Where Lixnaw can win it...

Goal-rush

Heading into this final Ballyduff probably feel pretty good about their defence. In the games they’ve played so far they’ve kept a clean-sheet in three of four. All in all that’s evidence for a fairly miserly defence.

The trouble is though that in the one game where they did give up a goal, they gave up three of them... the identity of the team they conceded those goals to? Worryingly for them it was Lixnaw, who hit them for a nine point victory in the second round, 3-19 to 1-16.

That’s bound to sow a few seeds of doubt in Ballyduff and give Lixnaw – who’ve scored five goals in three games – quite a bit of confidence.

Strength in depth

Fergus Fitzmaurice and Mark Foley have assembled quite an impressive looking squad this season at Hermitage Park. If we’re to go by the semi-final (and assuming everybody is fit for the weekend), Lixnaw have players on their bench who be nailed down to star t for most other sides in the competition.

In the semi-final Jeremy McKenna made a very good contribution off the bench. Meanwhile, guys like Liam Mullins, Darragh Shanahan and Colin Sheehy (who carried a knock in the semi-final) are players of real ability. That’s not even mentioning some of their more experienced players – Maurice Corridan and James Flaher ty for instance – who are having to make do with a place on the bench at the moment.

Ballyduff do have options too off the bench – Gary O’Brien and Paul O’Carroll both contributed in their semi-final win over Kilmoyley, while Liam Boyle is always capable of doing something special – but they have nothing like the breadth of talent Lixnaw have at their disposal right now.

Guile and craft of Griffin

After the semi-final the plaudits (rightly) went to Brendan Brosnan, who played a really clever game, showing great tactical and positional awareness when St Brendans were reduced to four teen men.

John Griffin, meanwhile, played his game comparatively under the radar, in that typically understated way we’re so used to seeing from the man they call Tweak. His intelligence and guile were essential components of that semi-final victory and if the going gets tough on Sunday you can be sure Griffin will keep a calm head, doing the right thing at the right time. He looks to be playing his best hurling in a few years right now. If he keeps it up he can inspire Lixnaw.