Premier IHC: Carrigaline and Ballincollig meet in rematch of last year's semi-final

So tightly packed is the Co-op SuperStores Premier IHC that it has almost become commonplace for a team on four points to take an automatic semi-final spot while one with two points ends in the relegation play-off.

It’s a scenario that has played out once again this year – while Dungourney took the first seeding with three wins from three and a maximum six points, the other two group-toppers had two wins and a loss.

Ballinhassig’s scoring difference of +3 is sufficient for them to take the semi-final ticket – the other group winners, Cloyne, had a negative tally and so they must negotiate this weekend’s semi-final action.

A clash with Valley Rovers awaits the east Cork outfit, with Cobh the venue tomorrow afternoon at 4pm. Valleys’ spent much of last Sunday week fearing being dragged into the relegation game as they trailed Mallow and Lisgoold led Dungourney, but a late surge gave the Innishannon side victory and second place.

However, they must try to manage without the influential Chris O’Leary, who was forced off in the first half of last week’s Premier SFC football loss to Mallow. The former Cork and Dublin hurler has been instrumental for them since his return to Leeside.

Riverstick is the venue at 3pm on Sunday for the other quarter-final, which is a repeat of one of last year’s semi-finals. On that occasion, nine points from Brian Kelleher and 1-3 by Rhys McCarthy helped Carrigaline past Ballincollig and into the final, where they lost out to Watergrasshill.

Both teams come into the game on the back of victories in what were winner-take-all final group games, with Ballincollig impressive as they saw off Castlemartyr while Carrigaline got the better of divisional rivals Ballymartle.

The total of 5-64 scored by Ballincollig across the three group games was only bettered by Dungourney, who managed 6-63, and apart from the four goals conceded against Ballinhassig, the mid-Cork side have looked good in seeing off Kilworth and then Castlemartyr in what were must-wins. Carrigaline will wait on the fitness of Cork footballer Brian O’Driscoll.

The semi-final pairings are contingent on how the quarter-finals go: if Carrigaline win, then they will face Ballinhassig but, should Ballincollig prevail, then they would do battle with Dungourney as they could not face Ballinhassig again before the final.

Last year, the relegation play-off featured two of the six teams that had finished on two points each. While things are not as severe this time around, it would have been a similar scenario had Mallow managed to hold on against Valley Rovers.

Instead, as the only side to fail to pick up any points, last year’s semi-finalists must battle to preserve their status against a team that reached the last four in both 2022 and 2023, Castlemartyr, with Éire Óg – the other fourth-placed team – saved thanks to a better scoring-difference.

The final nobody ever wants to be in takes place in Glanworth at 4pm.