Premier SHC permutations: Two knockout places up for grabs with five clubs in the mix

Having made history last year, Glen Rovers have added more achievements in the current Co-op SuperStores Premier SHC campaign.

These feats are not anything to be added to the considerable honours board in the clubhouse at the Glen Field, but they are still worthy of note here.

Last October, the northsiders became the first team since the introduction of the championship format in 2020 to follow a relegation with immediate promotion back to whence they came. It was of course a demotion that shocked many and owed as much, if not more, to complacency as a lack of quality and it is that which informs the second part of them going against the statistical norm.

Since 2021, when Charleville came up from senior A to premier senior, no promoted side had won their first match – the secured by Fr O’Neill’s against Charleville in 2023 the only exception, with Kanturk in 2022 and Newcestown last year falling to opening defeats.

The Glen’s impressive Group 1 win over Erin’s Own brought that run to an end and they followed that with victory over O’Neill’s last time out – it may be a while before a team just up in premier senior manages to win their first two encounters.

With Sarsfields having also beaten Erin’s Own and Fr O’Neill’s, Sunday’s clash in Páirc Uí Rinn between the sides – the four premier SHC games begin at 4pm – will be to decide who comes first and second, with the winners possibly availing of the one automatic semi-final spot.

By contrast, the O’Neill’s-Erin’s Own game in Killeagh carries importance in that winning would avoid having to contest the relegation play-off, but qualification hopes are gone for both sides.

That is the only one of the three groups to be fully cut and dried, but Charleville in Group 2 and Blackrock in Group 3 have already punched their knockout tickets.

NO GUARANTEES

Charleville are not yet guaranteed top spot – a win for Midleton against the north Cork side in Castletownroche would send the Magpies through in first place, but if Charleville were to make it three from three, it would open up the possibility of Newcestown qualifying if they beat Newtownshandrum in Blarney by enough to turn the scoring-difference tables. 

Equally, Newtown will be looking to win to escape the relegation play-off.

Group 3 is slightly different to Group 2 in that Blackrock’s status as group winners cannot be shaken, though they have the incentive to beat Douglas in Ballyanly as they target the semi-final place.

For Douglas to qualify in second, they would need to win and also hope that Kanturk beat St Finbarr’s in Mourneabbey – by not by too much, as Douglas have a four-point deficit to make up in the scoring-difference stakes.

Otherwise, second place will go to the winners at the home of Clyda Rovers, with a draw sufficient for the Barrs as they have two points and head-to-head advantage over Douglas if they were to win and get to three.