Castletown on course for final while Camross face tough test
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THE spotlight switches to Laois Hire O'Moore Park this evening where two Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship semi-finals will decide who advances to county final day.
Castletown, relegated from the senior ranks last year, continue to look like the team to beat, while Camross have also impressed throughout the campaign. Standing in their way are Colt-Shanahoe and Clough-Ballacolla respectively, both of whom arrive with momentum after quarter-final victories.
Few sides have looked as convincing as Castletown throughout this year's championship.
Relegated from the senior grade last season, they have responded in emphatic fashion, winning all three group games and doing so with considerable authority. Heavy victories over Rathdowney/Errill and Clough/Ballacolla demonstrated their attacking strength, while a comprehensive 13-point success against Colt-Shanahoe offered a reminder of the gap that existed between the sides earlier in the campaign.
That perfect record secured direct passage to the semi-finals and reinforced the feeling that Castletown are the team everyone else must catch.
Colt-Shanahoe have taken a far more dramatic route to the last four. Defeats to Clough/Ballacolla and Castletown left their championship hanging in the balance before they delivered in a must-win clash with Rathdowney/Errill to secure qualification.
They carried that momentum into the quarter-final, producing an impressive display to overcome reigning Intermediate champions Clonad and book their place in the semi-final.
While that victory will have boosted confidence, overturning the form book against a Castletown team will take a lot of effort.
The second semi-final promises to be a much tighter affair as two second teams lock horns under the lights in Portlaoise.
Camross have quietly put together one of the most impressive records in the championship. Three wins from three saw them finish comfortably clear at the top of Group A, while a healthy scoring difference highlighted both their consistency and efficiency.
The reward for that excellent form was a direct route to the semi-finals and several weeks to prepare for this encounter.
Clough-Ballacolla, meanwhile, arrive battle-tested after negotiating a difficult path through the competition. They opened with victories over Colt-Shanahoe and Rathdowney/Errill before suffering a heavy loss to Castletown in their final group game.
Rather than allowing that setback to derail their campaign, they regrouped impressively and produced one of their best performances of the season to defeat Mountmellick in the quarter-final.
Players such as Kevin Hyland, Padraig Brennan and CJ Brennan were influential throughout that victory and will need to be at their best again if Clough/Ballacolla are to reach the decider.
Camross have had a lengthy lay-off, but their group-stage displays suggested a side full of confidence and quality. If they can rediscover that level, they may have just enough to edge what should be a competitive and entertaining contest.
