SHC Semi Finals

[Treasurer]

Draw was made tonight.

Birr/Lusmagh v Shinrone/Ballyskenagh

Kinnitty/Rynaghs v Coolderry/Belmont

[Lone Shark]

Much like in the senior, the stage is set for a final between the two.

Question now is who can pull a Galway on it and upset the apple cart. I can't really imagine anyone doing it to be honest, though I could see Kinnitty putting up a good show.

[Rynaghs Biffo]

Yeah the Kinnity Rynaghs game looks most appetizing as does the Shinrone and Skenagh match, two fairly even games. the others will be very one sided! I'd still expect our boys to pull thru and gear for a tough semi, but as long as we take it one game as it comes! any news on times and dates for these games?

[Treasurer]

Skenagh/Shinrone in Clareen on Sat at 6. Fixtures not out yet for others. Possibility of a semi on the 24th/25th September, but most likely both semis on first weekend of Oct. Final provisionally fixed for 16th Oct.

[Plain of the Herbs]

I'd expect Belmont to give Coolderry plenty to chew on. Clocker will do well on Joe Brady (who is not good in the air and won't meet any other centre half forwards who are stronger than him). The Egans are lively and can score if given a supply, and the Colderry full back line isn't the hottest. However, Belmont backs will probably struggle against Carroll, Murray and Parlon.

Its hard for even the most optimistic Lusmagh supporter to be confident ahead of their joust with Birr. Expect Rynaghs to beat Kinnity, and Ballysk. to beat Shinrone, but only after a typical local derby. Don't think theres a recent history between these two.

As for the semi's, 'tis set up for Rynaghs to take Coolderry. They've met a few times in the last 3 years and they've all been close games, with Coolderry pulling through. I can see that changing.

[Lone Shark]

Birr to win by heaps and Ballyskenach to beat Shinrone by about 5. Birr to take Ballyskenach handily enough in the semi on that side of the draw as well. You'd love to believe otherwise, but after the group game, how can you expect anything else? It's on the other side of the draw that I think it gets really intriguing.

'tis set up for Rynaghs to take Coolderry

It's hard for people not to think like that - but it's exactly because of that kind of thinking that I think Rynagh's mightn't be at full mental peak for the quarter. Allied to the fact that there will be a lot of focus on the intermediate hurlers, the footballers will be training regularly, and the Under 21's will be involved this weekend as well, and it's easy see how they mightn't be putting as much focus into this as Kinnitty are. I could easily be proved very wrong on this, but Kinnitty have been quietly impressive in the two games I saw them in this year (Clareen and Shinrone) and have a few players that can chip away with scores, as well as a half back line and midfield who might be small but are well able to hurl. If Rynagh's play their game they'll win, but I suspect they mightn't and could get caught out.

Belmont will be an interesting challenge for Coolderry, no two ways about it. Clocker is a highly effective centre forward at club level, and with Bennett and Kenny either side of him as per the last day, that is a good line, no question about it. The two midfielders can score from range, the two boys inside are capable of running up a lot of scores - although Paul hasn't been as good as he can be since the Killavilla match - and the club will be in a great position of no-one expecting anything but a heavy defeat so they can hurl without inhibition.

The backs look like having their hands full all right. The fact that a sixteen year old has played wing back the last two games, even if he is a very talented sixteen year old, shows that depth is a serious problem. If Coolderry find a weak spot and start probing Belmont won't have the wherewithal to patch things up. If they can keep goals out you never know, but having conceded two each to Tullamore and Shamrocks in their last outings it's a lot to ask to shut half the county forward line out.