The win day

Charleville’s players can only do what they can do and if they play to their best they have nothing to fear

ment is that this game will be won on the scoreboard, but to be more accurate it may well be won by the side with the least number of wides.

Charleville, after a Munster Final win that saw almost 20 wides recorded, set about righting those particular wrongs for the following tie and credit to all concerned they managed to cut that tally down to below 10 for the last win.

Charleville will need to keep that particular tally below double figures this weekend or they will be under serious pressure – therefore expect few wild efforts from distance, particularly in the opening 20 minutes.

Although this is a one-off, all or nothing clash for Charleville, there will be some reminders for many of those involved of the last visit to Croker (when as a junior side they lost to Ballyragget) - this will bring its own pressure on Charleville the players won’t want anyone at the club to go through the same pain again.

All that said, Charleville’s players can only do what they can do and if they play to the best of their ability on Sunday and lose then they have nothing fear. If Charleville play like we all know they can then they will likely win – but wanting to perform at 100% and actually doing it are two very different things.

Here’s hoping the best hurling side to ever come from the town will get the reward they so richly deserve.

Verdict: Charleville ORANMORE-MAREE, the Galway and Connacht Intermediate Hurling Champions for 2018 will bring their own distinctive style of tough, uncompromising, but skilful hurling to Croke Park next week looking to make it another bad day for the Cork side at head-quarters.

After romping through their county and subsequently provincial competitions the Galway side despatched St Gall’s of Anrtim in the All Ireland semi-final in what wasn’t the most open of games (at times resembling something more akin to a war than a game of hurling) Oranmore-Maree will now go toe-to-toe with the Munster Champions and will deservedly fancy their chances of taking the day.

Niall Burke will be a big player again for the westerners as his accuracy from placed balls is the key to Oranmore-Maree’s scoring threat. Burke landed 11 placed balls the last day out but has shown to be even more potent than that very credible tally in previous games.

Seán McInerney possesses a goal threat up front with county star Gearóid McInerney likely to lead the defensive pack from the number six position.

McInerney will probably drift into different defensive positions on occasion to deal with the threat posed by Darragh Fitzgibbon, however, McInerney brings plenty of threat in his own right and will need to be watched closely.

Full-forward Pádraig Keane, corner-forward’s Ross Malone and Seán McInerney along with the midfield pairing of Niall Geoghegan and Rain Maher will bring significant pressure to bear on the Charleville rear-guard with another McInerney, keeper Rory, likely to bomb some big balls down on Marcus Quinn, Alan and Niall Burke in the half-forward line.

Plenty of threats from all over the pitch in the Oranmore-Maree camp – nothing to be taken for granted about the Tribesmen.