A RIGHT BELTER AHEAD!

Can St Pat’s stop the march of Bray Emmets?

AT 3.45pm on Sunday afternoon, referee Ciaran Fleming will throw in the ball for the Wicklow Senior hurling championship semi-final between the men of Bray Emmets and the challengers from St Patrick’s GAA Club.

The prize for the victors will be a place in the 2016 county final against Casey O’Brien’s Carnew Emmets and the reigning champions must start as odds on favourites to complete a repeat of last year’s county final.

Michael Neary’s St Pat’s side should not be completely discounted however as they have enjoyed a very productive season with a memorable win over Carnew Emmets in the league and victories over Eire Og Greystones and Avondale in the championship while they pushed their opponents this Sunday and the men of Glenealy very close in the championship.

But all eyes will be on John Henderson’s Bray Emmets as they bid for a three-in-a-row of Senior hurling crowns.

After their opening day defeat to Carnew Emmets they have pushed on and have beaten everything in their path and will be confident of pushing on for the final come Sunday evening.

But they would underestimate St Pat’s at their peril. If Andy O’Brien has one of those magical days which he is more than capable of and if John Connors and Gerry Connors control and marshal a tight defence and if the midfield can provide a platform for the forwards then we might have a game on our hands. However, the loss of key men such as Chris Kavanagh (injury), Sean O’Callaghan (away) and Michael Connors (suspended and awaiting appeal) will hamper the Pat’s challenge somewhat and as stated earlier, all logic would point to a Bray victory. With the football now out of their consciousness, all their energies will be focused on the small ball and in Peter Kiely, John Henderson, Luke Maloney, Diarmuid Masterson, Christy Moorehouse, Mikey Lee and Padraig Doyle they have some of the strongest hurlers in the county at this moment in time.

So, in the end, the prediction has to be for a Bray Emmets victory and for them to book their place in the final against Carnew Emmets. But Michael Neary and his squad of hurlers will do their very best to upset the odds and while the Bray Emmets double dream is now dead, come Sunday evening there could be another one alive and well.

Ahead of that game the replay of the Intermediate hurling championship semi-final between Bray Emmets and Arklow Rock Parnells. That game throws in at 2pm.