The race for the Conway Cup resumes

The story so far is that The Nire, Clashmore and An Rinn are all assured of their quarter final places. Stradbally, Kilrossanty, Ardmore, Rathgormack and Ballinacourty stand one win away from the last eight while St Saviours, Gaultier, Brickey Rangers and Dungarvan look to be in relegation territory.

The Nire may have made all the early running but the real championship begins when the knockout stages begin. Round one offered some entertainment value with both Ballinacourty and Stradbally coming a cropper. Unlike the hurling equivalent, things quickly settled down after that. The new format of the six team groups brings extra games for all but delay the inevitable for many. The lack of appetite for these games is reflected by the attendances. At the very least the group winners should be guaranteed a passage to the semi finals with the second and third placed teams entering the quarters. Under the current format, many teams can progress with only two wins to their name.

On an encouraging note, teams like Clashmore, An Rinn and Rathgormack appear to be bridging the gap to the top three. Whether they can maintain that form through to the knockout rounds remains to be seen. The other positive news on the scoring front is that 38 goals have been registered in 18 games. The average winning total is also up around the 15 point bracket.

Round 4 Previews

10 August
Rathgormack v Ardmore (7.30 at Fraher Field) Group 1
Both sides are almost certain of qualification but require another win to make absolutely sure. Rathgormack got off to a flyer against Ballinacourty and despite experiencing a dip in form, they remain unbeaten. Ardmore always give a good account of themselves and recovered well after a second half fadeout against The Nire. In a close run thing, Edmond Hogan and company should prevail.
Odds: Rathgormack 8/13 Draw 13/2 Ardmore 13/8             
Prediction: Rathgormack

11 August
Gaultier v Ballinacourty (5.30 at Walsh Park) Group 1
The signs are ominous for the Eastern outfit. Courty posted 3-17 last weekend in the league and they hold the upper hand in this fixture as evidenced by a 14 point winning margin in the quarters last year. The holders need to collect the points on offer and shake off their wobbly start in the process.
Odds: Gaultier 4/1 Draw 9/1 Ballinacourty 1/5
Prediction: Ballincourty

The Nire v St Saviours (7.00 at Walsh Park) Group 1
A rare visit to Walsh Park for The Nire but it shouldn’t disrupt their winning momentum. Despite claiming a notable draw against Rathgormack, Saviours may need to rely on more relegation play off heroics to drag them out of the mire again.
Odds: The Nire 1/12 Draw 14/1 St Saviours 11/2
Prediction: The Nire

Dungarvan v Kilrossanty (6.00 at Fraher Field) Group 2
Kilrossanty’s season hangs in the balance. Victory sends them to the last eight but stumble to a shock reversal and a relegation battle looms large. The boot of Paul Whyte should guide them clear of danger and past the winless Blues.
Odds: Dungarvan 15/8 Draw 7/1 Kilrossanty 1/2
Prediction: Kilrossanty

An Rinn v Clashmore (7.30 at Fraher Field) Group 2
The clash of the form sides in Group 2 who have attacking flair in abundance. Two unblemished records are also on the line so something has got to give. The Clashmore rearguard looks that bit more robust and Fleming, O’Halloran and O’Keeffe can do the damage at the other end in what promises to be an open contest.
Odds: An Rinn 10/11 Draw 13/2 Clashmore 11/10
Prediction: Clashmore

12 August
Brickey Rangers v Stradbally (7.00 at Fraher Field) Group 2
A tough assignment for the Brickeys who are rooted to the bottom of the group without a win or even a goal to their name. The Reds appear to be operating at a notch or two below their best and another victory here still won’t make those doubts disappear.
Odds: Brickeys 11/2 Draw 14/1 Stradbally 1/10
Prediction: Stradbally