Final group games await in Seán Robbins Cup

by Kevin Egan

It’s not quite knockout championship, but it’s getting pretty close. Four senior hurling ties are down for decision this weekend, and even though five of the six knockout places in the race for the Seán Robbins Cup have already been decided, there’s still something at stake in all four contests.

Two of them are about deciding top spot in the group, and automatic passage through to a semi-final, though particularly in the case of St Rynagh’s versus Kilcormac-Killoughey, laying down a marker in advance of a possible rematch in the knockout stages may also be mentioned in one or both of the O’Connor Park dressing rooms tomorrow evening.

In 2021, these two rival clubs played two huge knockout games against one another – the delayed 2020 county final, which turned out to be a landslide victory for St Rynagh’s, and then the 2021 semi-final where there was just a point between the sides.

Was that a symptom of traces of complacency creeping into the water in Banagher on the basis of their big win a few months earlier, or Kilcormac-Killoughey beginning to find their way under a relatively new management team? It’s no secret that the Double Ks have a golden generation coming up, but for now, they still need their leaders to carry them through what will be a tricky test, particularly if Ronan Hughes is fit to return to the St Rynagh’s attack.

The prize on the table is similar in Birr, where Belmont need a win or a draw to stay on top of their group at the expense of Shinrone.

Both clubs will be eager to win, but for different reasons. Arguably, Shinrone might be better served playing a quarter-final against a comparatively easier opponent, rather than going straight into a semi-final where their infamous knockout record might still be weighing on their shoulders as they prepare to take on a battle-hardened club that’s coming in on the back of a victory.

However on the other hand, they have real momentum now after chiselling out a big victory against Coolderry, and that’s not something they’ll want to give up.

For Belmont, it’s less about automatic passage to a semi-final and much more about getting the extra couple of weeks to get players back from injury, and to ease the burden on their dual players that are playing week in and week out. Absolutely, they’d like to find a bit more attacking form, given that they come into this weekend with the poorest attacking record of the seven clubs still in the hunt, but after so many near misses in recent years, Belmont will surely be happy to keep grinding their way through games if that’s what it takes to get to a first ever senior final.

Do or Die

Regardless of results in Birr and Tullamore, each of those four clubs – and Ballinamere, who have their four round robin games already played – will contest the knockout stages. For Birr and Kinnitty, their meeting in Rath is effectively a last 16 knockout clash, with the slight caveat that a draw will suit the Slieve Bloom men just fine.

Kinnitty have been the surprise package of the season so far, building around a very solid half-back line with Paddy Delaney as the anchor, and while they might struggle for scores against a very tidy Birr defence, they’ll be equally confident of keeping things relatively tight at the back. In a game where a goal or two could go a long way, James Dempsey and Odhrán Kealey have goals in them, while the appointment of Declan Cooke as referee might help too, as the Crinkill man is usually a fraction more eager to preserve the life of his whistle than some of his counterparts.

Players like Luke Nolan and Morgan Watkins are very important to the Birr cause, but a huge part of their game is running at defenders and winning frees, with Eoghan Cahill on hand to convert. If this is a game where there is anything close to 30 frees awarded, then you’d have to fancy Birr to prevail. If the number falls short of 25, then Kinnitty have every chance.

Finally, the county final is out of reach but the first step towards 2023 will be taken by Coolderry and Seir Kieran, as they play out what will effectively be a relegation semi-final.

Take away a second half collapse against Belmont and their failure to resist a last-ditch Shinrone surge, and Coolderry have generally hurled reasonably well this year. On form, they look like the more likely winners by some distance – but this is not the type of game that they’re used to hurling. Relegation battles bring a unique pressure with them, and Seir Kieran are a little bit more grizzled in contests like this. Even so, there are very few clubs anywhere in Ireland, football or hurling, with such a deep appreciation of history as Coolderry, and the motivation of not being responsible for dropping out of Senior hurling for the first time in their history is likely to prove to be quite the motivational force this week.

Tullamore carry on, Edenderry shaping up well

It was a good week for football in both Tullamore and Edenderry, with both clubs showing up well in the senior championship at the weekend, then adding U-20 semi-final wins during the week to continue their momentum. For Tullamore to do so in the absence of so many of their star names at this age is particularly impressive, and whatever about the U-20 final, where St Patrick’s will cause them plenty of problems, they look some distance ahead of the chasing pack in the senior championship.

Rhode are carrying on with the minimum of fuss, but Clara exposed a few weaknesses in their set up and whoever Rhode play in the semi-final, they will be tested. Would Ferbane have prevailed if it wasn’t for the lengthy stoppage in Tubber and the serious injury to Kieran Dolan, which robbed Shamrocks of a key player and broke their momentum? It’s hard to know, but either way, it feels like Shamrocks might struggle in the absence of one of their brightest prospects, while Ferbane still aren’t convincing anyone of their credentials just yet.

Edenderry on the other hand, continue to motor on nicely. They’re making light of the absence of Cian Farrell, they have as much energy and mobility in the middle third as any team, and there are still a few experienced heads in the mix to help guide the younger cohort, who haven’t yet been involved in a county senior final. Right now, it could be argued that they present a bigger threat to Tullamore than their neighbours from Rhode, albeit by a very slight margin. Ferbane can’t be ruled out, albeit with a lot to find yet, while Clara and Shamrocks will hope to pull off upsets next time out, but winning three games on the spin looks to be beyond either of them.