League & Championship hurling 2022

[SearingDrive]

Round 3 this weekend folks. 2 matches in OCP. 1 tonight and 1 tomorrow. And a double header in SBP tomorrow.

Kilcormac / Killoughey vs Kinnitty. Verdict: Kilcormac / Killoughey

St Rynaghs vs Clodiagh Gaels. Verdict: St Rynaghs

Coolderry vs Ballinamere. Verdict: Ballinamere

Seir Kieran vs Shinrone. Verdict: Shinrone

Probably correct call Frank. Ballinamere beating Coolderry would be a sign of changing times in the hurling championship.

[frankthetank]

It sure would. It was a hesitant nod to Ballinamere. Just because it’s Coolderry. Never write them off.

[greenairfield]

Yes I really think it would because you would imagine B/D are here to stay where as Coolderry are probably going the other way. Still it will be tight you would imagine.

[Dodge83]

Yes I really think it would because you would imagine B/D are here to stay where as Coolderry are probably going the other way. Still it will be tight you would imagine.

Do you mean Coolderry could be in danger of relegation in the future ?

[private joker]

Doubt coolderry will go down for a few years. There will be always a weaker for them there to beat in a playoff. Senior B hurling at the moment is at a horrendous standard of hurling.

[Dodge83]

Senior B is only a glorified Intermediate championship

[frankthetank]

Its an absolutely terrible reflection on hurling in Tullamore when Birr’s 2nd team are able to beat Tullamore’s first team in the championship.

[greenairfield]

Birrs second team who were missing 4 lads who would be nailed on starters. 2 of whom were on offaly under 20 panel.

[private joker]

Huge win for ballinamere. Big statement from them going forward as a serious hurling club.

[jimbob17]

Agree re above. Guarantees q final and another result v Belmont sees them straight to a semi.

Coolderry under pressure now and a loss to Clareen could see them in relegation on head to head and it becomes huge game for both teams.

On other side, Birr have big game v Clodiagh Gaels as loser of this could finish bottom on head to head irrespective of other results. Birr disappointing so far after their good league campaign but should do enough to get through.

For me, the 6 to get through will likely be Ballinamere, Shinrone and winner of Belmont v Coolderry, with KK Rynaghs and Birr (just about) coming from other group. From there, its wide open and I'd see Rynaghs coming back a little into the pack from where they have been last few years. KK at this point main challengers to their throne but couple of games could easily make any one of 7 mentioned as genuine contenders.

[frankthetank]

Going on tonight’s games in Birr it really looks a nailed on Kilcormac/Killoughey vs St Rynaghs final.

Ballinamere were good but not county final winning good while Shinrone were pretty average for large parts of the game vs Seir Kieran. They had a 15 minute lull in the 2nd half where a better team would have put them to the sword.

[Plain of the Herbs]

A big, big win for Ballinamere over Coolderry earlier this evening. A strange kind of match, Ballinamere opening up an early lead, Coolderry reeling them in, before Ballinamere opened up a five point half-time wind assisted lead. That lead oscillated between five and six for some time, before Coolderry drew level, and Ballinamere scored a couple on the break to win by two.

The match was dominated by puckouts. Coolderry were tactical with theirs in the opening half with lots of movement. They did well too, winning decent possession, but seemed to run out of steam around the 20th minute (probably around the time of Gerry Spollen’s introduction) after which Ballinamere steadied. Ballinamere pushing six forwards inside the attacking ’45 when pucking out with the wind.

Second half, Coolderry did better on Ballinamere’s puckout and play flowed towards the town end. Ballinamere’s attacks were more sporadic and when Coolderry did restart, they tended to go long, very long, which caused bunching and wouldn’t have suited Kevin Connolly and David Tooher.

I thought Coolderry did better in the rucks and contests for possession too, and they had enough possession and attacking momentum to go and win it. And though it seemed Ballinamere were wilting in the last quarter, heel of the hunt Coolderry’s veterans were unable to lead them over the line.

[Onionbag]

Ballinamere will top the group... Don't be surprised to see them in County final eithet

[Onionbag]

Rynaghs won with 14 men this evening... Poor game, Clodiagh Gaels just tried to stop rynaghs scoring and had no game plan to score themselves...

[Lone Shark]

Was in Tullamore for the Rynaghs vs Clodiagh game myself, albeit not intentionally. Was working at a camogie match that started at 3.30pm and finished at 6, so it was throw in by the time I had stuff written up!

Very poor stuff, and while I appreciate that Rynaghs ran up a big tally last time, their attack was very watery tonight. Ronan Hughes pulled up running for a ball early on so that left him making way, and they started with Gary Kelly at full forward, which simply didn't work. Perhaps even more oddly, Ben Conneely was named at centre forward, swapped a little bit with Joey O'Connor at midfield, but also went in full forward for a while. Now, I get it - Rynagh's are inundated with excellent defenders, and short on forwards, so they have to remodel a few players to make it work. That's club GAA everywhere, unless you have a massive pick.

However they're already doing that to a degree with Aidan Treacy, and while it makes sense for him, it doesn't make sense for Conneely. If you absolutely had to pick some of tonight's team to move up front, I'd have thought that either Matthew Maloney or Stephen Wynne would make a lot more sense than Ben.

Rynagh's did miss goal chances - I was very impressed with Kieran Coonan in goal for Clodiagh actually - but Clodiagh missed a penalty at the start of the second half and that killed them completely.

I think it's fair to say that the form is inconsistent all round. I was at Birr's first game against KK, and thought the standard was decent in dreadful conditions, and fancied Birr to kick on. I also was underwhelmed by Rynagh's tonight, but in between Rynagh's hammered Birr.

Push comes to shove, I'd still expect Birr to sneak into third, and quite possibly for three teams from this group to make the semis, and two of them to make the final - though I say that without having seen Ballinamere or Shinrone yet.