Cratloe vs St Joseph's Doora/Barefield
Ten weeks after their first round victory at the expense of Tubber on June 8th, Cratloe’s Senior Hurlers will take to the field for Round Two of the championship this coming Friday night in Shannon.
The opposition are the much decorated St Josephs Doora Barefield side. A big ask for a more inexperienced Cratloe side but one which they will have to answer if they are to proove themselves worthy of a spot in the business end of this years championship.
Friday night throws the opportunity to Cratloe to record a win against one of the ‘big five’ in the County Championship, namely one of the outfits which both tradition and the local scribes tip for the shake up for the Canon Hamilton at the season’s end. Clarecastle, Sixmilebridge, Wolfe Tones, Kilmaley and Josephs have all been defeated by Cratloe in Clare Cup competition in the last two years but lets call a spade a spade. Anytime it came to the crunch we have failed to emerge from the pack in championship hurling – Clarecastle 2006, Kilmaley 2007.
If this years form is anything to go by, Josephs are another of those teams who have been gearing for Championship. Their visit to Cratloe in the league this year had no one in attendance fearful of Friday’s pending fixture after a game Cratloe won convincingly. On Friday last however, the same Joseph’s outfit blew Sixmilebridge away on a less than flattering 1-18 to 1-11 scoreline and threw their name forth not onl to emerge from the group but to be somewhere in the reckoning in early October.
Cratloe’s form on the other hand has been inconsistent since the sides last met. A disappointing exit from the Clare Cup race on the last round against Clooney three weeks ago posed question marks. But Cratloe don’t turn into a poor side in the space of a month and need to convince themselves that just because the fixture is not in the Clare Cup it does not mean that the Blues arent capable of repeating a win.
This summers weather may not have suited Cratloe’s style but the surface in Wolfe Tones in excellent and will offer no excuse.
St Josephs have a mix of experienced hurlers with All Ireland club medals such as Seanie McMahon, Noel Brody and Ken Kennedy as well as pacey attackers like Damien Kennedy, Greg Lyons and Michael McNamara who all too have worn county colours.
A hard one to call, which maybe is a credit in itself of how Cratloe have progressed, but this side know that ‘best of the rest’ is no good this year.
Thursdays Clare Champion will have confirmation of time and venue.
Ar Aghaidh Linn
Ten weeks after their first round victory at the expense of Tubber on June 8th, Cratloe’s Senior Hurlers will take to the field for Round Two of the championship this coming Friday night in Shannon.
The opposition are the much decorated St Josephs Doora Barefield side. A big ask for a more inexperienced Cratloe side but one which they will have to answer if they are to proove themselves worthy of a spot in the business end of this years championship.
Friday night throws the opportunity to Cratloe to record a win against one of the ‘big five’ in the County Championship, namely one of the outfits which both tradition and the local scribes tip for the shake up for the Canon Hamilton at the season’s end. Clarecastle, Sixmilebridge, Wolfe Tones, Kilmaley and Josephs have all been defeated by Cratloe in Clare Cup competition in the last two years but lets call a spade a spade. Anytime it came to the crunch we have failed to emerge from the pack in championship hurling – Clarecastle 2006, Kilmaley 2007.
If this years form is anything to go by, Josephs are another of those teams who have been gearing for Championship. Their visit to Cratloe in the league this year had no one in attendance fearful of Friday’s pending fixture after a game Cratloe won convincingly. On Friday last however, the same Joseph’s outfit blew Sixmilebridge away on a less than flattering 1-18 to 1-11 scoreline and threw their name forth not onl to emerge from the group but to be somewhere in the reckoning in early October.
Cratloe’s form on the other hand has been inconsistent since the sides last met. A disappointing exit from the Clare Cup race on the last round against Clooney three weeks ago posed question marks. But Cratloe don’t turn into a poor side in the space of a month and need to convince themselves that just because the fixture is not in the Clare Cup it does not mean that the Blues arent capable of repeating a win.
This summers weather may not have suited Cratloe’s style but the surface in Wolfe Tones in excellent and will offer no excuse.
St Josephs have a mix of experienced hurlers with All Ireland club medals such as Seanie McMahon, Noel Brody and Ken Kennedy as well as pacey attackers like Damien Kennedy, Greg Lyons and Michael McNamara who all too have worn county colours.
A hard one to call, which maybe is a credit in itself of how Cratloe have progressed, but this side know that ‘best of the rest’ is no good this year.
Thursdays Clare Champion will have confirmation of time and venue.
Ar Aghaidh Linn
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