Weekend Club Hurling Preview
September 22nd, 2011 by Kevin EganHurling action doesn’t get much better than knockout championship in Kilkenny and Tipperary, and the two leading lights of the national scene both have jam packed domestic schedules this weekend, with four quarter finals in the Premier county and three quarter finals and a first round replay in the land of the new All Ireland champions.
The draw between Dicksboro and Clara last week means that those two clubs have to do it all over again this Saturday at 2pm and just like last week, it’s impossible to pick a clear favourite here. The Boro will feel that they had every chance going in three points down at half time with a gale force wind to come, but some great battling hurling from Clara ensured another day out for both clubs.
Dicksboro looked slightly the classier team and even though narrow favouritism for Clara is justified, 8/11 is short and 6/5 Dicksboro would have some appeal to value seekers. Certainly 9/1 about a second draw between two very evenly match sides makes great sense.
Fenians’ win over Erins Own was the shock result of the first round, and a scoreline of 0-9 to 0-7 in a Kilkenny SHC match says it all about the quality of that game. The Johnstown club will be sure to battle to the end against St Martins this week, but even at 21/10 with Ladbrokes, we’re still going to pass. The wide open spaces of Nowlan Park mightn’t suit the older Fenians players and while we might be suggesting a speculative punt on the outsiders on a smaller club pitch, 2/5 is fair value about the favourites here.
Carrickshock did enough but very little more against Dunnamaggin in the first round and while they have a fine array of good hurlers in that club, it’s still asking a lot of them to turn over Ballyhale Shamrocks this week. At 7/1 we might be tempted – 7/2 is no value whatsoever about a team with at least six points to make up on form. Ballyhale should win well, and if there was a handicap bet available, we’d be suggesting they would cover. As it is, throw 1/5 into your multiple bets to boost the price.
James Stephens at 2/7 are another solid favourite that we simply couldn’t oppose. Graigue Ballycallan’s first round win over Tullaroan was a real banana skin fixture and the GBC men will be delighted to keep their championship hopes alive and take the threat of relegation off the table, but there’s a world between Tullaroan and the Village and that should be clearly illustrated this week.
At the end of the most complicated divisional and qualifier system in club hurling, the Tipperary senior hurling championship has a huge weekend in store also, with arguably the eight best teams in the county lined up to take part in the quarter finals in Semple Stadium.
The action begins with West champions Clonoulty/Rossmore taking on Nenagh Éire Óg, who are reported to be ravaged by injury coming into this tie. GAA injury reports are often best taken with a pinch of salt, particularly at club level where the jostling for non-favouritism can border on comic at times, but unless any of the readers of this column have the number of the Nenagh physio in their phone, trading them at 13/10 makes little or no sense.
Kevin Tucker, Hugh Flannery and Pearse Morris are all expected to miss this clash and if they do, it’s nigh on impossible to see Nenagh coming through against a very solid Clonoulty/Rossmore team. The big concern for Clonoulty/Rossmore is their long time without a competitive match – they won the West title on the 31st of July – but even so they get the nod for this one.
At 5pm Loughmore-Castleiney take on Thurles Sarsfields in a repeat of last year’s final, and they’ll fancy their chances of giving the Sars plenty to think about on their home field. Loughmore-Castleiney have six points to make up on last year’s form, but they’ll feel confident coming into this game as Mid Tipp champions, while Thurles Sarsfields are only now getting back into stride after an horrendous start to the year.
If this was a few weeks ago, we’d really like Loughmore’s chances at 11/4. As it is, the manner with which Thurles brushed aside Kildangan last weekend, even though they trailed by six points midway through, is ominous. The consensus within Tipperary is that an upset is possible here, but frankly, it certainly looks much less likely than the 11/4 price suggests, at least from our point of view.
The sole southern division representatives are Mullinahone, who have been nominated to represent the South in the absence of a champion. There isn’t enough room in cyberspace, never mind on StarBets.ie, to go through the ins and outs of South Tipperary politics, however the upshot of all this is that Mullinahone have come this far without really doing a whole lot this year. Eoin Kelly is a huge performer at this level but so too is Brendan Maher, and Ladbrokes could have got it right by making Borris-Ileigh the favourites here. Borris have injury concerns, but even so they could be the most well placed North board team to progress.
That’s not to say that we’re writing off Toomevara, but John O’Brien’s suspension is a huge blow and they face a really big test against quality opposition in Drom and Inch and so they could be the vulnerable odds on shot this weekend.
Toomevara came the closest of any club in Tipperary to knocking out Sarsfields last year, but Sars have never found it easy to overcome Toome in championship hurling and Pa Bourke’s late goal then deprived this column of a big priced win on that occasion. However Toome’s ability to run Sars very close doesn’t necessarily imply that they are the next best team in the county. They have plenty of talent certainly, and no shortage of fighting spirit, but Drom and Inch could be in for a big day this Sunday.
Seamus Callanan will have a huge say and will probably have to line out against Benny Dunne, and unless Dunne really outdoes himself, this could be a big day for Callanan and a big day for Drom and Inch. 7/4 is a great price, and by far the best outsider price of the weekend’s hurling.
Airtricity League Betting
September 9th, 2010 by Michael HughesSo my colleague Mark McCadden is sunning himself in Trinidad and probably Tobago as well. Well he’s going to miss the pivotal night of the Irish domestic season because unless St Patrick’s Athletic can find a chink in the Shamrock Rovers armour then the Airtricity League Premier Division title is off to Tallaght.
Pat’s host the Hoops at Richmond Park in what could be almost a home game if the reports of away ticket sales are right at around 1,500.
Pete Mahon’s men are second in the table, but seven points behind now with time running out.
They may be unbeaten in four games, but they have been unconvincing and will need to up their game plenty to take this one.
Rovers on the other hand are unbeaten in 16 league games, with their last defeat at Oriel Park in early May. Incidentally they go to that same venue on Monday.
However, we like to back on instinct and we think that Pat’s are capable of raising their game for a one-off game and at 17-10 with Boylesports and Paddy Power they are worth a bet.
The draw is a general 11-5 while there will be plenty of interest in Rovers at a generous 8-5 with Ladbrokes and Coral, but we’ll give Pat’s a vote to keep the title race alive.
Bohemians are also seven points behind Rovers and they host UCD tonight knowing that they are in win-or-bust territory if they want to retain their title.
UCD are an awkward team having taken points off all the top three this season despite being third from bottom.
Bohs should be too strong, but they are unreliable these days and we’re taking a draw in this one.
The stalemate is 7-2 with Betfred, Ladbrokes and William Hill, UCD are 9-1 with Ladbrokes, while Pat Fenlon’s men are a best of 2-5 with Skybet, sportingbet and bwin.com.
There is a vital Louth derby at Hunky Dorys Park where Drogheda, looking to avoid bottom spot host Dundalk, who are trying to stay out of the play-offs.
Dundalk have not won in the league since they beat Drogheda on June 5, but we can’t see past a home win here.
Drogheda are 13-8 with Paddy Power, while Dundalk are the same price with Stan James and the draw is a widely available 11-5.
Also in the Premier Division, we take Bray to beat Galway 7-4 with bwin.com and in the battle of the cup specialists, a draw is the tip at 9-4 with Skybet and Coral as Sligo host Sporting Fingal.
In the First Division, Monaghan can keep up the pressure on Derry City at the top of the by winning at Wexford Youths this evening and at 11-13 with bwin.com they should be snapped up.
Derry themselves are at home to Athlone in a game we expect them to win at 2-7 with Betfred and Ladbrokes.
In the other games, Cork are taken to beat Mervue 2-9 with Stan James and William Hill. We’ll also have a small bet on 3-1 (14-1, Stan James) and 4-1 (16-1, Paddy Power) on the correct score market.
Finally Limerick FC can win at Finn Harps at a general and generous evens.
Newtown better than we expected, but not good enough
February 12th, 2010 by Kevin EganAmidst plenty of national football league action this weekend, hurling purists will find sanctuary on Tom Semple’s field in Thurles, where the All Ireland club hurling semi final between Ballyhale Shamrocks and Newtownshandrum is down for decision this Sunday. Earlier this year, most analysts felt that this year’s club championship was simply a procession towards the inevitable final clash between Portumna and Ballyhale, but the extremely good form of Newtownshandrum in the Munster hurling championship has thrown something of a spanner into the works.
Shamrocks can hit a double figure win, even on away turf
November 26th, 2009 by Kevin EganBarring any draws this weekend, the last hurling action of 2009 will take place on Sunday afternoon, with the Leinster and Munster club finals both down for decision. The Munster decider takes place in the familiar surroundings of Semple Stadium, with Newtownshandrum having had the better form so far and also the experience of playing in Tom Semple’s field against Thurles Sarsfields already in this campaign. Right now, they probably represent very fair 2/7 shots.
Ballygunner are a very solid all round club and this writer certainly can’t remember the last time that the Gunners would have been 11/4 to win a championship hurling match, however that is the case with the odds makers this week, and despite the Waterford men having unearthed several good young players this year, the bookies’ assessment of this decider seems spot on.