St Rynagh's fancied to advance in latest battle with K/K
This weekend will see two hurling semi-finals played that couldn’t be more different.
On the one hand, we have another renewal of the rivalry between Kilcormac-Killoughey and St Rynagh’s, the two clubs that have been the dominant force in Offaly hurling over the past decade. Coolderry might argue that they are worthy of their inclusion in that group; however in the last nine years, Coolderry have played in two finals – Kilcormac-Killoughey have contested six, and St Rynagh’s seven.
If the delayed 2020 county final is anything to go by, Ken Hogan’s side would be considered strong favourites. They played much better, more controlled hurling in that fixture, moving the ball through the lines with precision and creating far more and better scoring chances. Kilcormac-Killoughey’s performance was nothing like as cohesive, as it looked far more like a collection of hurlers playing a game together early in the year.
The group game between the two clubs was similar as St Rynagh’s showed a clean pair of heels in the second half of the contest, outscoring Kilcormac-Killoughey by 2-18 to 0-5 in that period. At that stage of the season, it could be argued that both teams knew they were going to finish in the top four, but there was still plenty at stake and St Rynagh’s will feel like they have the upper hand in matches between the two clubs now.
This will be a game about power, about running the ball in possession, but where both clubs will feel that anything less than winning the Seán Robbins Cup at the end of the year will be a failure. We can trust St. Rynagh’s to deliver on that front, in way that we can’t be as sure about the opposition – so the Banagher side have to be the fancy to prevail in Tullamore on Sunday (2pm).
Shinrone v Coolderry
The situation in Birr this afternoon (Saturday) is very different, where a Coolderry side that has been the form team in Offaly in 2021 will take on a Shinrone team looking to reach just their second senior final ever, and their first in 61 years.
On the face of it, that record makes absolutely no sense. Shinrone has consistently been well-represented on Offaly teams down the years, particularly at underage level, and they’ve proven time and again in group games that they are able to hurl with the best of them. Yet the club’s record in knockout games is farcically poor, while far too many of their players tend to hit their peak at 21 or 22, and never quite kick on from there.
The same certainly couldn’t be said for Coolderry, who have made quite the virtue out of milking everything they can out of their key players.
This reporter still remembers the scenes of wild celebration in Birr 17 years ago, when they won their first championship in 18 years, with a teenage Cathal Parlon taking the man of the match award after shooting five points from play on the day. Parlon is one of six players who featured in that game, and also played in their most recent championship outing against Seir Kieran.
It’s hard to accurately read that game from a Coolderry perspective since they did enough to win, but the fear in the camp will be that they’ve lost a little bit of momentum at the wrong time. Rynagh’s defeat to Birr was just too bad to be true, but this fixture in Crinkill was a very different type of game.
There was only a puck of a ball between Coolderry and Shinrone when the sides met in the second round of group games at St Brendan’s Park, which will host tomorrow’s match (2pm).
But when we factor in Shinrone’s dreadful record in knockout games, slower ground due to winter conditions, and a rather unusual statistic, it’s hard to look past Coolderry. We have to go all the way back to September 2019, and the final round of group games in that championship, to find the last time Shinrone won a championship game by less than seven points. When Shinrone are good, they are very good. But their track record in tight games is not good.
All of this may read like famous last words by 3.30pm tomorrow, but until there’s evidence to the contrary, Coolderry will be the safer bet in games like this.
Senior status at stake
In other games around the county, Seir Kieran will be expected to account for Drumcullen in the relegation play-off final (Kinnitty, 2pm, Saturday) after showing a little bit more over the course of the group stages, even though the local derby factor is likely to lead to Drumcullen’s most focused performance of the year so far, notwithstanding the 2020 Senior B final.
Tullamore and Lusmagh will start as favourites in their Senior 'B' semi-finals against Clara and Clodiagh Gaels respectively, though the prospect of an upset in one or both of these games looks a lot more real.
A draw in the football final was the worst possible result from the narrow perspective of Tullamore hurling, and Clara will take plenty of heart and encouragement from a very tight group game between the two sides.
Lusmagh, on the other hand, were steady all the way through the year, except when they played Clodiagh Gaels the first time and shipped a remarkable tally of 4-24. That looks like something of an anomaly but in general, Lusmagh have conceded a little bit more than they’d like in order to be competitive at this level.
Odds would favour one of the two underdogs pulling off a surprise, so we’ll take a guess that Tullamore stay standing, but Clodiagh Gaels might take Lusmagh in a shootout.
- Kevin Egan