All four hurling semi finalists should be known by approximately 5 o’clock on Sunday. The first encounter is a toss of the coin between two teams seeking a breakthrough. Ballygunner arrive as clear cut favourites to eliminate Lismore from the title race once more. The last four looks set to take place next weekend.
Sunday 14 September
Mount Sion v Abbeyside (2.00 at Walsh Park)
The club with 35 titles against the club craving to win just once. More questions linger about Mount Sion here. Two troubling defeats against Ballygunner and Dungarvan raised doubts about their defence and they may take corrective action. Austin Gleeson may move to number six but will that stifle their scoring threat as a result? Abbeyside have struck form at the right time with three wins on the spin. Sean O’Hare and Richie Foley are settled in the central defensive positions and at the other end, the Hurneys along with Mark Ferncombe can slot into various attacking slots as required. They broke the twenty point barrier in each of those victories over Passage, Lismore and Roanmore. There will be a kick in Mount Sion after those recent setbacks. If Gleeson retreats, they will rely on Martin O’Neill, Ian Galgey, Stephen Roche and Tony Browne to compile a winning tally. They are still putting the jigsaw together and that more settled appearance to the Abbeyside fifteen seems persuasive in a close opener.
Odds: Mount Sion 4/6 Draw 9/1 Abbeyside 11/8
Prediction: Abbeyside
Ballygunner v Lismore (3.30 at Walsh Park)
Lismore must exceed anything they have produced over the past two seasons to match the form team of this year’s championship. They pushed the Gunners hard over the last decade and that team deserved to the take baton from the 1993 winners. In two finals and seven finals, they failed each time to the men in red and black. It’s difficult to make a case on this occasion given the fact that they only won a single group game and depend so heavily on Maurice Shanahan magic. Ballygunner are moving towards their final destination and a shot at redemption. Five cosy group stage wins allowed them rekindle a pattern of play and take a look through their squad. They haven’t received a stern test just yet and any team lining one up will have to outgun a forward line that scored 10-109 in the group games. Their defence are slightly uncomfortable when taken on for pace and Stephen O’Keeffe spared them twice against Ballyduff Upper with close range stops. Minor faults in a well-oiled machine that should march on comfortably to the semis.
Odds: Ballygunner 2/7 Draw 11/1 Lismore 11/4
Prediction: Ballygunner
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