Calculators at the ready as groups reach critical stage

With Alan Aherne

WITH THE return to school just around the corner, it seems appropriate that the various experts in mathematics within the ranks of the G.A.A. clubs in the county are coming to the fore once again.

This is the time of year when every championship table is studied in great deal as the various permutations and combinations are worked out.

You will find some people who might have struggled with the pass Maths paper at Junior cert. level back in the day, but rest assured they will know exactly what their team will require in order to advance ahead of the final round of games.

The scoring differences will have been studied in considerable depth, while the head-to-head rule that comes into play in the event of two teams finishing level on points adds another layer of intrigue to the entire operation.

There will never be a perfect championship structure, but I think the two groups of six set-up is about as good as it can get and it has generally been a success since the Senior grades were reduced from a top-heavy 16 down to twelve teams.

Of course, the timing of the games, and the lack of action from April/May to August, leaves a lot to be desired, but that is a separate issue.

The ideal scenario is for every team to have something to play for prior to the final round, and that will be the case in an intriguing Group B of the Tom Doyle Supplies Senior football championship for example.

While Horeswood are out of contention for a quarter-final spot, they are nonetheless fighting for their lives to avoid a dreaded relegation decider against Sarsfields.

And though St. Martin’s are through, the other four teams will battle it out right down to the last minute of action for the three remaining qualifying spots.

Likewise, five of the teams in Group A are divided by no more than two points, so the potential outcomes are numerous.

And with all last round games being played simultaneously, mobile phones will be hopping all over the county as spectators keep in touch with the unfolding action.

Prior to those football issues being sorted though, it’s back to hurling this coming weekend for vital round four games which will separate the men from the boys.

One of the big talking points thus far has been the fine progress made by the reigning Intermediate champions in both codes.

Oylegate-Glenbrien have blazed a trail to the top of their hurling group, taking three big scalps in Shelmaliers, Buffers Alley and Glynn-Barntown along the way.

They have made a serious statement of intent, and it will be interesting to see how far they progress with a promising team playing with great abandon.

Indeed, these are exciting times for the club as they are also in the Under-21 Premier ‘A’ semi-final next week. And while they could never be labelled as a football stronghold, by the same token they look like the team to beat thus far in the Junior grade although their progress or otherwise may well depend on how they fare ultimately in the other code.

Turning back to football, Taghmon-Camross raised a lot of eyebrows when they turned over champions Gusserane a fortnight ago.

And they showed it was no flash in the pan with an equally impressive win which dumped Horeswood out of the race for honours on Saturday.

It hasn’t always worked out like that, but so far this year the momentum gained from winning an Intermediate title has propelled both reigning champions to new heights.

That’s particularly gratifying to see in hurling, because it was generally accepted that the gap between the grades was considerable and the new arrivals were generally inclined to struggle.

Different teams coming to the fore will lead to more vibrant championships all round, so hopefully we will be watching some fresh faces when the titles are decided in October. There’s a long way to go yet before we get to that stage though!