Cusack Cup campaign reaches crunch time

THE Cusack Cup Division 1 league campaign will resume on Thursday evening, when All-Ireland club finalists Kilmurry Ibrickane play Kilkee at 7.30pm in Kilkee.

The home club have four points on the table and badly need the points to ensure that they will be playing Division 1 league football in 2011, while Kilmurry will place themselves in an excellent position to qualify for the semi-finals if they win. Micheál McDermott’s team have lost just one of their opening four Cusack Cup games.
Kilmurry will be back in action on Saturday when they travel to Doonbeg at 7.30pm, to play their neighbours in the same competition. Doonbeg are currently joint top of the table and their only loss to date was against Cooraclare. Another win will definitely secure a place in the Cusack Cup semi-final for Kieran O’Mahony’s team, who will be hoping that Colm Dillon will shake off the injury that kept him out of the Clare junior team’s game against Waterford last Sunday in Dungarvan.
Éire Óg host Shannon Gaels on Saturday evening at 7.30pm in Ennis in a game both sides need to win for contrasting reasons. Although Éire Óg won their opening two games, they have not won a game since and need at least two more points to help avoid relegation. The Gaels have eight points from 10 but still need another win to secure a place in the last four.
At 5pm, Clondegad play Miltown in Ballynacally. The Ballynacally men have six points on the table and another win would propel them towards the knock-out stages, while Miltown, who lost to Cooraclare two weeks ago, sit on four points and will be in serious relegation trouble if they lose.
Cusack Cup holders Cooraclare are at home to Liscannor at 6pm on Saturday. Liscannor are currently bottom of the division but a win here would give them a decent chance of avoiding relegation. Cooraclare’s Cusack Cup campaign could go either way. A win would help them to stay in contention for a semi-final place, while defeat would leave them looking down the table, rather than up.
Meanwhile, a full round of Garry Cup games are also down for decision this weekend, with the most attractive game the meeting of Lissycasey and Ennistymon, while Cratloe manager Colm Collins will face his native Kilmihil in Cratloe. Elsewhere in the Garry Cup, St Breckan’s play Wolfe Tones, while Doora-Barefield host top-of-the-table Kilrush.