Champions unlikely to slip-up - SFC Quarter Final Preview

 

The semi final draw for the football championship takes place tonight and based on last week’s dour offering they can’t come quick enough. Ballinacourty and St Saviours complete the quarter finals with the Villagers 1/33 to get the job done. 

Last weekend proved one to forget for a competition in dire need of a lift. Stradbally and Kilrossanty attracted the biggest crowd of the season at Fraher Field last Sunday night. With very few parking spaces available and team sheets running low, both sets of supporters bought into this derby fixture. The contest fell far below expectations as Stradbally re-asserted themselves after a low key introduction. The gap is widening between the big three and the rest.

The Reds delivered their best performance of the season to dismiss fourteen man Kilrossanty. Michael Sweeney (1-2), David Grey (three points) and Tommy Connors (three points) raided scores at will for last year’s beaten finallists. Old reliables Shane Ahearne, Michael Walsh and Paddy Kiely also starred.

Kilrossanty started the season among the chasing pack alongside An Rinn, Rathgormack and Clashmore. Their puzzling form during the group phase followed them into this tie and any disruption to the familiar faces seemed very remote within ten minutes on Sunday night. Their last county title came way back in 1989 and they haven’t reached a final since 2000. Ardmore were the last side outside of the regulars to reach a decider in 2007.

An Rinn remain the last hope of a breakthrough story. Doubts persist over their strength around the centre however. They also have plenty to prove against a quality opposition after last year’s 3-18 to 1-3 semi final thumping from Stradbally.

Their Friday night fixture against De La Salle turned into a snoozefest. Donie Breathnach pulled the strings throughout with nine points (four from play) as they advanced to the semi final stages for the second year running.

3 October

Ballinacourty v St Saviours (8.00 at Fraher Field)
Very hard to look past a cosy win for the champions especially given the hurling commitments of St Saviours. Also consider the evidence of the group stages and the comparison between the two forward lines. Ballinacourty scored 10-71 while Saviours struck 6-28.

On a brighter note, Saviours put up stubborn resistance at the same stage last September. They departed on level terms at half time before Courty got a grip and won by six points (0-14 to 1-5).
After a sluggish opening to 2014, the Eastern side improved as the group stages progressed. They fell to De La Salle by nine points and worse followed against The Nire. It took them an excruciating 43 minutes to get off the mark.

Although they didn’t score in the first half against Ballinameela, they eventually prevailed by 1-8 to 0-6. In a crucial derby game at the end of July, they defeated Gaultier by 3-6 to 1-4 at Walsh Park. Stradbally survived a scare in round five when Saviours levelled with a penalty late on. Paul Houlihan has come to their rescue on many occasions between the posts with Dean and Peter Crowley shielding in front of him. Brian Power, Joey Phelan, Shaun Corcoran and Adam Brophy can produce moments of magic up front. After escaping from the relegation play-off three years in a row (2010 to 2012), this is their second successive quarter final appearance.

During the group stages, Ballinacourty absolutely demolished any opponent in their way. It’s hard to identify a weakness when looking through each line. The leadership provided by Mark Ferncombe and Patrick Hurney in attack frees up Gary Hurney to impose himself at midfield. In defence, they have only given up two goals in five group games.

Rathgormack frustrated the champions in round one and covered up the spaces that the Courty attack burst into at pace. Perfecting such a system requires time however and Saviours have to deal with an inconvenient six day turnaround after raising the Eastern intermediate hurling title last Saturday. Their opponents are relentless and tend to create plenty of opportunities. They had 37 attempts at the target in the 4-18 to 0-6 round four crushing of Clashmore. Even if Saviours arrive with a defensive emphasis, Courty carry too many weapons to be denied.

Odds: Ballinacourty 1/33 Draw 25/1 St Saviours 8/1
Prediction: Ballinacourty