Tense finish to groups in store Cody leads Cushinstown charge to District U21 title
If St. Anne’s do win they will be hoping Gorey achieved a miraculous victory over St. Martin’s to potentially give themselves a head-to-head tie-breaker against Glynn-Barntown. However, it’s hard to foresee a set of results that will grant the Rathangan side safe passage to the last eight.
Glynn-Barntown have a bit of momentum about them in both codes. They don’t have the flamboyance of the other in-form side, St. Martin’s, but they do have a dogged, hungry set of players. They are expected to win and prevent a four-way tie on four points, helping Gorey sneak through in fourth.
Sunday (1.30 p.m.) see Group B move to a conclusion. It’s not quite as complicated as Group A but it’s not far off. Two things are certain, Oulart-The Ballagh will finish first and Faythe Harriers will finish last.
Faythe Harriers will hope to find their form ahead of their relegation final but Cloughbawn know they need to win to rubber-stamp their last eight place (O’Kennedy Park). It’s hard to look past the Castleboro side, given the Harriers’ form this season, and they are picked to win.
A draw will also be enough for Cloughbawn but should they lose they could be drawn into a threeway tie. Their score-difference (+1) is better than Buffers Alley (-10) but worse than Rathnure (+7) and Ferns St. Aidan’s (+4) as it stands. They hold the headto-head tie-breaker with Rathnure and Ferns but would finish behind the Alley in a two-way tie.
Oulart-The Ballagh face Rathnure in Bellefield looking to end the group with a perfect record. Only a fool would back against them beating an opponent who has been in indifferent form so far this championship season.
A win or draw will send Rathnure through but the likely loss will leave them in difficulty. They will need to keep the margin down, in case it comes down to score difference. Rathnure hold the tie-breaker advantage on Buffers Alley but would be behind Ferns and Cloughbawn in a two-way tie.
The big game pits Buffers Alley against Ferns St. Aidan’s in Innovate Wexford Park. A victory would qualify the winner. A draw would qualify Ferns and should be enough for Buffers Alley but, in the unlikely event that the other two matches were also draws, they would bow out on score difference.
A loss for either would leave them relying on the other games and possibly on score difference to dig them out. Ferns are pretty secure, and only a head-to-head tie with Cloughbawn would see them bow out.
Buffers Alley are in a precarious position if they lose. They hold the advantage on Cloughbawn but Rathnure would top them in a direct tie. Their score difference is also poor, in the event of a tie with more than one club.
All that being said, it’s the toughest match of the weekend to call. Neither are in bad form and both are capable of winning the game. A draw would probably suit both and two evenly-matched sides are picked to play out a satisfactory tie.
Only the Shamrocks are safely through in Group A of The Courtyard Ferns Intermediate hurling championship. They are tipped to beat Rathgarogue-Cushinstown and book top spot while Ballygarrett are backed to edge Oulart-The Ballagh, meaning Askamore and Adamstown will advance regardless of the result between the two sides.
Crossabeg-Ballymurn and Oylegate-Glenbrien are both certain of being in the quarters from Group B while Blackwater are destined for the relegation final. HWH-Bunclody are tipped to hold Craanford at bay to qualify themselves and Monageer-Boolavogue.
Wins are expected for St. James’ against Marshalstown-Castledockrell and Taghmon-Camross against Our Lady’s Island. The pick of the round in Group A of the Top Oil Intermediate ‘A’ hurling championship sees Liam Mellows face Ballyfad, but both will be in the quarters with the expected winners of the other two ties.
Duffry Rovers and St. Patrick’s meet to decide who will finish top of Group B. Both are already through and expect them to be joined by Fethard, although the final spot could well come down to score difference separating Buffers Alley, Rathnure and Geraldine O’Hanrahans.
Rapparees and Shelmaliers are sure to advance out of Group A of the Junior hurling championship. Gusserane can join them with a win over the latter, while Horeswood and Bannow-Ballymitty square-off with the winners guaranteeing their progression.
Tara Rocks are going through from Group B. It’s possible that the other five teams will all finish with four points from five games. However, that’s not likely with Clongeen and Faythe Harriers expected to see off Naomh Eanna and Ferns St. Aidan’s respectively. MIDFIELDER TADHG Cody proved the inspiration as he spearheaded Rathgarogue-Cushinstown to an eventual five-point victory over Gusserane in this entertaining New Ross District Under- 21 hurling Roinn 1 championship final in Cushinstown on Monday of last week.
Cody dominated the exchanges around midfield for most of the game, striking an excellent six points in the process, with four long-range efforts coming from play. And those scores proved crucial in his side’s march through to a semi-final meeting with Blackwater, while Rathnure awaiting the eventual winners in the county final.
Very little separated the sides right through the game, but the home team proved more clinical in front of goal. They scored a goal in each half, with the second only arriving close to the finish which was in stark contrast to Gusserane who spurned a couple of good goal-getting opportunities.
Daire Bolger and Sam Wall exchanged opening frees but two long-range Tadhg Cody points from frees edged the home side into a 0-3 to 0-1 lead after nine minutes.
Entering the second quarter the opening goal arrived. Following good approach play from Daire Bolger, the ball broke into the path of full-forward Barry Murphy who got a boot to the ball to find the net, giving his side a 1-3 to 0-2 lead.
Cody followed with three further points, one from a free, along with a John James Carroll effort, while their opponents responded with points from Mark Rossiter and Adrian Redmond, leaving the eventual winners leading by 1-7 to 0-4 at the interval.
After a Cody pointed free within two minutes of the re-start had extended his side’s lead, Gusserane went on to enjoy their best passage of play, with substitute Seán Ryan pointing, while Sam Wall found the net at the end of the third quarter, reducing the deficit to three points (1-8 to 1-5).
As the sides continued to trade points through Ian Kennedy, Wall and Bolger, just two separated them (1-10 to 1-8) entering the closing minutes, and this after both Ryan and Wall had missed out on good goalscoring chances in the closing ten minutes.
But just to demonstrate their superiority, corner-forward Eoin Porter found the net for Rathgarogue-Cushinstown from an acute angle one minute into additional time to secure victory for his side and a clash with Blackwater.