Places in Tipperary county senior football final will be decided this weekend

The FBD Insurance county senior football championship semi-finals take centre stage on another busy weekend on Tipperary’s GAA playing fields.
And the pairings have a familiar ring to them. Moyle Rovers face Loughmore Castleiney in Golden at 2pm on this Saturday, while holders Clonmel Commercials meet JK Brackens in Boherlahan at 2pm on Sunday.
Moyle Rovers know that they’ll need to be at the top of their game when they take on that famous old warhorse Loughmore. Rovers weren’t too convincing when they beat Ballyporeen in the quarter-final, eventually emerging with a 2-9 to 0-10 win.
First half goals from Riain Quigley and Diarmuid Foley, both of which were very well-taken, smoothed their passage to the last four. Ballyporeen put up a brave fight in the second half but Rovers were always a few steps ahead, thanks to some great points from Riain Quigley and Liam Boland’s free-taking ability.
Loughmore are again dreaming of a senior hurling and football double, one that they famously achieved eight years ago. They secured their place in the hurling decider by beating Borris-Ileigh last weekend and are the bookies fancy to qualify for the football final.
Despite being the better team in the last eight tie against Kilsheelan Kilcash they only had a point to spare at the final whistle, 0-9 to 1-5, in a game that once again underlined how difficult they are to beat.
John McGrath may have had a season to forget with the county hurlers but he has been in great form for his club of late. He was their main source of inspiration against Kilsheelan Kilcash on a day when Willie Eviston, Eamon Connolly, Brian McGrath, Liam Treacy and Evan Sweeney were also to the fore.
Noel McGrath, who only appeared as a substitute in the third quarter of the quarter-final, could start on Saturday, while the third McGrath brother, Brian, missed last weekend’s hurling semi-final through injury.
Commercials are favourites to win their third title in-a-row but they’ll be conscious of the fact that JK Brackens sprung a surprise on Moyle Rovers at this stage two years ago.
The Clonmel team beat Upperchurch/Drombane by 1-20 to 1-5 in the quarter-final in a game that wasn’t as one-sided as the scoreline suggests, although the gulf in class became apparent as the second half progressed.
Commercials are strong all over the pitch and with players of the calibre of Seamus Kennedy, Sean O’Connor, Kevin Fahey, Michael Quinlivan, Jack Kennedy and Jamie Peters, it looks as if they’ll take some beating.
JK Brackens were well beaten when the teams met in the final at Semple Stadium two years ago but the tighter confines of Boherlahan could suit them better.
Managed by former Tipperary and Waterford manager Tom McGlinchey, their hopes of causing a major upset will rest upon the performances of Eanna McBride, who scored two goals in their quarter-final defeat of Ardfinnan; Paddy Cadell, Shane Bourke, Lorcan Egan and freetaker Jack Kennedy.

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