Waterford SHC Semi Final Previews

1 October
Ballyduff Upper v Tallow (4.00 at Fraher Field)
The two surprise packets of the quarter finals meet on Saturday afternoon with the golden ticket of a county final place on offer for the winners. Both sides experienced up and down group stage form to arrive at the quarters. Ballyduff only won two of their five group games before catching out Mount Sion after extra time. Tallow meanwhile won two and drew one before eliminating Lismore. Freetakers Brendan Hannon (with 0-42 so far) and Thomas Ryan (4-39) supply the vast bulk of the scoring power for either side. Hannon however can call upon support in the shape of Shane Kearney, Jamie Kearney and Stephen Molumphy. If Ryan misfires Tallow will find it difficult to compile a winning total. To bridge a final gap that goes back to 1985 they will need to bring to the table the performance that toppled Lismore. Another reason for optimism is that the starting team last time out contained six players that have represented Waterford at senior level. They began the season as a 25/1 to lift the News and Star trophy and remain 9/1 outsiders of the four teams remaining in the race. This reflects a tendency to blow hot and cold from game to game and while a collapse appears unlikely here, their local rivals are a battled hardened outfit familiar with these big occasions. The 2007 county title experience should stand Ballyduff in good stead and they look the more reliable bet to advance for another tilt at ultimate glory.
Odds: Ballyduff 4/9 Draw 10/1 Tallow 2/1
Prediction: Ballyduff Upper

2 October
De La Salle v Ballygunner (3.30 at Walsh Park)
A collision of the top two club teams in the county is set to generate a bumper crowd at the city venue this weekend. These two sides have shared the last three county titles and Sunday’s winners will be odds on to claim the spoils again. De La Salle inflicted an eight point defeat on the Gunners in the 2010 final, a game in which they held a tight grip throughout. The holders remain unbeaten in this campaign without reaching the heights of 12 months ago. Throughout the field their physical strength stands out.
The half back line of Brian Phelan, Kevin Moran and Stephen Daniels remains the benchmark in Waterford and their strongest combination on the field. Eddie Barrett and Dean Twomey form the midfield pairing while up front John Mullane, Jake Dillon and Eoin Madigan lead the scoring stakes with Paidi Nevin also chipping in with his trademark point or two. Some doubts were cast over Ballygunner after their second half showing against Fourmilewater and they will also need to deal with the power of De La Salle, something they failed to do in the last year’s final. If the Gunners can deliver quick, direct ball into their inside forward line however, goals are there for the taking. An open, expansive game proved De La Salle’s undoing against Clarinbridge and Ballygunner will seek to create similar conditions. In the quarter finals Passage scored three goals and exposed some cracks in the champions’ full back line which crafted opportunities for two or three more. Remember also that Ballygunner were missing four key players in last year’s final that will be available for this clash. Inter county men Wayne Hutchinson and Brian O’Sullivan were both marked absent and have been two reliable performers in the campaign to date while the experienced duo of Barry Mullane and Andy Maloney are also likely to receive game time at some stage. Providing that Hutchinson continues to lead the half back line and supply the explosive forward unit containing Pauric Mahony, Brian O’Sullivan and JJ Hutchinson with quality possession, the Gunners can narrowly emerge from what promises to be a thrilling contest.
Odds: De La Salle 1/2 Draw 9/1 Ballygunner 15/8
Prediction: Ballygunner

A salute to the man with the gold helmet

At the age of 32 the Mr Consistency of the Waterford full back line has decided to call it a day on the inter county front.

Remarkably Murphy only earned two All Star nominations (2004 and 2006) and one All Star in 2006. That fact is more a reflection of the overall perception of Waterford’s inner line than Murphy’s individual efforts. The excellence of Michael Kavanagh, Jackie Tyrell and Ollie Canning in particular also denied him year after year.

Murphy began life in the senior set-up under Gerald McCarthy as a wing forward but quickly displayed his abilities as a defender. He was a classy operator in his own quietly effective manner and used his pace, neat touches and sharp hurling brain to get him out of any difficulty he encountered. He relished clashes with Eoin Kelly and Joe Deane in particular as he often proved the best man marker for the opposition’s star corner forward. Interestingly when interviewed by the Examiner last week he identified Richie Power as his toughest opponent. “He was one of the most skilful players I ever marked. It was as if he had Superglue on his hurley, the way he controlled the ball.”

The breakthrough Munster final of 2002 and unforgettable 2004 decider mark obvious stand out moments in his ten years of service but receiving All Star recognition in 2006 rubberstamped his worth. The start of that particular summer promised little. With Eoin Kelly in red hot form, Tipperary dismantled the Déise by 3-14 to 1-12. Dan Shanahan recalls that game in his autobiography. “We didn’t even have our best man-marker on him. Justin had Eoin Murphy in the other corner – why didn’t he put him on Kelly? It didn’t make sense to me to have a defender on your team who’d always done well on the opposition’s most dangerous forward and not to use him on that forward.” When the sides crossed paths again at Croke Park in the All Ireland quarter final the team and management corrected the mistakes. Murphy tracked Kelly and despite shooting 1-8, only two points came from play. In the semi final that followed against Cork, Joe Deane was held scoreless from play as Waterford came up a point short by close of play. Even in defeat Murphy never allowed his standards to drop and outstanding back to back showings on the Croke Park stage earned national acknowledgement.

With the ups came the downs. Despite winning Munster and National league medals in 2007, the All Ireland semi final defeat left a sour taste. Limerick’s full forward line of Andrew O’Shaughnessy, Brian Begley and Donie Ryan contributed all five of the goals that eliminated Waterford for another year. In the 2008 All Ireland final the corner back became part of the plan to put Kilkenny off their game early on. For a polished performer like Murphy, those actions were out of kilter with his character. Despite these setbacks he continued to fight off all challengers for his shirt in the next two championships winning his fourth Munster title in 2010.

At the start of 2011 Murphy’s number two shirt came under threat from Darragh Fives with the Limerick game on the horizon. One evening at Cappoquin in an intermediate club game changed everything however. On that Friday of the May Bank Holiday weekend his club Shamrocks were taking on Abbeyside as he chased down an opponent but found himself in the wrong place when the player attempted to strike. “My first thought was that something serious had happened” he recalled in an interview with Vincent Hogan this July. “Just this sensation of bones breaking inside your head. When I went down, I deliberately stayed motionless because I wasn't sure what had actually cracked.” The result was a fractured skull and from that moment his chances of reappearing on the inter county circuit looked slim.

Murphy was well respected in the Waterford dressing room and went about his business in an understated way. Under both Justin McCarthy and Davy Fitzgerald he was recognised as a reliable, dependable defender and while numerous players shifted among the back line Murphy remained the one constant. Until his head injury, he played every championship minute under Fitzgerald’s watch.

Another testament to Murphy’s character is that he maintained contact with the panel throughout this year’s championship and returned to light training at the latter end of the campaign. “I feel that if I can even contribute 1pc then it's worth doing,” he said at the time. “So, I was delighted when Davy said he'd like to have me around. I mean, it's been a way of life to me anyway for 10 years now and I was missing going in.”

For the new breed of Waterford players set to graduate to the senior ranks in the coming years, the manner that Murphy conducted himself both on and off the field is one to follow.

Eoin Murphy Stats

Championship debut: Munster championship 2001 v Limerick
Championship appearances: 42
Munster titles: 4 (2002, 2004, 2007, 2010)
National League: 1 (2007)
All Stars: 1 (2006)
2006 – Corner Back
All Star nomination 2004

Waterford SFC Quarter Final Round-Up

Two double headers at Fraher Field over the weekend determined the final four for this year’s JJ Kavanagh senior football championship. The big three of the Nire, Ballinacourty and Stradbally all advanced while Kilrossanty shaded a tight call against Brickey Rangers. In the semi finals Ballinacourty received a favourable draw against Kilrossanty while old rivals the Nire and Stradbally go head to head in a familiar pairing.

Semi Final Draw
The Nire v Stradbally
Ballinacourty v Kilrossanty

Quarter Finals
The Nire 0-12 An Rinn 1-7
An Rinn battled to the very end on Saturday evening with a strong second half showing but couldn’t reel in an experienced Nire outfit. A four point haul from Brian Wall helped the Nire into a 0-9 to 1-2 half time lead. Shane O’Ceallaigh blasted to the net from the penalty spot for An Rinn to keep their hopes alive on 24 minutes. Liam Lawlor extended the Nire’s lead to five minutes into the second period but the outsiders persisted. Shane O’Ceallaigh, Noel O’Murchu and Donal Breathnach all tagged on white flags to leave only a point between the sides entering injury time. Two missed frees from Breathnach proved costly for the Gaeltacht side however as a late Brian Wall effort kept the Nire in contention for the Conway Cup.

Kilrossanty 0-12 Brickey Rangers 0-9
John Kiely’s side emerged victorious in an untidy encounter under the lights with their substitutes playing a key role. After a drab opening half the sides were all square at four points apiece. It took all of twenty minutes before the first score arrived through Conor McGrath. The second half brought about an improvement in quality as Kilrossanty edged in front. Paul Whyte, Joey Veale along with substitutes Michael Walsh and Colin Doyle supplied the key scores to see them through.

Ballinacourty 4-12 Gaultier 1-7
Ballinacourty held the upper hand from start to finish here to maintain their title challenge. Mark Ferncombe and Gary Hurney hit first half goals to build up a 2-5 to 1-2 interval lead. JJ Hutchinson provided brief respite for the city side while Anthony Fitzgerald registered their goal. Normal service resumed after half time with Fercombe helping himself to a second major and Patrick Hurney also getting in on the goal act.

Stradbally 0-13 Ardmore 1-6
The three in a row dream lives on for the Reds after eventually getting to grips with Ardmore in the last quarter final clash on Sunday. The sides went in at the break tied at five points each with Shane Aherne prominent for Stradbally with three and Alan North also chipping in with three for Ardmore. Four points on the trot appeared to put the holders in charge but North responded with a goal to leave the minimum between the sides. Stradbally nailed the last three points however through Tommy Connors and two from Niall Curran. The experienced Curran emerged as Stradbally’s leading scorer with five points on the night.

Waterford SFC Quarter Final Previews

24 September
The Nire v An Rinn (6.30 at Fraher Field)
After three straight wins to boast from the group stages, The Nire appear to have avoided a sticky last eight opponent. An Rinn, with only one win from three before this weekend’s clash, qualified as the best third place team from the three groups. Their two losses came by a single point however and when they put it together they can challenge the big teams especially with Liam O’Lionain in attack. Expect some rustiness early on from the favourites after their hurling exploits but their experience, power and accuracy should see off An Rinn by a five point margin.
Odds: The Nire 1/4 Draw 9/1 An Rinn 10/3
Prediction: The Nire

Brickey Rangers v Kilrossanty (8.00 at Fraher Field)
Saturday night’s clash under lights proves the most difficult one to predict. The Brickeys maintained an unbeaten record in the group stages while Kilrossanty came good in the quarter final play off against Clashmore last weekend. Brickeys include Conor Phelan and Conor McGrath in their line up and can also claim a superior scoring rate to their opponents. Despite the continued absence of Tommy Prendergast, the quality that Joey Veale and Paul Whyte provide in the forward division makes Kilrossanty the preferred choice here.
Odds: Brickeys 11/10 Draw 6/1 Kilrossanty 10/11
Prediction: Kilrossanty

25 September
Gaultier v Ballinacourty (5.00 at Fraher Field)
For the third year in a row these teams are pitted together in the knock out stages. Ballinacourty pulled through on the two previous occasions and this time the venue also falls in their favour. It is up to the city side to raise their game on Sunday evening like they did in last year’s semi final. Considering that Ballinacourty haven’t hit top form so far they may encounter some difficulties before securing victory.
Odds: Gaultier 4/1 Draw 9/1 Ballinacourty 1/5
Prediction: Ballinacourty

Ardmore v Stradbally (6.30 at Fraher Field)
While Stradbally will be hotly fancied to advance, a number of injuries cast a shadow of doubt. John Coffey and Shane Aherne are the two most prominent concerns along with other little niggles that threaten to derail their bid for three in a row. They also only scored four points last time out against the Nire. Ardmore possess enough physicality all over the field with the Hennessys and the Prendergasts to trouble the holders and this could turn out to be the highlight of the weekend’s action.
Odds: Ardmore 5/1 Draw 14/1 Stradbally 1/9
Prediction: Stradbally

Waterford SHC Quarter Finals in brief

Two surprise results over the weekend saw Ballyduff Upper and Tallow qualify for the last four at the expense of Lismore and Mount Sion. The semi final draw pits the two Western sides together while there is the mouth watering prospect of Ballygunner and De La Salle in the other game, a repeat of last year’s county final.

Semi Final Draw
Ballygunner v De La Salle
Ballyduff Upper v Tallow

Quarter Finals
De La Salle 2-18 Passage 3-12
A contribution of 2-3 from Jake Dillon helped De La Salle overcome a brave Passage challenge at Walsh Park on Saturday afternoon. Eoin Kelly rattled the net on 16 minutes to help the outsiders to a 1-2 to 0-2 lead after a bright opening. De La Salle fired a rapid response of 1-5 in seven minutes with Dillon striking a goal after John Mullane picked him out from a quick free. Dillon added another three minutes into first half injury time to build up a 2-9 to 1-4 lead at the short whistle. With John Mullane, Dillon and Brian Phelan all adding to score sheet the holders looked secure until Passage mounted a late comeback. A 21 metre free from Eoin Kelly found the net three minutes from time and then Joseph McCleane flicked home a Kelly free in injury time to reduce the final winning margin to three points.

Tallow 1-15 Lismore 0-16
A last gasp goal from substitute Shane ‘Finn’ McCarthy saw Tallow upset the odds at Fraher Field on Saturday. The first half of this local derby saw the sides trade seven points apiece. With the prolific Maurice Shanahan and substitute Dave Bennett on the mark Lismore held a slender advantage entering the closing stages. The Bridesiders had the final say however when Brian Henley set up McCarthy to end Lismore’s title hopes and send shockwaves through this year’s championship.

Ballyduff Upper 0-22 Mount Sion 1-17
Ballyduff Upper provided the second surprise on the double bill with an extra time win over Mount Sion to round off a dramatic evening at the Dungarvan venue. Sion led by 0-10 to 0-9 at the break and despite a goal from Martin F O’Neill, Ballyduff levelled it up 0-17 to 1-14 with a late free. The scoring threat of Brendan Hannon, Shane Kearney and Jamie Kearney proved sufficient for the 2007 county champions to prevail in extra time.

Ballygunner 2-15 Fourmilewater 1-14
The Gunners held off a strong Fourmile rally in the second half to secure their semi final passage. Playing with the aid of a strong breeze in the first half the Gunners ran into a commanding 2-12 to 0-7 lead. The game was tied at six points apiece after a lively opening but Ballygunner outscored their opponents 2-6 to 0-1 for the remainder of the half. Brian O’Sullivan netted twice with Pauric Mahony, Shane O’Sullivan and David O’Sullivan also prominent. At the other end Jamie Barron led the way for Fourmile with five first half points. A J.P Fitzgerald goal and fine shooting from Barron and Shane Walsh reduced the arrears to three points at one stage but Pauric Mahony wrapped up victory with an injury time score. Wayne Hutchinson backed up by Alan Kirwan and Philip Mahony all played their part in defence to foil Fourmile’s comeback attempts.

Relegation Play-Off
Roanmore 0-10 Stradbally 0-6
A nine point haul from county minor Gavin O’Brien saw Roanmore retain their senior status at Walsh Park. In a bad tempered affair a controversial Daniel Murphy point mid way through the second half turned the tide in Roanmore’s favour. The entire Stradbally management team entered the playing area to dispute the score which put the city side 0-8 to 0-6 ahead. Stradbally will now ply their trade in the intermediate grade for the first time since 1998.

SHC Quarter Final previews

17 September
De La Salle v Passage (3.30 at Walsh Park)
A repeat of last year’s semi final clash that resulted in a 2-21 to 2-5 rout in favour of De La Salle. While the margin will be tighter this time around there is little in the meantime to suggest that the eventual winner will be any different. De La Salle comfortably qualified for the quarters but never reached the levels that brought them to an All Ireland semi final earlier in the year. Meanwhile, Passage needed a final round victory against Dungarvan to pull them through to the last eight. As always Eoin Kelly needs to chip in with a significant scoring spree to put it up to the favourites for this year’s title. De La Salle with Ian Flynn and Kevin Moran dominant down the centre have enough defensive muscle to cope with his threat and the firepower at the other end to secure a semi final place by a comfortable margin.
Odds: De La Salle 2/9 Draw 11/1 Passage 10/3
Prediction: De La Salle

Lismore v Tallow (4.00 at Fraher Field)
This derby clash pits two teams with an ability to both sparkle and fall flat from game to game and often within the same game. At this stage last year Tallow collapsed to De La Salle and only registered four points. They rolled over against Ballygunner in similar fashion this year but they recovered the following week to eliminate Roanmore. Lismore have become regular semi final and final visitors but fail to deliver when the chance of ultimate glory presents itself. In their games against Fourmilewater, Abbeyside and Stradbally they needed a scare before awaking from their slumber and displaying their true colours. For the third year running Maurice Shanahan is scoring at will and he remains the major reason why Lismore will challenge strongly for honours again in 2011.
Odds: Lismore 1/3 Draw 11/1 Tallow 5/2
Prediction: Lismore

Mount Sion v Ballyduff Upper (5.30 at Fraher Field)
Sion remain one of two teams left in the championship with an unbeaten record and they will be favoured to maintain that on Saturday evening. They produced their best display of the year by accounting for Ballygunner in the final round and that injection of confidence makes them hard to back against in this game. Ballyduff with two wins in five group games look to be on the slide and injuries have also affected their thin squad. After a convincing opening day win over Abbeyside they stuttered through to the quarter finals with Fourmilewater doing them a favour in the final round. There may be one kick left in them however and if the city side are in any way complacent after toppling Ballygunner one team capable of pouncing on that weakness are Ballyduff Upper. Throughout the field though Mount Sion hold the aces in terms of experience at this stage of the championship and the emergence of new faces will also help them see off a stubborn Ballyduff effort.
Odds: Mount Sion 5/6 Draw 9/1 Ballyduff Upper 11/10
Prediction: Mount Sion

18 September
Ballygunner v Fourmilewater (6.00 at Fraher Field)
Fourmilewater stand the best chance of causing an upset in this weekend’s fixtures. Three wins and a draw in the group stages generated confidence and a consistency of performance that offers encouraging signs for this game. With Jamie Barron and Shane Walsh in awesome attacking form and Liam Lawlor commanding the centre back slot they will put up stern resistance. Ballygunner however appear determined to make amends for last year and their final round defeat to Mount Sion only offered a minor blip in a formidable campaign to date. Despite the absence of Shane O’Sullivan, Ballygunner can call upon an impressive array of attacking options including Pauric Mahony, Brian O’Sullivan, JJ Hutchinson, Stephen Power and the experienced Andy Maloney that should stand to them here.
Odds: Ballygunner 2/7 Draw 11/1 Fourmile 11/4
Prediction: Ballygunner

Waterford SFC Round 3 Round-Up

The JJ Kavanagh senior football championship concluded the group stages this weekend with seven teams securing their places in the quarter finals. The Nire, Stradbally, Ballinacourty, Ardmore, Brickey Rangers, Gaultier and An Rinn have all qualified while Clashmore and Kilrossanty will clash next Saturday evening at Fraher Field to decide the remaining spot. Meanwhile, St Saviours, Ballinameela and Rathgormack will contest the relegation play offs.

On Saturday evening The Nire shook off Stradbally’s challenge in the second half to shade a low scoring contest. The champions could only register a single point in the second period after trailing 0-4 to 0-3 at half time. In the second game of the double bill at Fraher Field Ballinacourty made it three wins from three against Clashmore. At Leamybrien only ten scores were registered as Ardmore and St Saviours played out a disappointing stalemate.

At Kill a draw between Brickey Rangers and Gaultier suited both teams as it ensured their passage to the next stage. Ian Power fired the equalising goal for Gaultier in the dying minutes. An Rinn earned a valuable first win of the campaign as Liam O’Lionain and Cian O’Concubhair found the net in a five point win over Ballinameela. Kilrossanty also kept their championship hopes alive against Rathgormack with Joey Veale netting the vital goal that separated the teams at full time.

Round 3 Results:
Group 1
Kilrossanty 1-9 Rathgormack 0-9
The Nire 0-8 Stradbally 0-4

Group 2
Ballinacourty 2-12 Clashmore 0-9
Ardmore 0-5 St Saviours 0-5

Group 3
An Rinn 2-14 Ballinameela 1-12
Brickey Rangers 3-6 Gaultier 1-12

SFC Round 3 Previews

September 10
Stradbally v The Nire (6.30 at Fraher Field)
These old foes go head to head in a clash that could well end up being the County Final pairing. On Sunday however little other than bragging rights are up for grabs as both teams find themselves safely in the quarter finals. Stradbally hold the upper hand in recent clashes which makes The Nire’s need for a win greater. Last year’s quarter final defeat after extra time by the same opposition cut deep and they have a chance to gain some measure of revenge here before the knock out battles commence.
Odds: Stradbally 11/10 Draw 13/2 The Nire 10/11
Prediction: The Nire

Ballinacourty v Clashmore (8.00 at Fraher Field)
Ballinacourty are already assured of a place in the quarter finals before this tie but Clashmore require a win here to advance. Much rests on whether Brian O’Halloran is passed fit to play after his fine individual display to see off St Saviours. Ballinacourty still present a formidable obstacle even without the necessity of collecting a victory and they can focus solely on the big ball after exiting the hurling championship last weekend.
Odds: Ballinacourty 2/11 Draw 10/1 Clashmore 4/1
Prediction: Ballinacourty

St Saviours v Ardmore (8.00 at Leamybrien)
A win for Ardmore in this one will secure second spot in the group and their passage to the last eight. St Saviours gave both Ballinacourty and Clashmore nervous moments but a total 1-10 in those two games shows up obvious limitations in attack.
Odds: Saviours 11/8 Draw 7/1 Ardmore 4/6
Prediction: Ardmore

September 11
Ballinameela v An Rinn (2.00 at Fraher Field)
After suffering one point defeats on two occasions in this campaign An Rinn seek to salvage their season and avoid a relegation play-off. Ballinameela defeated Gaultier but found the going tough against Brickeys and 0-14 in two games shows a lack of a cutting edge in the forward division. Difficult to call but An Rinn may shade a low scoring contest.
Odds: Ballinameela 2/1 Draw 15/2 An Rinn 4/9
Prediction: An Rinn

Gaultier v Brickey Rangers (2.00 at Kill)
Surprise packets Brickey Rangers currently sit on top of Group 3 and secure of qualification to the next stage. Gaultier need a win to join them and if JJ Hutchinson hits top form the city side can achieve this goal.
Odds: Gaultier 8/11 Draw 7/1 Brickeys 5/4
Prediction: Gaultier

Kilrossanty v Rathgormack (3.30 at Kilmacthomas)
A knock out game for both of these clubs as a win keeps their championship ambitions alive and defeat sends them into the relegation scrap. Despite a number of injury worries the flair of Paul Whyte up front should maintain Kilrossanty’s interest in the race for the Conway Cup.
Odds: Kilrossanty 6/4 Draw 7/1 Rathgormack 8/13
Prediction: Kilrossanty

Waterford SHC Round 5 in brief

With the final round of the group stages complete the quarter final and relegation pairings have been decided.

Quarter Finals
De La Salle v Passage
Lismore v Tallow
Mount Sion v Ballyduff Upper
Ballygunner v Fourmilewater

Relegation Play-Off
Stradbally v Roanmore

Tallow 4-15 Roanmore 0-16
After making a promising start Roanmore could muster no response to Tallow’s goal scoring touch on Friday evening at Fraher Field. Donnchadh Mulcahy and Eoin Condon found the net to give Tallow a 2-7 to 0-9 lead at half time. Thomas Ryan, who finished with 1-7, and Brian Henley added second half strikes to ensure an eleven point win. Gavin O’Brien with nine points stood tall for the city side but they now face a relegation play off with Stradbally while Tallow look ahead to the quarters.

Passage 5-8 Dungarvan 2-10
Passage also qualified for the quarter finals on Friday evening as Eoin Kelly and Patrick Walsh got amongst the goals at Leamybrien. Holding a 2-6 to 1-5 half time lead Passage pushed on in the second period to recover from their narrow loss to Roanmore last time out. Dungarvan finish fifth in group 2 and safe from the relegation picture.

Lismore 2-16 Stradbally 3-13
Stradbally put up a valiant display here to gain a surprise point against Lismore in Fraher Field. After a storming opening half they held a 3-10 to 1-6 advantage at the break. Maurice Shanahan, with his second goal, led the Lismore comeback and Dave Bennett came up with an equaliser to save their blushes.

De La Salle 1-16 Ballyduff Upper 1-11
Despite suffering defeat in Fraher Field on Saturday the Reds still qualify for the last eight. De La Salle built up a 0-11 to 0-6 lead by half time but a Stephen Molumphy goal brought Ballyduff back into the game. The reigning champions finished much the stronger however with John Mullane to the fore and a Paidi Nevin goal made certain of victory.

Mount Sion 2-15 Ballygunner 2-12
Mount Sion produced their best performance of the championship to date by ending Ballygunner’s unbeaten record at Walsh Park. The foundations were laid in the opening half as goals from Sean Ryan and Ian Galgey gave them a 2-10 to 0-7 lead. The Gunners fought back with Harley Barnes on hand to raise two green flags. Sion closed the deal late on however with a John Dee sideline cut.

Fourmilewater 1-14 Abbeyside 2-7
A 1-4 contribution from Shane Walsh at the Cappoquin venue sealed Fourmilewater’s quarter final berth and ended Abbeyside’s championship interest for 2011. The Villagers were left to regret 13 wides over the sixty minutes of action. They also made the ideal start when Mark Fives struck a goal to give them a 1-2 to 0-1 lead eight minutes in. Shane Walsh found the net at the other end however as Fourmile’ edged in front 1-5 to 1-4 at half time. With Walsh, Jamie Barron and Michael O’Gorman racking up the scores the margin stretched to five. Mark Ferncombe’s goal on 52 minutes served as a mere consolation for Abbeyside.

Hurling championship round 5 previews

2 September
Passage v Dungarvan (6.30 at Leamybrien)
A high stakes clash here with the winners advancing to the quarter finals and the losers facing the possibility of a relegation play off. Passage suffered their second one point defeat last weekend, greatly hindered by the absence of Owen Connors and Killian Fitzgerald. Since Jimmy Healy’s return to Dungarvan they have claimed three points from a possible four and coughed up the opportunity of defeating Mount Sion last time out. Both teams can blow hot and cold but Dungarvan’s graph is on the upward curve.
Odds: Passage 8/11 Draw 9/1 Dungarvan 6/5
Prediction: Dungarvan

Tallow v Roanmore (6.30 at Fraher Field)
As stated in the game above, this tie also takes a season defining edge to it. Roanmore reignited their challenge by toppling Passage last weekend while Tallow collapsed to the Gunners. The Dungarvan venue may suit Tallow better but the city outfit seem to be hitting form at the right time. If Gavin O’Brien continues to inspire his colleagues a quarter final spot that seemed unlikely a fortnight ago may become a reality.
Odds: Tallow 2/5 Draw 10/1 Roanmore 2/1
Prediction: Roanmore

3 September
Lismore v Stradbally (4.30 at Fraher Field)
Both of these sides know their fate before this one throws in with Lismore safely in the quarter finals and Stradbally doomed for a relegation play off. The Reds remained competitive for large parts of last weekend’s game with Ballyduff but still succumbed to their fourth double digit defeat. Unfortunately Maurice Shanahan and company are unlikely to offer any consolation on Saturday afternoon.
Prediction: Lismore

De La Salle v Ballyduff Upper (6.00 at Fraher Field)
Ballyduff need to take full points against the county champions or else they will be relying on a favour from Fourmilewater in Cappoquin. They face an uphill task with the absence of Ger Feeney and Kevin Casey stretching their resources. De La Salle looked unconvincing against Fourmilewater but still snatched a draw and will seek an improvement here to prepare for the knock out stages.
Odds: De La Salle 4/11 Draw 10/1 Ballyduff Upper 9/4
Prediction: De La Salle

Ballygunner v Mount Sion (6.00 at Walsh Park)
With both teams already qualified for the last eight the only issue up for decision here is which of these two will finish top of Group 2. Ballygunner have held the upper hand in recent clashes and come into the game on the back four comfortable victories. Mount Sion can also claim an unbeaten run so far with two wins and two draws. Even without the spice of knock out this one should still be hotly contested with the Gunners fancied to shade it.
Prediction: Ballygunner

Fourmilewater v Abbeyside (6.00 at Cappoquin)
The Villagers require a win here to stay in contention for the News and Star cup. Fourmile’ could lose and still qualify but if Ballyduff Upper over come De La Salle they would need to win. Abbeyside started like an express train against Lismore last Sunday but spluttered in the second half to go down by ten points. Fourmile’ boosted by an absorbing duel with De La Salle look the more reliable bet to outgun their opponents with Shane Walsh and Jamie Barron in a rich vein of form up front.
Odds: Fourmile 4/6 Draw 10/1 Abbeyside 5/4
Prediction: Fourmilewater