Semi-final line-up completed in Under-14 football
SOME OF the other championships in the county may be behind schedule, but the New Ross Standard Under-14 football competition has completed the group stages and the semi-final line-up is decided in the uber-competitive Division 1.
Naomh Eanna were the stars of the round-robin, winning all seven games, and they will go into the last four as favourites. There they will face a Starlights side which gave them as good a game as anyone back in April.
The other semi-final will be a repeat of the Féile final as Glynn-Barntown face Sarsfields.
The bottom four in the group - Buffers Alley, Ballinastragh Gaels, St. Martin’s and Shelmaliers - drop into the Division 2 quarter-finals where they will be joined by Fethard, HWH-Bunclody, Horeswood and either Our Lady’s Island/St. Fintan’s or St. James’.
The unlucky one of those two to not make the Division 2 quarters will drop into the last eight in Division 3 alongside Clúain O’Rahilly’s, St. Anne’s and Rathgarogue-Cushinstown.
Joining them there will be high-flyers Kilrush, Ballyhogue, Oylegate-Glenbrien and Monageer-Boolavogue, who booked their place last week with a solid victory against Blackwater.
Kilmore, Ferns St. Aidan’s, Adamstown and Blackwater drop into the more convoluted Division 4 quarters, where they will be joined by Davidstown-Courtnacuddy, Crossabeg-Ballymurn and two others from Castletown, St. Mary’s (Maudlintown) and Taghmon-Camross.
The delayed Wexford People Minor hurling championships still have a couple of rounds to run but things are no clearer in Premier after last week.
Conceivably, any of Naomh Eanna, Shelmaliers, Oylegate-Glenbrien, St. Martin’s or Faythe Harriers could nab an automatic semi-final spot, it’s just all about putting a couple of performances together at this stage.
All winners last week, Rathnure, Blackwater and Castle-Craan Gaels are in the Roinn 1 quarters out of Group A.
Ballinastragh Gaels are currently sixth but can leapfrog Hollow Rovers and HWH-Bunclody with wins in their final two games.
Nothing is set in Group B where Cloughbawn, St. Anne’s, Rathgarogue-Cushinstown, Gusserane and Dunbrody Gaels are fighting it out for four spots.
With only seven teams in Roinn 2, things are a little less complicated. Askamore are through to the semi-finals but only three of the next four - Crossabeg-Ballymurn, Davidstown-Courtnacuddy, Ballygarrett and Moguegeen Gaels - will join them.
Starlights and Naomh Eanna continue to set the pace in the Gorey Guardian Juvenile football Premier championship after both picked up the points last week. Volunteers are following closely behind with the rest just battling for the quarter-finals spot allotted to sides finishing from third to sixth.
HWH-Bunclody, Rathgarogue-Cushinstown and Ferns St. Aidan’s are into the Roinn 1 quarter-finals in Group A, and they will be joined by either of Slaney Gaels or Blackwater.
In Group B, Horeswood and St. Joseph’s are through with Our Lady’s Island/St. Fintan’s, St. Mary’s (Maudlintown), Gusserane and St. Anne’s all vying for the last two spots.
St. Patrick’s, Davidstown-Courtnacuddy and Craanford are all into the Roinn 2 quarters out of Group A, with Buffers Alley and Kilrush looking to take the final spot.
St. James’, Ballyhogue and Crossabeg-Ballymurn are secure in Group B, with either Bannow-Ballymitty or Kilross Gaels likely to take the last place.