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With all but one of the Senior Hurling Championship Quarter-Final places confirmed, Saturday’s Group 1 finale between Kilmaley and Clonlara in Cusack Park (5.15pm) is a straight shoot-out for that remaining last eight position.
Having bounced back off the ropes of an opening derby defeat to neighbours Inagh-Kilnamona, Kilmaley are chasing their third successive victory while it has been the opposite for Clon who following a gritty first round victory over O’Callaghan’s Mills were extremely fortunate to somehow salvage a late, late win over Whitegate a fortnight ago.
That result ensured that Whitegate are destined for the Senior B Championship regardless of their result against tabletoppers Inagh-Kilnamona who will want to complete the ‘Group of Death’ with an unblemished record in Cusack Park on Saturday at 2.30pm.
The scramble for positions is also central in the final Group 3 ties back in the Park on Sunday as first Broadford and Crusheen battle it out to avoid the dreaded relegation group at high noon while at 2.45pm, one perfect record has to go when Cratloe and Ballyea lock horns for top spot and the chance to avoid fellow group winners Inagh-Kilnamona, Sixmilebridge and Éire Óg in Monday evening’s quarter-final draw.
The knock-out stages of the remaining four adult hurling championships intensify this weekend, with quarter-finals at Intermediate, Junior A and C while the Junior B finalists will be realised by Sunday evening following semi-final bouts between Sixmilebridge and Tulla in Broadford at 2pm following by a juicy Scariff v Feakle derby in Bodyke at 5pm.
Having soldiered together for historic back-to-back Minor A crowns, Corofin and Ruan are in opposite trenches in O’Garney Park in Sixmilebridge on Saturday (2pm) for an intriguing Intermediate Championship last eight duel.
Corofin have the edge on experience with this being their third quarter-final in four years while Ruan are not short of momentum either having soared to the only perfect group record outside of Smith O’Brien’s in the entire championship.
It’s a battle of the runners-up in Gurteen on Saturday at 4pm as Tulla take on Sixmilebridge’s second string. Following a quarter-final exit in their first season back in the second tier, Tulla will be doubly determined to redress the balance but will have to be at their redemptive best to hold off the Intermediate championship’s most consistent side.
O’Garney Park also hosts Sunday’s Intermediate Quarter-Final double header as first St Joseph’s Doora/Barefield battle it out with Bodyke for the second successive season (2pm) before one heavyweight has to fall when Tubber and Smith O’Brien’s lock horns at 5pm.
There certainly won’t be any complacency from Doora/Barefield who following a first defeat to Corofin last time out in Cusack Park, also had to anxiously fend off a rousing fightback from Bodyke in last year’s quarter-final which saw their eleven point advantage slashed to just three.
Equally, having lost three of the last four finals, Tubber will need to be at their best once more to prevail against a Smith O’Brien’s side that won’t lack motivation after being agonisingly denied a final place themselves last year at the death after extra-time against eventual champions Scariff.
