There are still three quarter-final spots to be filled going into this weekend’s final round of group games in the Clare Senior Hurling Championship.

The four teams with byes this week, Clonlara, Cratloe, Sixmilebridge and titleholders Crusheen, have already booked their places in the knock-out stage, where they will be joined by Tulla, who have finished as runners-up to the ’Bridge in Group 3.
Broadford will take the second qualifying spot from Group 1 if they beat Killanena this Saturday but any slip-up here will be welcomed by St Joseph’s, provided they beat Smith O’Brien’s.
In Group 2, it’s straight forward and the winners of the Inagh-Kilnamona v Tubber tussle on Sunday evening will join Cratloe in the quarter finals. A win for Tubber will see them take top spot, as they beat Cratloe in the opening round, whereas victory for Inagh-Kilnamona will see them qualify as runners-up to Cratloe, the 2009 champions.
In Group 4, the odds are on Kilmaley to qualify as runners-up to Crusheen. They must beat their neighbours Ballyea to secure their passage to the play-offs. Failure to do so will open the door for Newmarket, who must account for Clooney-Quin to be in with a shout.
The semi-finalists in the intermediate championship have already been determined ahead of the final round of games but the results this week will determine the semi-final pairings.
Ruan play Parteen and Éire Óg take on Corofin and all four are unbeaten.
In the race for the junior A championship, there are two rounds of games to be played in the group stage. O’Callaghan’s Mills head Group 1 with maximum points followed closely by Éire Óg and Kilmaley while, in Group 2, Inagh-Kilnamona and Newmarket share top spot, with Clooney-Quin next.

 

 

Group 1

Less than 12 months after the greatest day in the club’s history when they secured senior status for the first time, Killanena are struggling to avoid a relegation battle. To have a chance of winning that battle they must beat Broadford on Saturday and that won’t be easy, particularly as Broadford are still chasing a place in the quarter-finals.
Broadford’s form has been mixed in recent times. A few years back, they threatened a breakthrough at senior level but their results last year were disappointing. Last time out, they produced, arguably, their best performance of the current campaign and will be hoping to build on that when they take on Killanena on Saturday.
The Gunnings, the O’Briens, the Chaplins and All-Ireland intermediate star Pádraig Hickey will lead their challenge and they will carry the favourites’ tag when they line out at headquarters on Saturday.
As reported earlier this season, emigration has hit Killanena hard. For this week’s tie, they expect to have Gerry McNamara, Noel Sheedy and Mark Flaherty back from the US, where they have been for a number of weeks, during which time they missed the club’s game with Clonlara.
The availability of this trio will certainly be a big boost to the team and they will also be looking to Joe Clancy, the Noones and Enda Collins. They can be relied upon to make life difficult for Broadford but, at the end of play, it will be a surprise if Broadford aren’t in the play-offs.
At the same time as Broadford and Killanena are battling for victory, St Joseph’s and Smith O’Brien’s will be in action in Shannon and both have still a lot to play for.
St Joseph’s manager, Kevin Kennedy will be hoping that his native Killanena will do him a favour and beat Broadford, as such a result would open the door for the Doora-Barefield men to qualify, provided they beat Smith O’Brien’s.
The Killaloe outfit may be out of the race for the Canon Hamilton Trophy but they will be going hard for a win in the hope that it will keep them out of the relegation play-offs. They are another of the senior teams that have promised more than they have delivered in recent seasons.
For Saturday’s game, Smith O’Brien’s will be without their captain, Pat Vaughan, who is under suspension after being sent off on a straight red card in their last outing. Trevor Howard and John Cusack provide the experience in a side that includes impressive minors in Micheál Ryan, Mark O’Halloran, Mark Stritch and David Gough, to name some.
St Joseph’s, who qualified for the football quarter-finals last week, will be calling on Ken Kennedy, Darragh O’Driscoll, Ivor White, Kevin Dilleen and minors, Jarlath Colleran and Alan O’Neill. They will carry the favourites’ tag and their greater experience should see them ahead at the final whistle.

 

Group 2

Prior to the last round, Tubber were odds-on favourites to be in the play-offs but a surprise one-point loss to Scariff has left them needing to beat Inagh-Kilnamona this week if they are to progress.
Inagh-Kilnamona were disappointed to lose to Cratloe last time out on a day when they had chances to have earned at least a draw and they are keen to get back to winning ways.
Everything points to be lively contest on Sunday and there will be little between the teams at the final whistle. Supporters of both sides are confident that their side can win and progress to the play-offs.
This is a big test for both sides as they attempt to bounce back from defeat. Tubber’s defeat came as a big surprise as, having beaten Cratloe and Whitegate, they were hotly fancied but they struggled to cope with a determined challenge from Scariff.
The Tubber management team of Pat O’Connor, Pascal Lee and Pat Taaffe is likely to have a similar line-up this week and he will be looking to Mark and Conor Earley, the experienced Eamonn Taaffe, Clive Earley, Patrick and Barry O’Connor to give his side an edge this week.
It remains to be seen if Inagh-Kilnamona will make any changes to their starting line-up for this week’s crucial outing. Eamonn Glynn was expected back from the US earlier this week and his availability will be a huge boost to the side. It will be interesting to see if the mentors Paul Gannon, Ken Ralph and Brian Vaughan opt to have him in the starting line-up, along with his brother Brian, Milo Keane, Ronan O’Looney, David Hegarty, Cathal Lafferty, Conor Tierney and the Arthur brothers, Ger and Niall.
It’s a difficult one to call as both sides have shown good form in this campaign. Overall, Inagh-Kilnamona look that bit stronger and should get through by a point or two.
Although they are out of the title race, the meeting of East Clare neighbours Scariff and Whitegate could prove to be one of the games of the weekend.
There is a lot at stake as the losers will be into a ­relegation battle, with the bottom teams in the other three divisions and already certain of involvement in this battle are Wolfe Tones and Ballyea.
Adding interest in this contest is the involvement of former Scariff player Mark McKenna as part of the Whitegate backroom team. McKenna spent the last couple of seasons in charge of his native Scariff.
Whitegate go into the game without a win and they will be looking to All-Ireland intermediate-winning goalkeeper Andrew Fahy, Brendan Buglar, Tommy Holland, Ian Fahy and George Waterstone to give them an edge.
Mike McNamara’s Scariff will be calling on the ­experienced Barry Murphy, Darragh Kelly, Kenny and Conor McNamara, along with the Nash brothers and Ross Horan. There won’t be much between them at the final whistle and Scariff’s experience could prove decisive.

 

Group 3

This is the only group where there is little at stake, with Tulla already in the quarter-finals and Wolfe Tones confined to the relegation play-off. The outcome of the meeting of Clarecastle and O’Callaghan’s Mills will simply determine positions ahead of the draw for the Senior B Championship.
After a heavy defeat last time out against Sixmilebridge, Tulla will want to get back to winning ways. They were very disappointed with their performance in round three and the management team of Jim McInerney and Declan Hogan will be looking for a big improvement this week. They will be looking to Paul and Aidan Lynch, the Brennan brothers, Sean Torpey, Cian McInerney, Darragh Corry and David McInerney to give them the upperhand.
Wolfe Tones have struggled this season, having lost so many players to emigration and their focus now is on holding on to their senior status for the coming season. Patsy Keyes, Bobby and Gareth McPhillips, Daithí O’Connell, Declan O’Rourke and Barry Loughnane provide the experience, while young players, Aaron Cunningham, Kevin McCafferty and John Guilfoyle have shown they have a bright future. They will make things difficult for Tulla but the East Clare outfit will be expected to be ahead when the final whistle sounds.
Clarecastle went into this campaign as one of the favourites to be in the play-off stages of the competition. They were most unlucky to lose their opening-round game to Sixmilebridge but their form dipped considerably in round two when they were six points adrift of Tulla at the final whistle.
Stephen O’Halloran, Patrick Kelly, Danny Scanlan, Jonathon Clancy, Eamonn Callinan, Darragh Moloney, Conor O’Gorman, Seanie Moloney and Tyrone Kearse are some of the players they will be looking to as they go in search of victory this week.
O’Callaghan’s Mills, like Sunday’s opponents, had their only win of this campaign against Wolfe Tones. They had high hopes of being in the quarter finals but a first-round defeat against Tulla proved a huge blow, while they were comprehensively beaten by Sixmilebridge.
The Donnellans, the Cooneys, Adrian Flaherty and the Donovans will be hoping to give them a much-needed boost this week. How determined either side will be to achieve victory remains to be seen, as both will be in the draw for the senior B quarter-finals next week.
The winners will finish in third place in the group and will meet a fourth-placed team in the senior B quarter final.
That ‘incentive’ should result in a lively contest, at the end of which the Magpies should be narrowly ahead.

 

Group 4

Ballyea may already be set for the relegation play-offs but the prospect of beating neighbours Kilmaley and depriving them of a place in the quarter-finals is sure to prove a motivating factor for Sunday evening’s fixture.
Kilmaley will be focussed on gaining a quarter-final place and will carry the favourites’ tag. Their second-half performance against Clooney-Quin last time out has seen them move up the list of favourites for honours this year.
Ballyea go into the game without a win from their three previous outings but their performances in each of those games deserved better. Last time out, they made champions Crusheen fight all the way to the final whistle for victory while, against Clooney-Quin, in the previous round, they held the lead for much of the tie but inexperience cost them in the end.
They are leading the way in the race for the minor A title and a number of that side are important players in their senior line-up. These include Tony Kelly, Gearóid O’Connell, Niall Deasy and Jack Browne. In addition, they have Paul Flannagan, last year’s Clare minor captain, and Cathal Doohan, who was also part of the Clare minor team in 2010.
Experience is provided by team captain Tony Griffin, Paddy O’Connell and goalkeeper Shane O’Neill.
While they are likely to make life difficult for their neighbours, it will be a surprise if Kilmaley, with Alan Markham, the team captain, Diarmuid, Conor and Brian McMahon, Colin Lynch, Kenneth Kennedy, Noel Casey, together with teenagers Colin McGuane, Martin O’Connor, Michael O’Neill, and Eoin Enright, aren’t in front when the final whistle sounds.
Meanwhile, Newmarket will be doing all they can to account for Clooney-Quin in the event of a shock at Cusack Park, a result they need if they are to get to the quarter-finals.
Newmarket’s loss to Crusheen in round three has left them in the position where they are dependent on other results if they are to progress. However, they must first win their final group game against Clooney-Quin. They are neighbouring parishes and this should add a little excitement to the contest, Newmarket will be looking to the Barrett brothers, Alan, Enda and David, James McInerney, Stephen Kelly, Shane O’Brien and Colin Ryan, to give them the upperhand. They were disappointed with their performance against Crusheen and will be keen to get back to winning ways.
Clooney-Quin left Cusack Park very disappointed after their loss to Kilmaley, with their second-half performance in that tie. They will be the first to admit they have to improve a lot on that display if they are to end the group stage with a win.
Whatever the outcome, they cannot qualify but they will want to show their fans they are capable of much better that what they showed in the second half against Kilmaley.
This should ensure that they will take the game to Newmarket but the Blues remain favourites to emerge with victory.

 

Results to determine semi pairings

What the approach of Parteen, Ruan, Éire Óg and Corofin will be to their games in the final round of the intermediate championship league stage this Saturday remains to be seen.
All four are already through to the semi-finals, the pairings for which will be determined by the outcome of this weekend’s games. The top team in group one will play the runners-up in group two and vice versa. Elsewhere, the meeting of Meelick and Ennistymon will help determine who will go into the relegation play-off against Clarecastle, who have finished bottom of Group 1.
A win for Ennistymon and defeat for Ogonnelloe, who play Feakle, will leave Ennistymon, Ogonnelloe and Meelick with two points each. Scoring difference will then come into play and at present Meelick are bottom here with –30, with Ennistymon on -22 and Ogonnelloe on -12.
This should ensure a lively contest between Meelick and Ennistymon as neither will want to be in the relegation play-off.
Junior B
The second of the junior B championship semi-finals is listed for decision this Sunday with Crusheen, already in the league final, taking on Kilmaley. Clonlara have booked a place in the final after their comfortable win over Tubber last week on a scoreline of 0-18 to 0-8.
The semi-finals of the junior C championship are also listed for this weekend. On Saturday, Newmarket will take on Bodyke, with Clarecastle facing the Banner on Sunday.
Arch rivals Clarecastle and Newmarket are fancied to win through to the final.