D-Day for clubs with last four places up for grabs

Meaningful games in every single championship group

THE tweak instituted before the club championships got underway – whereby the first round winners were kept apart until the final round – has had precisely the intended effect.

This year, unlike last year, there are no dead rubber games going into the final round of games, there have been no teams through to the semi-finals before their third round fixtures.

The only team through to the semi-finals of any of the four club competitions is Glenflesk and that’s only because their group in the intermediate championship wrapped up a week before all the others.

The senior championship is especially wide open with seven of the eight teams still in contention for the final and even the team that can’t make it through – Kilcummin – have a chance of avoiding the relegation process, but they will need to win their game with Dingle.

In Group 2 of the senior championship, meanwhile, all four teams can reach the final and all four can find themselves in the relegation process, including rather unbelievably All Ireland senior club finalists Dr Crokes.

Most groups have mouth-watering top of the table potential group deciders with games spread across the course of the weekend.

Interestingly a play-off is required to separate Ballyduff and Cromane following their draw in Ballyduff last Saturday evening. Because Tuosist gave walkovers in their final two group games score difference was unable to be used as a determining factor to decide who tops the group.

Ballyduff and Cromane meet for the second time in a week when they face off in Ballyseedy on Sunday afternoon.

Sean O’Shea, left, and Shane Conway, both of Kerry and UCC, who were named Electric Ireland HE GAA Rising Star Footballer and Hurler of the Year 2019 respectively.