Big weekend ahead in Tipperary County Senior Football Championship

With the final round of group games in the FBD Insurance County Senior Football Championship going ahead this weekend, some teams can relax in the knowledge that their place in the knockout stages is already secured, while others have a fight on their hands to qualify for the quarter-finals.
In Group 4, the meeting of Arravale Rovers and Ballyporeen is the definition of a crunch tie. Both sides are deadlocked on two points each behind group leaders JK Brackens, so it’s an all or nothing game for each.
In their last outing Arravale Rovers got the better of Éire Óg Annacarty/Donohill in a west Tipp derby. The Tipperary town team sprang from the blocks, hitting Eire Og for 2-3 without reply in the first seven minutes, with goals from Shane Leahy and Donough Leahy. Éire Óg came back into the game and had the gap down to a goal late in the day, but they failed to reel in Rovers after their lightning-fast start.
Ballyporeen’s game against JK Brackens followed a similar pattern, when they trailed the mid team by seven points with as many minutes remaining. A Fionnan O’Sullivan goal, followed by a converted Conor Sweeney free, offered Ballyporeen some hope, but they too failed to make up the deficit in the closing stages.
The situation in Group 1 is the same, with leaders Clonmel Commercials, who have maximum points from their two games, sitting on top of the pile. Killenaule and Upperchurch/Drombane, who have two points apiece, clash this weekend in another game of major significance. Killenaule got their campaign up and running with a 2-13 to 1-8 victory over Cahir in the second round. Killenaule’s success owed much to the performance of John ‘Bubbles’ O’Dwyer, who scored one of their goals and provided assists for many of their other scores; while Jack Hassett, Killian O’Dwyer, Tom Stakelum and Joe O’Dwyer were also prominent.
Upperchurch/Drombane gave Commercials plenty to think about in the last round, and it took a Colman Kennedy goal 12 minutes from time to seal the Clonmel side’s victory. The mid team can take encouragement from the performances of Jack Butler, Paul Shanahan, Gavin Ryan, Matt Ryan and Michael Lavery and will be looking for more of the same this weekend.
The Group 2 meeting of Kilsheelan/Kilcash and Rockwell Rovers is another mouth watering game, with both teams deadlocked on two points each behind group leaders Moyle Rovers.
Kilsheelan/Kilcash earned their first victory of the campaign when they beat Drom/Inch by 3-15 to 0-11, following a defeat by Moyle Rovers in their first game.
Two goals in the opening seven minutes from Mark Stokes and Paul Maher provided the foundation for Kilsheelan’s win and they also benefitted from the performances of captain Daire Brennan, Cathal Kelly, Jamie Roche, Bill Maher and Mark Kehoe.
Rockwell Rovers lost out by four points to Moyle Rovers in the second round, despite noteworthy displays by Liam Fahey, Tom Tobin, Alan Moloney and TJ Ryan. If they can build on that performance they’ll feel they have every chance against their south opponents.
In Group 3, Moycarkey/Borris are in pole position to claim the runners-up berth behind top of the table Loughmore/Castleiney. Moycarkey, who have two points, face Ardfinnan, who are third in the table with one point.
Meanwhile, bottom of the table Aherlow, who also have one point but trail Ardfinnan on score difference, face a daunting task when they take on reigning champions Loughmore.