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More shocks on the card for senior sides?
THE second round of the senior hurling league swings into action this weekend, but will anyone be able to outdo St Martin's?
The Muckalee men raised more than a few eyebrows, pulling off the shock of round one when they beat league, county and All-Ireland champions Ballyhale Shamrocks. That loss to the Saints was the first time Shamrocks had been bettered in the league since 2008, but Martin's fully merited their victory.
O'Loughlin Gaels, who also lost in the opening round, will take on the men from Ballyhale in round two, but both sides know that another defeat will all but wipe out their hopes of finishing top dogs in the competition. The majority of second round senior hurling league games have been pencilled in for Friday evening, as the Kilkenny senior hurlers will travel to Mooncoin to play Waterford in a challenge match for the official opening of the club's new sports complex on Sunday evening.
The games
St Lachtain's v Tullaroan at Tom Ryall Park, Friday 7pm.
IF THEY needed any sign that life would be tough in the senior grade, then St Lachtain's (Freshford) got just that in round one. Pitted against the Fenians (Johnstown), Lachtain's got a good glimpse of the step-up needed to make a successful stay in the top grade.
The intermediate All-Ireland champions came back to earth with a bump in Urlingford as they finished up eight points off the winners. Brothers Eoin and Paul Guinan did most of the scoring, but the team will need sharper finishing overall if they are to pick up their first win of the campaign.
As for Tullaroan, they will be on a high after beating Erin's Own in round one. Their first win in the group stages of the League since 2008 - they failed to win any of their five games last season, form that saw them end up in the relegation final against Young Irelands - it was the introduction of Shane Hennessy that helped to swing the game their way. Incredibly, Hennessy had been listed among the subs as he had been carrying an injury - it didn't seem to hamper him, as he came from the bench and helped himself to 1-5 as Tullaroan held off a late rally to win.
Dunnamaggin v St Martin's at Nowlan Park, Friday 7pm.
HARDY Dunnamaggin have the unenviable task of trying to clip the wings of high-flying St Martin's this weekend, but these boys love a good challenge. That said, given how the first round of games went Dunna' know that they'll have to stay switched on for the full 60 minutes in order to achieve this. Christy Walsh's side led for most of the game against Clara, but saw their return from the game halved when Clara pulled a late equaliser out of the fire.
They weren't helped by the concession of a large number of frees, but some of that could be attributed to ring-rustiness of the opening round. Expect them to be tighter at the back here.
Martin's have been one of the teams tipped for big things since their return to the senior grade, but for one reason or another it hasn't worked out. A return to the intermediate ranks was narrowly avoided - since coming up in 2002 they have played and won two senior relegation finals - but the time that was needed for a young team to bed in seems to have arrived. Granted, it may only be a League game, but that opening round win over Ballyhale Shamrocks came thanks to the hard work of Muckalee's up and coming side and their never-say-die attitude. They stuck close to the Shamrocks throughout and got their reward when Joe Maher struck the winning point deep into injury-time. They will have another tough task against Dunnamaggin, but don't bet against them making it two wins from two at the home of their first round triumph, Nowlan Park.
Carrickshock v Fenians at Palmerstown, Friday 7.30pm.
UNLUCKY to come up against an in-form goalkeeper, Carrickshock will be looking to bounce back from their first round loss to James Stephens when they tackle the Fenians on Friday. The Shock finished four points behind the Village; had it not been for three crucial saves from Derrick Brennan, they could have won by a similar margin. They did well to come from way behind at half-time (1-8 to 0-4) in that game, cutting the gap to just a point with little over a quarter of an hour left to play. As the year moves on, expect them to finish much stronger in games - a win over the Fenians would be a good way to start.
The Fenians, for their part, did what they had to against St Lachtain's. The Freshford men quickly learned that nothing comes easy in the top flight, with team better than their near-neighbours from Johnstown to teach them that lesson. That could make the Fenians sound like a tough, uncompromising team - which they are - but they have more strings to their bow. With a promising crop of under-21 hurlers starting to come through, the club will be one of the tougher hurdles for many to overcome this year, even without the injured P.J. Delaney.
Ballyhale Shamrocks v O'Loughlin Gaels at Thomastown, Friday 7.30pm.
WHILE they may have lost in the opening round, the Shamrocks won't be pressing any panic buttons ahead of their game against O'Loughlin Gaels on Friday night. After the hard slog of the last 12 months, the Ballyhale men may be a little quieter for the early part of this term, preferring to peak as the championship nears rather than blaze a trail through the League from the off. The scale of their All-Ireland win over Portumna cannot be played down - the Shamrocks gave as much mentally, as they did physically in that game. That said, they won't be a soft touch, as O'Loughlin's may find out.
The city side may still be wondering where it all went wrong against Graigue-Ballycallan. They misfired up front for long stages of that game in Palmerstown, and once their midfield dominance was broken they found it hard to get back into the game. They had plenty of hard workers, but too often Martin Comerford ploughed a lone furrow as he urged his side into action. Like Ballyhale they will be looking to come back strongly from that opening round defeat. Again, like their opponents, there won't be too much weeping and grinding of teeth should they lose, but a win would be a good result for a team with plenty of young lads eager to prove themselves against the best.
Erin's Own v James Stephens at Freshford, Saturday 7.30pm.
AFTER the highs of 2009, Erin's Own are finding out what life will really be like in the senior ranks. Having come up as intermediate champions, last year's ambitions were all about survival - they did this and more, surpassing all expectations as they reached the semi-finals. This time, however, there could be an element of the difficult second season syndrome. Their fellow senior sides will know more about the Castlecomer tactics and their team, so picking up as many points as early as possible is imperative. Granted, they were unlucky to get edged out by Tullaroan in the opening round, going under by just one point, but they'll have another difficult task to keep James Stephens quiet.
As far as the Village go, the clinical finishing of Matthew Ruth may be key to their league aspirations. Ruth helped himself to 2-2 in the opening round win over Carrickshock, and will be keen to add even more to his tally here. Again, many will look to the form of county stars Eoin Larkin and Jackie Tyrrell as a guide to the city side's hopes for the year, but they have quality in many other sectors too. Goalkeeper Derrick Brennan shone in that win over Carrickshock, while Brian McEvoy rolled back the years as he gave great support to 'Stephens. One of the main contenders for glory this year, they may have too much for Erin's Own - just like in last year's championship semi-final, where they beat the 'Comer men by two points (2-7 to 0-11).
Graigue-Ballycallan v Clara at St John's Park, Sunday 7pm.
MUCH like St Martin's, Graigue-Ballycallan will be looking for maximum points when they make their second trip into the city for this game. Graigue were full value for their win over O'Loughlin Gaels in Palmerstown, especially when they moved Eddie Brennan and Kevin Cleere further out the field. That switch gave the Graigue men a greater threat in their forward line - at one stage Brennan almost operated in midfield, driving the sliotar in towards the O'Loughlin's goalmouth - but more importantly it showed they weren't afraid to mix things up a bit. With their usual solid backline (Darragh Walton became more influential as the game went on and the pressure kicked up several notches) they may have more than enough to see off Clara.
Involved in the only draw from the senior and intermediate ranks, Clara's 0-12 to 0-12 tie with Dunnamaggin was something of a mixed bag for the former intermediate champions. On one hand, they showed a great resolve, coming good with a late charge that ensured they grabbed a share of the spoils with a battle-hardened Dunna'.
However, the fact that they allowed Dunnamaggin to boss most of the game will be a cause for concern. So too will the free count, something a player with the accuracy of Kevin Cleere could exploit. Should Conor Phelan (broken finger) be fit enough to resume playing, then Clara will have an extra weapon in their attacking arsenal. They won't worry about their defence which, although still young, has played together for years and has a great understanding.
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Tuesday 07 February 2012
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