Offaly SHC semi-final draws made as big football weekend looms
THE draws for the semi-finals of the Molloy Environmental Systems Senior Hurling Championship were made on Monday evening, pitting champions Shinrone against emerging pretenders Ballinamere while old rivals, Kilcormac-Killoughey and St Rynagh's will clash in the other one.
The big games have been fixed for the weekend of September 30-October 1, both in Tullamore – while the Senior Hurling Championship final will return to Birr for the first time in several years this year, the decision to play all quarter-finals and semi-finals in O'Connor Park is a surprise and goes against the trend of recent years where they have been split between both venues.
Ballinamere and Shinrone will meet on Saturday, September 30 at 4.00pm. This is a rematch of their group game where Ballinamere staged a sensational late rally to take Shinrone's scalp in Birr a few weeks ago.
It will be preceded by the Senior “B” Hurling Championship final between Clodiagh Gaels and Kilcormac-Killoughey at 2pm – Kilcormac-Killoughey had a run away win over Lusmagh in the semi-final on Saturday while Clodiagh Gaels edged out Birr in a fiercely fought one on Sunday but at a very expensive price as county hurler, Joey Keenaghan and Offaly senior footballer, Dylan Hyland received straight red cards and are set to be suspended.
The Saturday fixture for the senior B final is a help to Kilcormac-Killoughey who meet St Rynagh's in the senior semi-final on Sunday, October 1 at 4pm in O'Connor Park. It will free up the senior B players to move up to senior and with some outstanding U-20s playing in the lower grade, at least two or three of them will quickly come into senior manager, Shane Hand's plans. It will be preceded by a Junior Hurling Championship semi-final between Ballinamere and Clodiagh Gaels.
The Senior Hurling Championship has developed as expected. Shinrone, St Rynagh's and Kilcormac-Killoughey were expected to make the semi-finals from day one while Ballinamere's presence there is not a surprise at all as they have been developing consistently in recent years and have a handful of Offaly senior hurlers in their ranks.
The semi-final are two very 50-50 games and should be as tight as last week's quarter-finals where St Rynagh's were pushed to the pin of their collar to eliminate Coolderry on Saturday while Shinrone just edged out Birr in an epic extra time shootout on Sunday. Shinrone were the better team and should have closed it out in normal time but almost came a cropper against a very brave Birr – it is Shinrone's second game not to close out as they were also in a winning position in their last group game against Ballinamere and their manager, Roscrea native Trevor Fletcher will have taken note of what is threatening to become a trend.
Meanwhile, all attention is on football this weekend. It is the biggest football weekend of the year with the Senior Football Championship between Ferbane and Tullamore on Sunday in O'Connor Park – with an earlier than usual throw in time of 2.15pm because of live coverage by TG4. The Intermdiate Football Championship final, a much anticipated local derby between Daingean and St Brigid's, has a 12 noon throw in.
On Saturday, the delayed Senior “B” Football Championship semi-finals, Gracefield v Clonbullogue and Cappincur v Ballycommon form an O'Connor Park double bill. The Junior Football Championship final between Kilcormac-Killoughey and Edenderry is in Ballinagar on Saturday evening and the Junior “C” Football Championship final between Ballyskenach-Killavilla and Ballycommon is in Kilcormac's Faithful Fields on Friday evening.