Senior semi-finals are very hard to call

By Shane Brophy

Toomevara v Moycarkey/Borris

FBD Semple Stadium

Saturday, 28th September

Throw-in @ 4.45pm (E.T.)

Referee: Conor Doyle (Silvermines)

For two clubs with 33 county senior hurling titles between them, in a modern sense this is a novel semi-final.

With 21 titles, Toomevara are sixteen years removed from their last, that also being their most recent final in 2008, while for Moycarkey/Borris, this Sunday is their first semi-final since 1984 when they went onto win in their twelfth and last Dan Breen Cup.

Off the back of their massive quarter final win over defending champions Kiladangan, the momentum is certainly with the Mid Tipperary side with Toomevara manager Ken Dunne admitting the semi-final was better for his opponents than it was for his side.

“Moycarkey will play with a lot of freedom after beating the county champions, so it isn’t a good draw for us, but we have a job to do.

“We had a similar tricky opponent in JK Brackens in the quarter final and overcame that but out focus is solely on Moycarkey/Borris and nothing more than that.”

Toomevara are in their second year in a row as they develop a level of consistency under Ken Dunne who feels they have improved on last year.

“I feel we are better than last year,” he said when they fell to Kiladangan in the last four.

“We have progressed and are playing with more consistency, bar the first half against Borris-Ileigh. We got to a North final, but I feel we have room for more improvement.”

Dunne is sweating over the fitness of full-back Andrew Ryan who limped off in the quarter final a calf strain and is rated as doubtful. If he doesn’t make it, it could see Jake Ryan relocated to full-back, but one aspect Toomevara have developed this year is the depth of their panel.

“We have introduced Jack Hackett and Josh Powell this year while Barry O’Connell has added to the panel. Conor O’Farrell has been a revelation in the middle of the field.

“But experience is also important and that is why Darren Delaney has been playing in the forwards this year. I played with him there and he is an intelligent player who uses the ball well, so his cuteness has been a benefit there.”

It certainly has as his role isn’t to get scores, although he can, it is to get on the ball and move it to the likes of Jack Delaney and Mark, Kevin & Darragh McCarthy who have been coming to the boil in recent games.

Moycarkey/Borris are the fresh face in this years semi-finals, taking the place of Kiladangan whom they eclipsed in dramatic fashion in the quarter final and for manager Eddie Brennan, much of the last two weeks has been about refocusing on the opportunity that is ahead of them.

“To be fair, there has been good maturity in the dressing room afterwards,” Brennan said.

“But equally the one thing you can’t do is take the joy away from something like that; you have lap it up to a certain degree but know when to shut it down.

“The lads were back tuned in the following Tuesday night and when you look at what is coming down the track it is easy motivate a group of lads, facing into a county semi-final coming off the back of a very dramatic win at the end of a quarter final against the county champions against the odds.”

Ahead of the semi-final draw, the option was a Mid final rematch against a seasoned Loughmore/Castleiney side or a clash against a Toomevara side equally trying to end a drought in terms of reaching a county final.

“We want to make hay here now; we have a great opportunity, both ourselves and Toomevara are facing into 65 minutes of hurling to get into a county final. It is too good of an opportunity not to try and apply yourself.

“Toomevara have had a fallow period but definitely are back with a bang. They have been here on two occasions in the last couple of years so have been knocking on the door. They have hurt in abundance from last year because they know they are close, and I’d imagine the hunger and drive in their group is massive.” Verdict: Toomevara

Loughmore/Castleiney v Thurles Sarsfields

FBD Semple Stadium

Sunday, 29th September

Throw-in @ 4.00pm (E.T.)

Referee: Michael Kennedy (Newcastle)

Eamonn Kelly has experienced a lot in management, both at club and inter-county, but what is new is getting to look under the bonnet of Loughmore/Castleiney and how they manage their way consistently through hurling and football championship campaigns.

“This will be their ninth championship game in ten weeks,” Kelly began.

“You have to respect it, if you don’t there is no point in going there because they love it.

“They are committed to both but 75% of training has been hurling, but at this time of the year and with the football weeks, we won’t have done any hurling for ten days ahead of a county semi-final. That bit for me is scary but you trust the players and trust the process, they know their bodies.

“We have Paul Treacy and Mikey Ryan as coaches as they put in a lot of work at the start of the year with this in mind, building the players up so they can avoid injuries, and they have been minimal for the number of matches they have played so it is certainly standing to us.”

The injury concerns ahead of the semi-final centre on defender Ed Meagher who limped off in the quarter final win over Kilruane MacDonaghs with a calf injury and is rated “very doubtful” while Philip O’Connell, who has come on as a sub regularly, has a hamstring strain.

For Thurles Sarsfields, since they lost to Loughmore/Castleiney in the Mid Championship quarter final in June, it has been plain-sailing ever since with wins over Mullinahone, Moycarkey/Borris, Roscrea and most recently Nenagh Eire Og.

They appear to be timing their run just at the right time as they look to repeat last years win over their Mid rivals at the same stage. However, Loughmore/Castleiney are a much more in tune team than they were this time last year when they were defeated by seven points on a frigid Saturday night under the lights. They know how to slow down the Thurles attack and won’t give them the time on the ball that Nenagh did.

This is Sarsfields toughest test since the opening round of the championship and if the come through will set them up perfectly to end a six year wait for another Dan Breen Cup. Verdict: Loughmore/Castleiney