Mediaboss Marketing

St. Canices Credit Union Senior Hurling Championship Quarter-Final Mullinavat vs OLoughlin Gaels Saturday, 4pm, Pirc na Seamrg

In a league campaign that was full of surprise results across both groups, surely Mullinavats second round defeat of OLoughlin Gaels was the one that caught the attention of most.

That victory seemingly came out of nowhere. Mullinavat had been easily disposed of by Clara in their opening fixture while OLoughlin Gaels eventually got the better of a battling Graigue Ballycallan side to get off to the perfect start.

The second round meeting between the two teams looked almost certain to be the last between these two proud clubs not just for this year, but possibly for a prolonged period with Mullinavat amongst the early favourites to be fighting relegation at the latter stages of the championship.

That did not come to fruition, however, as the southern club pulled off a shock result with their 1-19 to 2-13 defeat of Saturdays opponents.

That has made this weekends encounter all the more interesting. Was that result merely a fluke that wont be repeated? Or are Mullinavat genuine contenders to become county champions as their recent performances against Erins Own and James Stephens may suggest?

Mullinavats league campaign was nothing short of superb. They responded to that defeat to Clara with victories against OLoughlin Gaels and Erins Own in a crunch tie. That left them in second place and in a Shield Final. Despite a nine-point defeat to James Stephens in the decider, they are in a very healthy place coming into their first knockout game of the season.

Forwards such as Willie ODwyer and John Walsh have proven their worth and were key figures as Adrian Burkes side bounced back from that heavy loss to Clara. More than most they have led the renaissance and along with the other forwards pose a threat that OLoughlins know only too well.

Question marks still surround their defence. While it has improved since the opening game where they conceded 1-26 (29), both Erins Own (2-16) and James Stephens (2-21) have scored over 20 points with relative ease while OLoughlins managed 2-13 in the league clash.

That sloppiness may be a cause for concern for Burke, especially if a backlash of sorts comes during the early stages of the quarter-final.

Should they manage to survive an early onslaught, Mullinavat will have a platform to go on and prove once more that they are here on merit, not due to luck.

No team is in a more uncertain position than OLoughlin Gaels coming into the quarter-finals. Despite hard-fought victories against Graigue Ballycallan and Dicksboro either side of that defeat to Mullinavat in the league, and a first round championship win over Rower-Inistioge, that single defeat lingers and is something that they have not been able to shrug off.

Their performances with the exception of last weeks cruise against Rower-Inistioge, have been patchy. A late goal saw them over the line in their opening round clash with Ballycallan while they were behind until the final quarter against Dicksboro. On top of that, the 2016 champions were downright poor against Mullinavat.

However, whether it is a clich or not, this is championship. And judging by last weekends result (3-25 0-20), its fair to say that Andy Comerfords men may be peaking at the right time.

They have firepower that on paper few can equal, including Mullinavat. Jack Nolan, who scored two goals against Dicksboro, the evergreen Mark Begin, Eoin OShea and Owen Wall offer the perfect blend of youthful exuberance and experience.

Young or old, they have a whole host of quality players. If they can put it all together from 1 to 15 and utilise their bench, they should have enough to gain revenge for their league defeat.

But thats far from a guarantee. The confidence and togetherness amongst a Mullinavat panel who have serious momentum behind them may well give them an edge for what will almost certainly be a tight encounter.

Verdict: Mullinavat victory

The rest is here:
O'Loughlin Gaels vs Mullinavat preview: A repeat of the league encounter or will the town side gain revenge for that defeat? - Scoreline.ie