Relegation on the minds of many as round 5 arrives
BY NIALL SHERRY, SPORTS EDITOR
SPORTSEDITOR@KILKENNYOBSERVER.IE
St. Canice’s Credit Union Senior Hurling League
Tomorrow sees round 5 of this season’s St. Canice’s Credit Union Senior Hurling League following the ‘Electric Picnic break’. Not that any of our senior clubs would have been downing hurls and halting the drills with a crucial final round of action just round the corner. A little downtime was no doubt welcomed on Noreside, but the focus won’t have been lost on players and managers as many jockey for position as the group stages near completion.
While O’Loughlin Gaels and Thomastown remain the only unbeaten sides in the county at this level, only Noel Doherty’s charges cannot be caught as they sit 3 points clear of second place Mullinavat. In Group A, Brian Hogan’s charges are two points ahead of Glenmore, whose only defeat came at the hands of the St John’s Park side in round 1 almost a month ago at the home of the Vegas Boys. This head-to-head stat should see the current league champions face off against The Town in the league final. But before we get to that, there are many other pressing issues to be decided tomorrow afternoon.
Having secured promotion last season, Lisdowney know that they will be in a relegation semi-final, having lost all four games to date. We will know at around 4:30 pm tomorrow who will join Aaron Fogarty’s side in the bottom two of Group A, with Bennettsbridge, Dicksboro and Shamrocks all acutely aware of the importance of Saturday’s fixtures. In Group B, the situation isn’t any clearer ahead of round 5. With Thomastown and The Vat safe as houses, Tullaroan should be also. That will leave two from Erin’s Own, Clara and Graigue Ballycallan all scrambling to climb away from the trap door.
Group A
Lisdowney vs Glenmore
As mentioned, Aaron Fogarty’s side are already in survival preparation mode. While they remain winless, they have given decent accounts of themselves in most games and will need to harness some belief in advance of the relegation semi-final that lies ahead. Saturday’s game with the impressive Glenmore is a bit of a ‘free hit’ for Lisdowney, as even victory won’t change the path ahead. Perhaps they will rest key players, knowing that the game that follows this fixture is of more importance. Brian Kavanagh, Richard McEvoy, Charlie Brennan and Luke Holohan could start this one on the bench. Aidan Tallis has been a busy man so far this season, and Seamie Dollard’s men will no doubt look to work the inter-county panellist in Danesfort. Glenmore have been great to watch this year. A great mix of youth and experience has stood them well, while having Eoin Murphy between the sticks has really benefited the Pairc na Ratha outfit. A place in the Shield final looks likely and they are building nicely ahead of the championship action.
O’Loughlin’s vs Bennettsbridge
Brian Hogan’s side have been playing with a real spring in their step, and a little dose of hurt from last season. They look ready to right the ‘wrongs’ of that county final defeat to Thomastown and have been hugely impressive thus far. The givens are Stephen Murphy in goals, Huw at full back, Mikey Butler beside him and Paddy Deegan going where he is needed. Add in Jordan Molloy’s growing reputation and the quality that Kerry man Fionán Mackessy has brought to this Loughs side, and you can see why all is good. The form of Luke Hogan in attack has been sensational; he loves a goal. Having lost David Fogarty to an ACL injury, the strength in depth has been a huge asset to the St John’s Park men. Bennettsbridge know that they need a result in Páirc Shéamuis Stiophán to stand a chance of avoiding a relegation battle. The Blanchfields and Cleeres will need to bring the fire and hope that their opponents rest some key men.
Dicksboro vs Shamrocks Ballyhale
Gowran is the venue for this mouth-watering clash. Last season Shamrocks found themselves in a relegation semi-final, and they won’t want to repeat that this time round. Getting at least a point from this encounter should ensure safety for Henry Shefflin’s side, who have shown glimpses of their potential during this campaign. Adrian Mullen’s continued absence due to a groin injury has been a blow, but there is still plenty of quality in this team. TJ Reid has been leading from the front, while the return of Ronan Corcoran and Brian Cody from their travels has been a blessing. The form of another pair of Corcorans in Killian and Darragh along with the experience of Richie Reid, Eoin Cody and Joey Holden will give hope to the South Kilkenny side. Meanwhile the ‘Boro sit fourth, one point behind tomorrow’s opponents, knowing that should they lose, they need The Loughs to beat The Bridge to help their cause. Cillian’s Buckley and Hackett, Timmy Clifford and Pádraic Moylan will look to do battle, while young Patrick Lacey and Tom McPhillips have been hurling well.
Group B
Erin’s Own vs Tullaroan
Tullaroan are one point better off than their opponents as they lock horns in Johnstown tomorrow. The Castlecomer side are no strangers to relegation battles, and while two teams currently sit below them, they know that getting something from the clash with The Sash could see them spared the play-off action. Jack Buggy’s accuracy will be key to achieving this, while the experienced Conor Delaney will look to lead his side to safety. Dylan Simpson has been in electric form for his side and will pose huge problems for the Comer men’s defence. While The Sash are missing Walsh’s Tommy and Shane, there is plenty of quality around in the shape of Mossy Keoghan, Gearóid Dunne, Pádraig Walsh and Walton’s Bill and John.
Thomastown vs Graigue Ballycallan
John Locke Park will see the meeting of Thomastown and Graigue Ballycallan. Noel Doherty could opt to give many of his key players a watching brief in Callan with bigger days out ahead. There is much more at stake for the Tom Ryall Park men in this fixture, and they will need their classy talisman and inter-county star, Billy Ryan, to put in a big performance. Two drawn games have been the source of points for Richie O’Neill’s charges, and they really do need to find that winning touch tomorrow. With Seán Ryan reliable from the placed ball, GBC have quality in Colum Prendiville, Jeff Neary and Aaron McEvoy, while Tommy Ronan can cause problems for defenders. They will need Stephen Keoghan to anchor things from centre back while netminder Seán McGrath will hope that he won’t be too busy tomorrow afternoon!
Mullinavat vs Clara
Having secured their only win to date in this season’s campaign on the opening day, Clara know they will most likely need maximum points from their clash with The Vat in picturesque Inistioge. The maroon-clad side have one last chance to register a second win in Group B, otherwise a relegation semi-final is on the cards. The Carlow Road-based side have been unlucky in some games, but they need to make their own luck against The Vegas Boys. In Paul Cody, Shane Staunton and Conor Hoyne they have talented stickmen, and with the experienced Chris Bolger and U20 speedster Rory Glynn in attack, they will always pose a scoring threat. Colm O’Byrne’s side are a real swashbuckling side, and that is a compliment! Captain Brian Phelan is a goal poacher and leader, while Malone’s Ger and Michael bring experience and guile. Throw in the pacey Oisín Knox and Adam Mansfield and it’s a match for most teams, while Ian Duggan has been nothing short of outstanding this season.
With all games throwing in at 3 pm tomorrow, it promises to be another exciting, helter-skelter afternoon of senior club action on Noreside with much on the line for many sides. It’s hard to call which three teams will join Lisdowney in the relegation mire but expect some twists and turns at all the venues on Saturday.
