20 points to 9 now after 45. May escape to the Ragg
FBD Insurance County Senior Hurling Championship Quarter Final
Drom & Inch 1:12 (15)
Thurles Sarsfields 0:24 (24)
Thurles Sarsfields win by 9 points
Full Time
FBD Insurance County Senior Hurling Championship Semi-Finals
Kiladangan v Toomevara
Thurles Sarsfields v Loughmore Castleiney
North v Mid final
Toom have a bit of momentum built up.
Sars - Toom final
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A chastening experience for players and supporters alike. From the throw in Sars were more up for it, had higher workrate and physically blew Drom out of the water in terms of pace and strength. They won by 10 and in truth it could have been twice that amount.
Hard to see where Drom go from here; if they get a tough group next year they could easily end up in the relegation mire; easily the worst of the four teams that played today.
From a Sars perspective, they are timing their run nicely. Unlike Sars teams of the past, there is a lack of star power but the workrate and discipline is something you would rarely see from a townie team such as them.
Paudie has them flying my sources say. Theyâll fancy a crack at the Taliban.
Who were the standout players today?
On paper, Kiladangan should win that semi but Toome have always had enough pig ignorance about them to bate anybody in a county semi.
Kiladangan should beat Toome a point a man if itâs in the stadium.
Clonoulty missed two goal chances in the first half to finish Toome off, they missed, Toome got a few soft frees and scores before HT and were only three down.
Michael Ryan Winnie was the best player on the field with 0-6 from play for Clonoulty who will be sickened to lose to an average Toome team.
Sars were excellent against Drom who were well below par. They could have won by another 10 if it wasnât for some wayward shooting in the second half when the game was over.
Loads of good players in Drom but hard to figure out their knockout form in recent years where they have pulled a number of stinkers like today.
Senior Relegation draw is Clonoulty v JKB and Church v Kilruane. As strong a relegation semi finals as I can remember.
Tim Floyd managed Newport managed to lose to Moyne today and face Portroe in the relegation final at premier intermediate. No draws for the semis as Lorrha v Clonakenny was postponed.
Sars B, Killenaule and Cashel into the semis.
Intermediate semis are:
Moneygall v Boherlahen
Golden v Kilsheelan
Kilsheelan likely to be into another final. Other game is 50/50.
Church B v Kiladangan B in relegation final.
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A friend was at it and said Gearoid O Connor was head and shoulders above everyone else there. We were well out of it.
Heâs a class club player but was injured when they played Maryâs. Newport gone back from a team that nearly got up senior not so long ago. Portroe will be booking flights for two weeks time.
Drom were disappointing today. Pretty much every player who started and the subs who came on have played Championship for Tipperary at Minor/U20/U21/Senior at some point in the last 10 years. Obviously most of the Sars lads have too but there was a huge gulf in speed and skill.
Sars workrate was also very good but it wasnt a good sign for Drom when Denis and Stephen Maher were able to come up the field to score points in the first half. Steven Cahill was excellent for them too.
Callanan tried to bring the fight but Collins and Springer struggled to get into it and the younger brigade werenât really up to much.
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Well he usually is as he is about 6â6"
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Thatâs fair enough. Hurling wise as well today it seemed.
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Well you were saying the other day that the younger lads are nowhere near as popular as the older players and you got your reasons for that in black and white yesterday.
Older lads will do well in group fare when the game is more open and their experience will count for a lot. However the lack of pace yesterday for both Johnny Ryan and David Collins really told. Callanan did his best and was probably the only Drom forward to win his duel.
Not one of the much vaunted younger lads took the game to Sars, other than Fintan Purcell who I thought did OK; now, maybe they werenât allowed to hurl but they have to come of age at some stage and it doesnât seem to be happening. The Campions are pretend hard men; 3 of them must have given away 8 or 9 frees between them yesterday.
The problem is is there is nobody in the late 20s/early 30s bracket of a standard other than passable. There is a lack of competition for places as well. Some players have been woefully out of form all year but there is no replacement to come in. The second team was hammered by Golden on Saturday so not as if any of them are pushing for a start.
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Tony Cahill was starting for the Tipp U20âs this year and couldnât start for Drom so there is depth but maybe not what it was - I was surprised at the Intermediates result.
The talent is still in Drom or at least it should be - Minor A County Champions in 2019, the Tommy Nolan generation who dominated underage are only 26 or so. But there seems a lack of chemistry in how they play or at least how they played yesterday.
It was nice still to see Springer get a quiet applause going off despite not having one of his better games.
Tony Cahill is a strange one alright but he has done nothing at Senior club level when given starts to justify his place on the team. It is probably living proof of your theory that the youngsters coming through just arenât up to scratch.
Springerâs game at this stage depends on others winning the ball and getting into space to receive a pass. If he was playing for Loughmore heâd still thrive but with Drom if the others arenât getting possession and picking him out with passes in space he is nullified totally.
The talent is there but there are too many, as the uncle calls them, âball wall hurlersâ. Nice lads and skillful but you need a bit more to get by the likes of Sars in knockout hurling. Management have questions to answer too. Stevie Nolan on Billy McCarthy? Not detailing someone to man mark Ronan Maher in the first half especially. Allowing Sars to take short puckouts.
How did Billy go yesterday?
Only a point I think but I though the decision to have your smallest defender marking their tallest forward and primary puck out option was baffling
Yes Iâm probably being totally vindicated on the young hurler issue. County Under 20âs not starting for their club team is a new one really and even a County Senior Panelist like Creedon couldnât get a game for Sars.
The best player on show yesterday was Steven Cahill who was winning MOTM awards in County Finals for fun 8 or 9 years ago. Sars for all their hurlers have a 40 year old in goals and the entire full back line north of 30 (who are all excellent by the way).
Toome have 4 or 5 lads playing Senior this year who were Junior A the past few years and they are now in a County Semi Final which probably isnât a good sign for Tipp Hurling.
Very little for Liam Cahill to take away from the weekend truth be told.