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« on: September 23, 2017, 10:59:03 PM »
Ok, big day of hurling tomorrow. In both games, all known form and results to date point to an obvious winner. Will it pan out that way?
Senior Final
Camross are what they are, a combination that adds up to more than the sum of their parts is the general consensus. But that would not be giving them the credit they deserve. From 1-15, and beyond, they have hurlers. Most of them laden down with medals from underage right up to Senior. All of them can hurl. All of them work hard and all of them always seem to know what is expected of them each time they are on the ball. They are the best prepared club team I have ever seen in Laois.
It is the small things. Watch their defence tomorrow. 2 of them are expected to use physicality and mop up ball, before handing it off, another two are expected to hurl slightly loose, trusted to read the game and act as outlets for the two above. Gearoid Burke commands the centre and performs all sorts of roles. Joe Phelan is almost a "utility player" and will hurl at corner back, full back and possibly wing back tomorrow.
There is no luck attached to the wins they have had over the past 5 years. They are ferocious, and more importantly, methodical.
They deserve the breaks they get.
Both midfielders were excellent the last day. Again, playing to a very defined role. One whose job it was to win possession, carry through tackles and lay it off. The other played a "trequartista" role- "do as you please, but do it well!". That man needs no introduction.
They have a scoring threat as I outlined before the semi final (scroll up!). Palmer is a "new" addition to this scoring threat. Lively and skillful. Takes serious watching.
Clough Ballacolla are a bit of an enigma. No team that loses by 21 points mid season should get within an asses roar of a county final, let alone win one. Never mind a team who manages to lose twice by that margin. They should be a write off. They were always going to hurl well against Rathdowney Errill, but that doesn't mean they shouldn't get the credit they deserve for doing so.
They were always going to beat Abbeyleix, but again they went and did it.
I would have concerns over the mobility of 2 of their starting 6 backs and also another they may need to bring on in defence. From midfield up mobility isn't an issue. What Hanlon and Coonan no longer have in speed they cover for with cleverness.
I think Tom Delaney should be on the half back line. This would make Clough Ballacolla a much stronger unit as far as I am concerned.
The two losses will act as serious motivators for Clough Ballacolla, as will the sight of the finish line looming in the horizon for many that take the field tomorrow- There are 5/6 guys starting tomorrow who you would be hard pressed to GUARANTEE another final appearance to (by my reckoning only Damien Keenan fits that bill for Camross). The aforementioned mobility at the back could be exposed tomorrow.
Midfield will hold their own.
Up front Ballacolla have scorers. I tipped Ballacolla to win in 2015 (here or on laoistalk) because of their greater spread of potential scorers. They don't necessarily have an advantage over Camross in this department anymore, but they still have scorers.
Like the semi final I can see Hyland delivering big time tomorrow. Cometh the hour, cometh the man. The brief sojourn at centre back may have inadvertently helped strum up a freshness and desire for hurling on the half forward line. Him keeping Gearoid Burke busy could open up gaps elsewhere for tap over points. Burke does a huge amount of covering across the back line.
Doran v Hanlon
Phelan, Phelan & Burke v Delaney, Maher & Doyle
McEvoy, Cleere & Broderick v Keenan, Dooley & Burke
Keenan & Duggan v Delaney & Corby.
Collier, Collier & Delaney v Hyland, Phelan & Coonan
Palmer, Dowling & Holmes v Dunphy, Bergin & Hanlon
It should be Camross. But when you look at the possible lines above. Neither team stands out as particularly superior to the other.
It may come down to decisions made on the line.
When I look at Camross on the line I see decisiveness, aggression and methodical planning. A dictatorship at times too!
When I look at Clough Ballacolla I don't see the above. There is often an air of "too many chiefs......".
There is another aspect to this. The idea that "Camross always hurl in finals". Not true. They were terrible in '14, not hectic in '15 and even when they won in '13, Borris Kilcotton froze on the day. I am not buying that "Camross hurl in finals". I also don't agree with Merman's comment above that nothing short of a championship win would have been deemed acceptable out of this year. They are not that outstanding. I don't believe Camross people think they are either.
I am finding it tough to call this. I think Clough Ballacolla will take it right to the wire. Will they cross the line?
To contradict alot of what I said above, yes, I think they will. Clough Ballacolla to take it by about 5 points in a mild surprise.
SENIOR 'A' FINAL
I am not going to go into the detail I did above, but Ballyfin Gaels are favourites, and will win this as far as I am concerned. They are a year and a half on the go and have performed in every single championship match they have played. That has included games vs The Harps, Rosenallis and Castletown. Despite how the semi final result panned out, I rate all three of those above Colt Gaels.
Ballyfin were very close to winning this final last year. To come back this year and beat a team like The Harps in such a methodical way in the semi final is testament to both their ability and to the clever way they set up. They will play a sweeper, two if you want them to. They will soak up pressure and carry the ball out.
Finn, Hartnett, Lowry, Bermingham, Dunphy and Lyons will all score form play. Colt Gaels won't match this.
U17 Final
Three points of importance here.
1) Castletown Slieve Bloom have a large number of the team that lost to Camross in the minor final available to play at this age grade.
2) Underage hurling in Camross will have received a huge boost with the minor win. The lads that played in that final will be full of confidence tomorrow.
3) Camross "Gaels" must be a huge area to pick from? Difficult to know how much stronger Mountmellick, Ballyfin and Emo will make them.
A bit of a shot in the dark, but I will go with Castletown Slieve Bloom to be hurt enough from the minor final to take a win here.
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