PREVIEW: Clonoulty hoping it's fifth time lucky ahead of county title tilt with Drom & Inch

Drom & Inch will go in search of their fifth county senior title in a row this Saturday in The Ragg, with usual suspects Clonoulty Rossmore once again hoping to go one better than their previous efforts and clinch the title from the repeat champion’s grasp.

This will be the fourth edition of a saga which is firmly controlled by Drom & Inch, as they have beaten their west Tipperary opponents on every decider since 2019 and Clonoulty Rossmore will be desperate to buck that trend by Saturday evening. Throw in at 3.30pm.

The likelihood of that happening will depend on Clonoulty bringing their best to the party, as Drom & Inch continue to show good form and aren’t relying solely on experience to keep this run afloat.

They have been very impressive all year and despite being run very close by a good Thurles Sarsfields team in the semi-final, they will feel there is more to come from them in terms of performance.

Unbeaten thus far in the championship, they have been served very well by Eimear McGrath who looks to be continuing her improvement, with more contributions outside of her excellent freetaking. She has scored a goal in every round so far and that is something her markers will need to be cognizant of.

Her sister Aoife has been enjoying her year too, adding another dimension to the team since her relocation to midfield this campaign, and with such an abundance of talent - along with experience of winning big games - they will be a very tough nut to crack.

Clonoulty Rossmore were far from perfect in their semi-final win over Borris-Ileigh. They were well on top for most of the game but allowed their opponents to get back into the game, and the concession of some sloppy goals will be a concern for them going into Saturday’s final.

However, they are well capable of getting the performance together on the day and when you have forwards like Cait Devane, Casey Hennessy, and Courtney Ryan in your team, there is always a threat there that Drom & Inch will have to be wary of.

So very little has separated these teams in the county finals over the last few years, and it always tends to be the case that when these teams meet, they always bring the best out in one another and that would be the expectation once more this time around.

Elsewhere, Sunday will showcase an all-north Tipperary decider in the Intermediate championship, as rivals Shannon Rovers and Moneygall duke it out to see who will play senior in 2024.