John Horgan picks the winners of Midleton v Glen Rovers and St Finbarr's against Kanturk

It's a huge weekend for hurling followers across the city and county, it's time now for the clubs that remain in contention for honours to stand up and be counted.

In a semi-final all that matters is not what type of performance you produce, getting through to the big county final day is the first and foremost priority.

In the five grades of hurling in the county championship we have 10 semi-finals on the menu, the Premier senior championship taking precedence over all the rest.

Every competition is, of course, of equal importance, but the one that generates most conversation is the premier senior grade.

The only certainty where that competition is concerned is that new champions will be unveiled on the final day after the elimination of holders Sarsfields from the equation.

Their loss to Kanturk might have surprised some but that should not have been the case because they had already signalled their intent by hammering Blackrock at the group stage.

Their starting team contains a strong mix of experience and youth plus a physical presence throughout the field, their credentials already proven. They are worthy of the opportunity to face St Finbarr's with a first final appearance the prize on offer for them.

It's very much a game of the old order taking on a club who have risen up through the ranks and hard work being rewarded.

Having eliminated the Rockies and Sars has to fill them with confidence going up against a side who were champions four years ago, the bulk of that team still in place.

They did not look very impressive in their opening group-stage loss to Midleton but they got their business done by defeating Bride Rovers and drawing with Newcstown. Their recovery continued when easily seeing off Imokilly in the quarter-final and they are exactly where they set out to be at the outset.

They will be aware of the scoring potential in the Kanturk attack where Brian O'Sullivan, Alan and Colin Walsh will nail scores with the right type of service.

The Barrs are no slouches in atack either with Brian Hayes, William Buckley and Ben Cunningham leading figures in that department. Conor Cahalane has been figuring prominently too with Sam Cunningham doing well when needed.

Given their higher profile, players with county medals already secured and their response since losing their opener, the Barrs are probably slight favourites. But the great likelihood is that this examination from a side high on confidence is going to test them right through.

With what's transpired already it will be no great surprise if Kanturk reach their first senior final. But when pushed to make a call the Barrs might just shade it.

Fine lines

The other semi-final is equally difficult to make a judgement on with not too much if anything at all dividing the Glen and Midleton.

Just the bare minimum sorted it out between them in last season's quarter-final, Midleton getting the verdict by a point. They subsequently lost the final to Sars and secured full points this time in the group stage which probably has them carrying the fancied tag here.

Similar to the Barrs, the Glen lost their opening game to the Rockies at the group stage but they have reinvented themselves well, eliminating a Charleville side that had already beaten Sars earlier in the campaign in the quarter-final.

The significance of that victory in Mallow has to be emphasised with their inside line of Simon Kennefick, Patrick Horgan and Eoin O'Leary causing endless problems for the Charleville defence. Horgan's contribution of 1-12 illustrated the influence that he has in any game that he plays.

No point in talking about the Cork situation again, only to say that his departure was too premature.

The Downey brothers, Micheál Mullins, Brian Moylan and Dean Brosnan provide a very experienced dimension to the side and they appear to be hitting form at the right time.

Midleton were fully tested by Newcestown and Bride Rovers at the group stage and their winning run has catapulted into this semi-final.

They have been championship inactive for a month, maybe not an ideal situation but they are more than capable of coping with that.

Conor Lehane continues to be a huge presence in attack while Paul Connaughton is having one of his best seasons in the colours.

The acquisition of Killian McDermott from Clare has further bolstered the team in the middle while Tommy O'Connell, Ciarmhac Smyth and Cormac Walsh are a solid defensive backbone.

We are hoping for two intriguing semi-finals but this one might contain the greater potential.

Midleton are more fancied, not by much and any Glen team is never going to be overcome by much.

Without the slightest bit of conviction, we'll opt for a Barrs v Glen final but it could just as easily be a Kanturk-Midleton decider.

On a roll

The two Senior A semi-finals are equally fascinating: Carrigtwohill against Blarney and Watergrasshill taking on Erin's Own.

One East Cork team will definitely be in the final and if Carrig get the better of Blarney it will be an all-East Cork showdown.

Much easier said than done, of course, and Blarney are probably the more fancied of that quartet.

Both themselves and Carrigtwohill were beaten at the semi-final stage last season and both can put strong claims forward to go all the way this time.

But Erin's Own are quitely cautious but confident, at the same time, that their stay in the lower tier will be very short just as it was for the Glen when they went down. Both Erin's Own and Blarney took the shorter route to this stage, avoiding a potentially tricky quarter-final.

Carrigtwohill mixed the good with the not so good, being taken to a penalty shootout with Na Piarsaigh in the quarter-final before edging it.

They had to exhibit a very strong mental resolve to do that and the introduction of Justin Oke certainly worked the oracle, his three-point contribution crucial. Matthew Barrett and Patrick Walsh are key attackers too and there's an inner belief in all Carrig teams.

Watergrasshill have a lot of scoring power with Sean Desmond and Adam Murphy. And Daire O'Leary is a very steadying influence at the back.

Blarney, of course, have three Cork seniors leading their charge, Mark Coleman, Shane Barrett and Padraig Power, all vital to their cause.

There are plenty of newcomers at this level for Erin's Own with Robbie O'Flynn obviously the player to be monitored. Conor Lenihan has played a key role in attack as well while Finn O'Brien and Oran O'Regan are exhibiting promising signs too.

Cian O'Connor and Cormac Dooley provide plenty of stability in defence and it's been so far, so good for them.

The bottom line in both semi-finals has to be that very little separates any of the last four and a lot of bravery is required to make a call on either semi-final.

That's the way you want it to be as we enter the key period in all five grades.

East Cork teams carry a strong hand in all grades but the Barrs and Glen want the Premier Senior final all to themselves.