John Horgan picks who'll win Sars against Barrs and Midleton v Blackrock
Conor Lehane, Midleton, drives past Gearoid O'Donovan, Newcestown, at Páirc Uí Rinn. Picture: Jim Coughlan.
The Premier Senior Hurling Championship has been on tour for the past number of months, venues around the county hosting all games of importance, very successfully it should be added, but now it's time to return to the big house by the river for the semi-finals and final.
And the potential is there for some cracking encounters, beginning with the collision of Midleton and the Rockies in one semi-final, followed by the Barrs and Sars in the other.
At the outset, it should be stated that the four best teams will grace SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh on Sunday. They'll be two contests that are not going to be easy to predict the winners of.
The championship is much changed now from what it used to be, much more difficult to win because the number of games that you have to play is higher than it was in the distant past.
In bygone times, you could end up with the trophy after having played no more than four games, now, however, you have three group games, a quarter-final, a semi-final and final to negotiate before that trophy is handed over.
Of course, if you are the team that goes straight through to the semi-final you have a game less to play but it is still a difficult journey to reach the promised land.
Despite losing a number of players, Imokilly were still the fancy of many to come out on top again but the Barrs played their best hurling of the campaign in making sure that was not going to happen.
In fact, in the three quarter-finals played the weekend before last, it could be said that Barrs were the most impressive both defensively and offensively and their overall display has catapulted them into a position of being a side coming good at the right time.
However, Sarsfields are probably still the favoured unit of many and a lot of that is based on their squad depth.
They were fully tested in Castletownroche by a Charleville side that took them all the way to the wire and asked plenty of questions of Johnny Crowley's side. And that was just what their management would have wanted, a thorough examination in a venue that they would not have been overly familiar with.
Mention of Kearney, what a servant he has been to this Sars set up, still a key individual, maybe not for the entire hour but for a lengthy spell with his vast experience and his ability to lead by example a key factor.
Conor O'Sullivan and Craig Leahy are still putting in the hard yards too giving the side a very important blend of experience and youth.
This is a team very much on a mission to make amends for last season's final loss to Imokilly.
The manner of their loss to the Rockies must have been disconcerting for the management but in defeating Kanturk and the champions Imokilly they have produced the necessary riposte.
The three Cahalanes, Damien, in particular, made a big contribution in Midleton last Sunday week as did Ethan Twomey, Ben Cunningham, Jack O'Kelly and John Wiggington-Barrett.
It was a team effort most of all and the example set by Damien Cahalane rubbed off on the others.
This, of course, will be their acid test, far more questions to be answered but they are side that now seem ready to be able to produce the necessary answers. The tendency is still to come down on the side of Sars but in saying that, without any great conviction.
The outcome between the Rockies and Midleton is probably a similar scenario, certainly not easy to make a call on either.
The Church Road men were on the outside looking on while the three quarter-finals were being played out.
They took the more direct route, going straight through to the last four with a superior points difference at the end of the group stage and that, of course, gave them a month of championship inactivity.
Some might suggest that could militate against them and that their opponents have the benefit of an extra hour's hurling.
In the past two seasons, the team that avoided the quarters proved that theory wrong and it should not be a problem for the Rockies either. They impressed in their group victories over the Barrs, Kanturk and Douglas and there is a fine blend to the side.
Gavin Connolly is a top keeper and in front of him John and Niall Cashman and Cathal Cormack form a solid backbone. Further up, Michael O'Halloran, Robbie Cotter and Alan Connolly will do damage if the supply into them is what it should be.
Tadhg Deasy is going to be a significant loss but this Rockies side have done all that has been required from them up to this point.
Midleton looked to be in difficulty after 40 minutes against the Glen in their quarter-final encounter, trailing by seven points and not going particularly well. But when it mattered most in the latter stages and with the desired impact off the bench, they responded impressively to edge out the Blackpool team.
Luke O'Farrell was one of those impact subs and the blend of youth and experience is beginning to pay dividends.
Cormac Beausang's brace of goals were huge scores and Conor Lehane's influence is as strong as it has ever been.
Tommy O'Connell has been very influential and Killian McDermott is hurling well too but what the management will be prioritising here is more consistency over the hour. They were very flat at times against Newcestown but got the draw in the end. Five points out of six in their group was not bad going.
In both games on Sunday, don't rule out having to go beyond the hour and the time is now upon us for all four teams to make a strong case that their time has come.
We have opted for a Sars win over the Barrs and we'll predict an equally narrow win for Midleton.
That, of course, would give us another all-East Cork decider but, at the same time, it would not be a surprise in any way if it is an all-city final, a southside one at that.
New Cork boss, Ben O'Connor, will be the keenest of observers in both games and for players hoping to give him something to think about, the time has arrived.
When you reach this juncture in the championship there should not be too much between any of the four teams remaining in the chase. And our thinking is that there isn't.
Maybe, and it's a big maybe, Sars and Midleton will be the final two still standing at around five o'clock on Sunday
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