Where were we? The Waterford SHC had a breather of over two months after a round of games on a Tuesday evening in June. The competition starts to hot up this weekend with only Passage absolutely certain of their place in the quarter finals. In group one, unbeaten Tallow are the surprise table toppers with Ballygunner, Abbeyside, De La Salle and Fourmilewater jostling for position in behind. Basement sides Lismore and Ballyduff Upper desperately forage for a first win to banish thoughts of intermediate hurling in 2016.
29 August
Lismore v Roanmore (6.00 at Fraher Field) Group 2
Lismore pinched this fixture last year at Walsh Park with injury points from Maurice and Dan Shanahan. The black and amber are running out of chances to salvage their senior status and didn't show up against Passage in round three. Roanmore are in a position of strength with four points and within touching distance of the quarter finals. They also dealt maturely with the loss of Billy Nolan against Cappoquin. A good start and a patient approach is essential for Lismore to wear down a stubborn Roanmore defence and reboot their season.
Odds: Lismore 8/15 Draw 9/1 Roanmore 13/8
Prediction: Lismore
Passage v Mount Sion (6.30 at Kill) Group 2
Passage were the standout team before the championship took a two month break. After stumbling over Roanmore, they blasted 4-39 in two games against Dungarvan and Lismore. They have added Darragh Lynch, Donal Power and Thomas Whitty to their starting fifteen with one of the stars of 2013 John Whitty recovered from injury. Mount Sion find themselves in a battle to hang on to a qualification spot after a slip-up to Roanmore and losing an eight point lead against Dungarvan. They must plan without the suspended Austin Gleeson and Michael Gaffney for this game.
Odds: Passage 5/6 Draw 8/1 Mount Sion 11/10
Prediction: Passage
De La Salle v Ballyduff Upper (7.30 at Fraher Field) Group 1
A draw with Tallow following by a defeat to Abbeyside left De La Salle with no more room for error. A two point triumph against Ballygunner kickstarted their campaign but they need to keep winning to guarantee progression. Ballyduff Upper have trialled four goalkeepers since the departure of Adrian Power and it remains a problem position. The 2007 county champions will be under pressure here as a relegation battle looms large.
Odds: De La Salle 1/8 Draw 14/1 Ballyduff Upper 9/2
Prediction: De La Salle
30 August
Ballygunner v Abbeyside (2.00 at Kill) Group 1
Two teams who suffered defeats in round three clash on Sunday afternoon with a last eight spot on offer for the winner. As the latter stages near, how much will the Gunners miss both Wayne Hutchinson and Pauric Mahony? David O'Sullivan filled in at number six during the earlier rounds with Stephen Power returning totals of 1-7 and 0-9 in the absence of Mahony. Abbeyside must reach the performance levels that they hit against De La Salle on a consistent basis. They managed a rare win against the Gunners in 2013 but the champions will be keen to sort out their qualification early and may benefit from having a sole focus on the hurling over recent weeks.
Odds: Ballygunner 4/11 Draw 10/1 Abbeyside 9/4
Prediction: Ballygunner
Fourmilewater v Tallow (5.30 at Fraher Field) Group 1
Apart from Passage, Tallow are the only other unbeaten team in the championship. Their recovery from seven points back against De La Salle to nab a draw gave them the platform. Thomas Ryan shot 2-8 against Abbeyside to send them top of the pile back in June. Fourmile showed signs of improvement when they blitzed Ballyduff Upper but their wide counts are still excessive. They must win their last two games to make the quarters. There is only a puck of a ball between these two and if Fourmile are more economical with their shooting, they can stay in the hunt.
Odds: Fourmilewater 4/7 Draw 8/1 Tallow 13/8
Prediction: Fourmilewater
Dungarvan v Cappoquin (7.00 at Fraher Field) Group 2
James O'Connor's men gave a glimpse of their awesome attacking potential against Mount Sion when they hit 1-6 without reply to secure their second win. Kieran Power and Cathal Curran drove them on from midfield and they need to boss that sector for the rest of the campaign. The Blues will start without the services of Colm Curran and Gavin Crotty for this game. Aaron O'Sullivan offers Cappoquin's major scoring threat from open play but he was shut down during the second half against Roanmore. Their narrow win over Lismore may yet spare them from a relegation play-off.
Odds: Dungarvan 1/20 Draw 20/1 Cappoquin 7/1
Prediction: Dungarvan
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