Saturday: Nowlan Park 4.30. Glenmore v Danesfort
This semi final will be hard won. It’s a perfect match up, the physically powerful and experienced Glenmore against the young guns of Danesfort.
Glenmore are the form team going into this semi final with impressive wins over Mooncoin in the shield final and Conahy Shamrocks in the quarter final replay last Saturday. On both occasions they completely dominated their opponents winning by 11 and 12 points and only conceding 1 - 5 and 1 - 7 respectively. It’s championship winning form.
Manager Tommy Shefflin has got the best out of this group of experienced players which is also backed up by talented youngsters Eoin Murphy, Ger and Aylward. When it comes to scoring Ger Aylward and Eoin Murphy readily fall off the tongue but the wily Michael Phelan is the real orchestrator of the Glenmore attack. When he gets possession he has the vision and ability to make the right decisions that usually end in a score. Last Saturday he scored a goal and set up the second goal that finished the game as a contest.
Defensively Glenmore are top of the heap with Paddy and Richie Mullally, Fergal Freyne, Mark Phelan, John Cody and David Beirne have only conceded an average of 10 points in their last three competitive games.
Danesfort have been weakened by injuries with last year’s Kilkenny minors Cathal O’Neill and Ben O’Connor along with Liam and Pádraig Forristal absent for the championship.
A hard-earned win over John Locke’s in a downpour has the ’Fort men in this semi final. They have recent All Ireland medal winners in Paul Murphy, Patrick and Richard Hogan on board and they will be important for the men in black and amber on Saturday. David Forristal and Robbie Walsh along with Tony Woodcock and Philip Walsh, Martin McMahon, Gavin O’Keeffe have hit good form of late.
Danesfort have not beaten Glenmore since they reached the intermediate grade in 2007 and are a bit of a bogey team. The team wearing the Kerry colours are seen as a low scoring team yet they hit 2 - 12 in the shield final and 3 - 13 in the championship quarter final replay. Danesfort have the image of being a free scoring team but in the league final they shot 1 - 11 in 60 minutes (1 - 14 in 80 minutes ) and 0 - 11 in the championship win over John Locke’s.
This game will give us a thorough examination of the two teams championship credentials.
Glenmore have the momentum going into this game but if the Danesfort half back line and midfield steps up to the challenge they can qualify for the final.
Michael Lyng Motors Intermediate Hurling Relegation Final.
Saturday: Thomastown 2pm. Graignamanagh v Tullogher Rosbercon
This is Graignamanagh’s third relegation final in a row. They beat Thomastown after a replay in 2009 and they saw off the other half of the parish, Blacks & Whites, in 2010 in each final they played their best hurling of that season. Can they do it again ?
Tullogher Rosbercon have had a difficult year with injuries, emigration and key players spending the summer in the United States. They took a bad beating from Mooncoin in the league and that defeat has hit their confidence. Pat Hartley and Walter Walsh have returned from America and they are home for the past six weeks which should have them well harnessed for the job on Saturday. These two players have to play well for Tullogher to be successful. Richie Dollard, John Hartley, John Cotterell and John Barron are consistent performers for the black and amber.
Graignamanagh have responded well to the appointment of Inistioge’s Michael Doyle as manager. They are working off a very small panel with five minors on board. The experienced James Cahill, Ger and Eddie Dowling, Ger Walsh and Cathal Dunne will have to lift it again for the Graig men if they are to survive.
Graignamanagh are proven masters of the relegation battle but Tullogher Rosbercon have the ammunition to survive.
