Form or momentum to decide senior hurling semi-finals?
Another strong showing from Mickey Joe Egan will be pivotal if St. Dominic's are to get the better of Tremane and return to the county senior hurling final. Picture: Gerard O'Loughlin
A repeat of last year’s county final as Four Roads and Oran renew acquaintances.
Micheál Kelly’s charges downed Oran by two points in the final game of the group stages where Four Roads proved, once again, that they are adept at striking late as Liam Óg Coyle’s 55th minute goal and Conor Morris’ two late points secured the victory.
The five-in-a-row chasers haven’t exactly set the world alight, but they have responded in perfect fashion to their opening round defeat to St. Dominic’s. Three wins on the spin, including that 2-17 to 1-18 victory over Oran, means they were able to secure direct passage to the semi-final stages.
Five weeks without a championship game may leave them slightly ring rusty but given the volume of dual players in their squad, they will not be lacking in match fitness.
Tommy Morris has been the Player of the Championship to date while his brother Conor has produced in key moments, most notably scoring 1-9 during that triumph over Oran.
Adam Donnelly and Conor Mulry’s returns from injury have provided Four Roads’ youthful cohort with a valuable dollop of experience On the flip side, Oran’s quarter-final win over Pádraig Pearses left more questions than answers. In a game they dominated, Francie Quine’s side shot more wides than scores (18 to 17), leaving their foes hanging on until the end.
Seamus Hussey, who has been effective as a third midfielder this year, and Rory Connolly have impressed in their debut seasons while Paul and Eamon Kenny, alongside Micheál Hussey, form a teak tough half-back line.
Oran have shown that they can compete with Four Roads, but the reigning champions have a knack of finding a way to prevail, particularly at this stage of the season.
A challenging game to call.
Tremane have been the story of the championship so far, going from the bottom of the table to top of the pile in the space of 12 months.
Mike Keavaney’s side are the only unbeaten team in this year’s championship with their only slight blemish coming when they drew with St. Dominic’s in the second round of games.
Tremane held the edge for much of that game and led 2-9 to 0-7 after 41 minutes. However, a run of 2-5 without reply from St. Dominic’s saw them lead by three. However, Tremane struck the final trio of scores while they also missed two late chances to inch themselves in front.
Evan Murray’s threat at full-forward was pronounced on that occasion as he bagged 1-2. The Roscommon U-20 hurler has brought a different dimension to Tremane’s attack this year. Murray and John Brennan form a dangerous two-man full-forward line, given their ability to start centrally and time their runs out towards the flanks.
The return of Naos Connaughton was a huge boost for St. Dominic’s in their quarter-final win over Athleague. Connaughton spent time at wing-forward, but he was most effective on the edge of the square. He will likely be tracked by Joe Brennan, in what will be a pivotal match-up.
Mickey Joe Egan stood out with 1-9, that 1-6 from play, with Shane McAndrew set to play a key role in trying to curb the sharpshooter’s considerable influence.
Jack Lohan returned from his hand injury after that Tremane game, and he offers another puckout option, especially at corner-forward.
Tremane will have to contend with a five-week gap since their last championship game. Given that St. Dominic’s now enjoy a degree of momentum following their quarter-final win, they get a very hesitant nod to prevail.
