Glenbeigh/Glencar left in limbo

MUNSTER CLUB JFC QUARTER-FINAL

Glenbeigh / Glencar v Ballyduff Lower or Colligan (Waterford) Sunday, November 13 Glenbeigh, 2pm THIS is more than a little unusual.

As of the time of writing and going to press we have absolutely no idea precisely who Glenbeigh/ Glencar will be facing on their home turf this Sunday afternoon. By Thursday morning we’ll have a much better idea as the Waterford junior championship final takes place on Wednesday night at the Waterford IT Sports Complex.

That game, between Ballyduff Lower and Colligan Emmets, could set up a situation whereby Ballyduff Lower have to play two Munster club championship games over the weekend – they’re due to play a hurling semi-final on Saturday afternoon.

How that would play out we can’t say for certain other than it would greatly favour Glenbeigh / Glencar who would be much better rested for the game – either against Colligan, who’d have to play two games in less than a week or against Ballyduff Lower who’d have to play three games in about five days (and four in a week).

The Munster council made clear on Tuesday afternoon that regardless of who wins in Waterford on Wednesday night the game will go ahead in Glenbeigh this Sunday afternoon.

For Glenbeigh/Glencar manager Aidan O’Shea and his players it’s far from ideal not knowing what faces them until quite late in the day. It does, of course, afford the management team the opportunity to get a decent look at both teams in the meantime.

At the end of the day they just have to focus on themselves and their own performance and regardless of who they’ll face they should have more than enough football to deal with them.

Glenbeigh / Glencar will likely find provincial competition a liberating experience. Rarely, if ever, does a Kerry champion fail to improve once they hit this stage. The standard in Munster is generally speaking lower than in domestic competition.

We shouldn’t underestimate either the huge amount of pressure this team were under in both of this year’s county finals. It was more evident in the first game than the second, but it was there nevertheless.

That fear factor is no longer going to be an issue. It’s going to be massively interesting to see just how good this team can be when those shackles of expectation are removed. A win for Glenbeigh / Glencar is the most likely outcome here.

Verdict: Glenbeigh/Glencar