Cork Camogie Championship: Fancied Sarsfields and St Catherine's under pressure to qualify
St Catherine's Eimear O’Brien shoots against Killeagh. Picture: Chani Anderson
As final round games take place this week in the SE Systems Cork Senior Camogie Championship it is still all to play for across the three groups.
This year’s championship is one of the closest in some time with several of the fancied sides to win the title on the edge of being knocked out.
Clubs like Sarsfields and St Catherine’s would have been talked of as potential winners, but both know anything less than a win in their final games this week would see them exit the championship.
Even at that it may still not be enough for one of them to qualify for the quarter-finals.
The other two sides in Group A are Aghabullogue and Killeagh and as it currently stands only the former is guaranteed a place in the knockout stages.
Aghabullogue got their campaign off to a winning start against Killeagh and then followed it up with a huge win over Sarsfields to secure their place in the quarter-finals.
Killeagh lost out to Aghabullogue in their first game, but stormed back from six points down to get the better of St Catherine’s in their second tie.
Catherine’s and Sarsfields drew and with both losing their second round ties, sit bottom of the table on a point each.
Killeagh have three and Aghabullogue are on six. The final games in this group see Catherine’s take on Aghabullogue and Sars facing Killeagh.
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If Aghabullogue and Killeagh win they will go through and two of the big sides would be gone. Sars and Catherine’s wins would then go down to scores conceded to see who would take second place in the group.
In Group B St Finbarr’s are also into the quarter-finals as Éire Óg and Cloughduv face off in a potential winner-takes-all tie. The Barrs are on six points, with both Éire Óg and Cloughduv on three and Glen Rovers yet to get off the mark.
The Glen face the Barrs in their final group game on Thursday night and on current form, it is hard to see anything but a win for the Togher side.
But the Glen are more than capable of causing an upset so the Barrs won’t be taking their challenge lightly.
Whoever wins between the other two will join the Barrs in the knockout stages and the loser will be hoping they have done enough to take a spot as well as one of the best of the third-placed teams.
In Group C Courcey Rovers are also through as Ballincollig and Blackrock are face off in a winner-takes-all game.
Courceys are on six points, with the Village and the Rockies both on three. So like Group B the winners of Ballincollig v Blackrock will qualify for the quarter-finals.
For the quarter-final draw there will be two pots and this is one of the reasons why the three teams who are already through won’t be taking their final game lightly.
The three group winners, along with the best second-placed team across the groups will be seeded and in pot one and will avoid each other in the quarter-finals.
The other two second-placed sides, along with the two best placed of the teams who finished in third spot, will be in pot two.
The draw will be made after games finish on Saturday. The quarter-finals are scheduled for Saturday, September 12, but that is subject to change.
St Finbarr’s v Glen Rovers, Castle Road. Éire Óg v Cloughduv, Laochra Óg.
St Catherine’s v Aghabullogue, Castle Road. Killeagh v Sarsfields, Ballinacurra.
Ballinora v Courcey Rovers, Castle Road, 2pm. Blackrock v Ballincollig, Ballinaboy, 5pm.
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