying that only yielded crowding.

[Plain of the Herbs]

While I'm at it, I recovered this nugget of information from elsewhere on this site:-

"Winner of group 1 & 2 qualify for S/F. Winner of group 3 play 2nd team in group 1 and runner up in group 3 play 2nd team in group 2. Semi Finals by open draw. Bottom team in each group to play off league system to relegate two teams."

While it looks like Coolderry and K/K to advance from group 1 and Birr and Lusmagh from group 2 (in that order), it looks very complicated in group 3 where it will surely require a few play-offs to decide the outcome.

[Treasurer]

Winner of group 1 & 2 qualify for S/F. Winner of group 3 play 2nd team in group 1 and runner up in group 3 play 2nd team in group 2. Semi Finals by open draw. Bottom team in each group to play off league system to relegate two teams."

That was the case when the third group was considered the weak group. With no "weak" group this year, there was an open draw among the first placed team in each group for two semi final places and as it happens this took place tonight with Birr and Group 3 toppers going straight to semi and Cooldery playing in quarter final with the three second placed teams.