Relegation fears take centre stage in SFC 'B' quarter-finals
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FOR Rosenallis and The Heath, the priority this weekend is straightforward: win and put any lingering relegation worries to bed.
Neither club would have expected to find themselves in this position at the start of the championship, but one of them will be able to breathe a considerable sigh of relief after their meeting in Mountmellick.
The Heath have endured a particularly eventful campaign. They were well beaten by Portarlington in the opening round but produced the perfect response against Clonaslee St Manman’s, coming out on top by 3-13 to 2-13 in one of the most entertaining games of the championship so far.
They couldn’t build on that result in Round 3, however, as Stradbally defeated them 1-15 to 1-12.
Rosenallis have yet to taste victory. Ballyroan-Abbey beat them 0-19 to 1-9 in their opening game before Killeshin edged them out by 0-13 to 1-8 in the qualifier.
As is so often the case with Rosenallis at this time of year, football isn’t their only concern. Their dual players also have a Senior Hurling Championship quarter-final against Abbeyleix to prepare for next weekend, something The Heath don’t have to contend with.
That could be significant in a game where there appears to be very little separating the teams.
The Heath have at least shown they can find the scores when a game opens up, particularly in that win over Clonaslee St Manman’s, and that may ultimately prove the difference.
It might not be pretty, and neither side will care if it isn’t. Survival is the only thing that matters here, and I fancy The Heath to get the job done.
Arles Killeen and Clonaslee/St Manman’s find themselves in a similar situation when they meet in Ratheniska, with the winners securing their senior status and the losers left looking nervously over their shoulders.
Arles Killeen couldn’t have asked for much more from their opening game. They defeated Park/Ratheniska by 2-12 to 2-7 and looked to have given themselves a solid platform for the remainder of the championship.
Things have become considerably more difficult since.
Portlaoise handed them a heavy defeat in Round 2, before O’Dempsey’s comfortably accounted for them by 0-20 to 1-8 in their most recent outing.
Clonaslee/St Manman’s are still searching for their first win but their performances have perhaps been more encouraging than the results suggest.
They were beaten 2-17 to 0-15 by Portlaoise in the opening round before finding themselves on the wrong side of a remarkable contest against The Heath. Clonaslee scored 2-13 that day but conceded three goals and eventually lost by three points.
It leaves two teams who have both struggled against stronger opposition but who should view this as a very winnable game.
A lot could depend on the availability and fitness of Donie Kingston. A fully fit Kingston would obviously be a major boost to Arles-Killeen and could significantly alter the complexion of this contest.
Clonaslee/St Manman’s, meanwhile, have already endured relegation from the senior ranks in hurling this year and will be desperate to ensure their footballers don’t move another step closer to a similar fate.
Their performances against Portlaoise and The Heath suggest there is more in this Clonaslee team than their results have shown. In what looks like another tight contest, I think they may just have enough to come through it.
