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The weather is likely to be wet and windy this weekend. And while a drop of rain will crown the country, nobody wants the wind.

Apart from ruining the hurling, the wind ruins things for underdog backers. Play into the wind in the first half and the outsider won’t have the belief to overhaul the deficit. Play with the wind in the first half and the outsider won’t be able to withstand the favourite’s momentum when the favourite gains wind-assisted momentum into the second half.

I haven’t seen Birr since the pandemic, and I am looking forward to doing so on Saturday. I do think it will take a massive amount of belief for Ballinamere to advance. That’s even though Birr’s second highest scorer is on a mere 1-3 after four games, while Ballinamere have four lads on 0-10 or more.

St Rynagh’s have been on the go for a decade now, have won the last three, and their team is showing signs that the breakup is underway. You never know when that much needed hunger won’t be there. Item 1: you’d never have thought in December 2014 that Kilcormac would win just one of the next seven. Item 2: Coolderry’s spectacular collapse in 2012’s quarter-final against St Rynagh’s.

This is their fifth quarter-final meeting since the turn of the millennium, with margins ranging from three to seven points. A knockout game, Shinrone were so lacking in the basics of passing the ball, or of tackling effectively against Belmont that it’s hard to see them completely transform their performance. That, and the needle that exists between the two clubs should ensure that whenever St Rynagh’s find their cupboard is bare, it won’t be here.

If Ballinamere are to beat Birr (as someone above predicted by one point) , personally I think it will be more than one point, if its that close as in a point , I think Birr would get over the line in such a tight battle..Birr by 3 or 4 for me, and Rynaghs by 4 I predict..lets throw scores on it and see if I get near (or near enough) Birr 1-20 Ballinamere 2-14, St. Rynanghs 2-15 Shinrone 0-17

Shinrone vs St. Rynaghs
Shinrone will play better than last day out. They have good hurlers all around the field and will surely put in a performance. I don't think it will be enough though. Rynaghs in a knockout game will be a step too far. Jury still out on Rynaghs doing four in a row but a good performance here and they become the team to avoid in semi final.
Rynaghs 2-18 Shinrone 1-17
Birr vs Ballinamere
It's hard to assess Birr. League champions. Done enough in group stage without setting down a marker. That marker could be set here. This will be an interesting match up. Ballinamere will feel they need to reach last four as a sign of progression. As POTH pointed out, weather will be a factor in both games. Eoghan Cahill's distance on frees gives Birr the edge. Birr 1-16 Ballinamere 1-14

Both Ballinamere & Shinrone to progress. It’s going to be a weekend of upsets

Kilcormac/Killoughey beat Seir Kieran in the Junior B QF tonight in Faithful Fields. 4-17 to 3-08. They now play Crinkill in the SF in 2 weeks. Ballinamere play Lusmagh in the other QF on Sunday with the winners meeting St Rynaghs

Two trends really starting to appear, one, Tullamore dominance in football and two, kk dominance in hurling. Can see these two clubs winning at multiple grades front u13 to senior.

Clara are through to the Senior B hurling final, after defeating Birr by 6 pts.

It seems some lads in here either don't watch club games and make predictions or don't have a clue about hurling.

15 pt win for Birr over Ballinamere. Ballinamere were poor and Birr looked lively.

Still a very open championship.

Birr were very impressive tonight. Defense was excellent throughout. Cahill and Nolan got some excellent scores. Worked hard all over the field. Used the ball well and have a few very dangerous forwards.
Got second half of senior B game. Clara played well also. Took some nice scores and won most of the battles in middle third. They also used the ball well and worked some great scores.

Was in OCP

Ballinamere were poor no doubt about it.

Birr were ruthless when needed.

Never looked like a shock on the cards.

Expecting the same tomorrow in 1/4 final

greenairfield wrote: ↑Sat Sep 03, 2022 8:30 pm It seems some lads in here either don't watch club games and make predictions or don't have a clue about hurling.

15 pt win for Birr over Ballinamere. Ballinamere were poor and Birr looked lively.

Still a very open championship.

Yes very much so.
Birr in contention but ballinamere extremely poor today.

greenairfield wrote: ↑Sat Sep 03, 2022 8:30 pm It seems some lads in here either don't watch club games and make predictions or don't have a clue about hurling.

15 pt win for Birr over Ballinamere. Ballinamere were poor and Birr looked lively.

Still a very open championship.

very easy throw out that after the game, what we're you basing your unshared apparent prematch prediction on that Birr would beat Ballinamere by 15 points tonight, 1st and second round defeats and very poor form, 3rd and 4th round wins then beating Clodiagh Gaels (now relegated) without scoring a goal if I remember the score right, beat Kinnity after a struggle (absolutely no disrespect to Clodiagh Gaels or Kinnity let me say)
Ide say Birr wouldn't have thought before this game that they would win by 15 points..maybe Birr have got their act together but there was nothing to suggest at all that Biir would hurl so well tonight and that Ballinamere would play so bad.. Birrs real form is probably somewhere in between, the semifinal will tell us alot more, fair dues if you were that optimistic before tonights game, most (neutral) had genuine grounds for thinking otherwise..

Spot on, touch of smugness from greenairfield, not a good look.

Lusmagh bet Ballinamere in the QF of the junior B this morning in crinkill. They were 6 points down with 3 mins left but hit 1-3 to bring it to extra time where they ran out winners by 1-20 to 1-13.
So the Junior B Semifinals are
Crinkill vs Kilkormac/Killoughey
St Rynaghs vs Lusmagh.

Smugness no I felt Birr would win by 6 or 7 as I said pre match. The scoreline just showed how bad B/D are.

The reason I was been smart (which I was) is simple if people looked at B/D this year they would know they are fairly average.
Birr has a very poor game v Rynaghs but if you look at the other three results and there team on paper a blind man would of said they should be winning while others in here felt different.


Remember.
They won the league.
The should of beat kk who some people would fancy win county title.
Beat clodagh gales yes relegated but nearly beat kk.
Beat Kinnitty who drew with Banagher.

Birr got through the group without showing their real form yesterday they looked good in parts as I said it's an open championship they are far from certs.