This article is from page 66 of the 2011-05-10 edition of The Clare People. OCR mistakes are to be expected so download the original SWF or the rendered page 66 JPG
Gr oup 1 Killanena v Smit h O’Br ien’s @ Sca r iff, Sunday 1pm KNIVES and forks at the ready as the both sides will have hungrily eyed this game up as one that they could potentially garner two valuable points. Even in this opening tie, points are valuable because the initial instinct from the respective sides will be to consolidate their senior status before even thinking about extending their ambitions.
Smith O’Brien’s will enter a senior championship game as rare favourites after paying their dues at senior level and looking to advance to the next stage. They partially impressed in last year’s championship, winning their opening game against Tulla while they should have shown more resilience against Whitegate in round 2 and that defeat began a slippery slope that was only halted in the final relegation play-off against Corofin.
The Killaloe side have certainly held their own in this year’s competitive fare though as in Division 2A of the Clare Cup, they have won three out of four games and should be confident of victory this weekend.
Killanena will also hold out significant hope of success in what could otherwise be a less than comfortable maiden voyage in the top tier. Without key forward Ronan Flaherty and set to lose more players to emigration in the summer, Killanena will look to the two games in May as their best hopes of securing the points needed to survive another year at senior level.
As ever, Mark Flaherty will be Killanena’s trump card and without question, Killanena will throw every drop of sweat and blood into this game in order to dig out a result. How much Smith O’Brien’s have learned from last year will only be known this Sunday but undoubtedly the loser of this tie will be under pressure for the remainder of the championship to avoid the relegation dogfight and that alone should see the tension lifted to 11. Ver dict: Killanena Br oadfor d a bye Gr oup 2 Whit egat e v I nagh /Kilna mona @ Cusack Pa r k, Sunday 4pm CAST your mind back almost 12 months ago to the day in the opening round of the senior championship at the same venue when Whitegate, on the crest of a wave after finally winning the intermediate championship and following it up with an unprecedented run in the top tier of the Clare Cup, took on the perennial championship favourites Newmarket. That day, the east Clare side threw the kitchen sink at the Blues and were only beaten in the final quarter when Newmarket got out of jail. That enthusiasm and confidence has largely subsided since then however and as Whitegate bid to recapture that form, Inagh/Kilnamona appear to be heading in the opposite direction as they attempt to get the right balance of youth and experience in their line-up.
How Whitegate would love such a luxury of strength-in-depth as they lament the loss of Tommy Holland and also their young starlet Michael Dooley who is out due to an ankle injury.
That inequality should get Inagh/ Kilnamona over the line in this opener as Gerry and Niall Arthur, Conor Tierney, Cathal Lafferty, Eamon Glynn, Ronan O’Looney and Patrick Kelly should provide a superior cutting edge. Ver dict: Inagh /Kilna mona Sca r iff a bye Gr oup 3 Sixmilebr idge v Cla r eca st le @ Cusack Par k, Fr iday 7pm THE theory that every action has an equal and opposite reaction could have been written with this game in mind. You see, everything seems to be coming together nicely for Sixmilebridge at the moment, defending their Clare Cup title in confident fashion at the top of the Division 1 table along with adding a second Under 21A championship in three years only a few weeks back, with the majority of that team primed to hit the senior championship running.
On the flip side however, Clarecastle have struggled to find their form entering the championship having lost their last three competitive games to Whitegate, Inagh/Kilnamona and fellow group contenders Tulla, and are still experimenting with their team having lost key player Conor Plunkett to a long term injury just over a week ago.
The championship inevitably should rally some pride within the Magpies’ camp, especially against one of their rivals while the ‘Bridge will certainly be wary of them, especially as half of Clarecastle’s line-up have championship winning experience.
In saying that, form cannot be turned on like a tap and therefore it’s Sixmilebridge’s game to lose unless the Magpies can make a stand not seen against one of their main rivals in four years. Ver dict: Sixmilebr idge Tulla v O’Ca llaghan’s Mills @ Cusack Pa r k, Sunday 5. 30pm The third successive championship meeting between these east Clare neighbours and like any trilogy, there will be an air of familiarity that should add an extra spice to proceedings this weekend, more like The Godfather Part Three rather than Toy Story 3.
The Mills have had the best of the two previous meeting by taking three of a possible four points but the advantage could swing in the Senior B champions direction on this occasion as the Mills have injuries to key performers Adrian Donovan, Diarmuid Hehir and James McMahon and Tulla are entering the championship in a confident manner after two straight victories over group rivals Clarecastle and Sixmilebridge.
Derbies are never that straightforward however and expect a few twists and turns before this must win opener is concluded, with perhaps Tulla to emerge the slenderest of victors. Ver dict: Tulla Wolfe Tones a bye Gr oup 4 Cr usheen v Kilmaley @ Cusack Pa r k, Sat ur day 7pm THIS could potentially be the game of the weekend as the defending champions make their championship bow against a resurgent Kilmaley side. Crusheen will have to be even more resilient than last year as they know they will be a target for every side to up their performance against the county champions. That will apply particularly in this opening tie against Kilmaley who have a point to prove after last year. Kilmaley hold the unwanted record of being the only side ever not to have lost a championship game and still exit the championship having drawn three and won one of their four games in last year’s championship. Still, with an experienced county spine and their younger crop having a year’s more experience, they will be hoping to turn those draws into victories, starting with Crusheen. Ironically, it was the last meeting between the pair two years ago that essentially ended Crusheen’s involvement at the group stage and sharpened their hunger for their historic run to last year’s county championship. Kilmaley should have the hunger this time around but with arguably the best defence in the championship, the holders should have enough grit to survive. Ver dict: Cr usheen Clooney/Quin a bye