CAMOGIE PREVIEWS: No safety net as Tipperary camogie’s last six go for broke

​The Tipperary Senior Camogie Championship moves into knockout territory this weekend, with two intriguing quarter-finals down for decision at the County Camogie Grounds in The Ragg.

Reigning champions Thurles Sarsfields and challengers Clonoulty Rossmore have already secured their places in the semi-finals after topping their respective groups, leaving four sides to battle it out for the remaining two spots in the last four.

First up on Saturday morning is the meeting of Moycarkey Borris and Drom & Inch, before West Tipperary rivals Éire Óg Annacarty and Cashel King Cormacs go head-to-head on Sunday afternoon.

Moycarkey Borris v Drom & Inch

Moycarkey Borris' first season back at senior level continues with a significant test against the vastly experienced Drom & Inch on Saturday morning.

Last year's Intermediate champions have made an impressive transition to the top grade and secured their quarter-final place with a 0-18 to 1-12 victory over Burgess Duharra in their final group game.

Moycarkey did much of the damage during an excellent opening quarter, racing into a 0-9 to 0-3 advantage before being forced to withstand a much stronger challenge from Duharra after the break.

Their response when the pressure increased was particularly encouraging, as they finished strongly to book their place in the knockout stages.

However, the step up in opposition this weekend is considerable.

Drom & Inch are one of the most experienced championship sides in the county and will arrive at The Ragg with momentum following an impressive conclusion to their group campaign.

They defeated previously unbeaten Clonoulty Rossmore 0-15 to 0-12 in their final outing, producing a performance full of intensity to inflict a first championship defeat on the West side.

That result was not enough to deny Clonoulty top spot and direct passage into the semi-finals, but it provided Drom with an ideal confidence boost heading into knockout camogie.

For Moycarkey, this represents another opportunity to show just how far they have progressed. Having come into the season as senior newcomers, they now find themselves just one victory away from the county semi-finals.

Verdict: Drom & Inch

Éire Óg Annacarty v Cashel King Cormacs

There should be no shortage of familiarity when Éire Óg Annacarty and Cashel King Cormacs meet in Sunday's all-West Tipperary quarter-final.

Both sides have shown enough during the group stages to suggest this could be a tightly contested encounter, with Cashel coming into the knockout stages on the back of arguably their most significant result of the campaign.

King Cormacs defeated reigning county champions Thurles Sarsfields 1-14 to 1-13 in Rosegreen in their final group game, inflicting Sarsfields' first defeat of the championship and securing their own progression in dramatic circumstances.

Cashel had to dig particularly deep to get the result, especially considering they were without their leaders and talismanic intercounty star Karin Blair for that game.

That should send them into Sunday's quarter-final with considerable belief, but Annacarty have already demonstrated that they are capable of troubling the leading sides in the competition.

They produced a strong performance against Drom & Inch earlier in the group stages before pushing Clonoulty Rossmore all the way in a high-quality encounter at the Dillon Quirke Grounds.

Annacarty made a blistering start to that game through Leah Heffernan's early goal and remained in contention throughout before eventually falling to a 3-11 to 1-13 defeat.

With local rivalry added to the knockout stakes, there is little margin for error for either side.

By Sunday evening, the Senior Championship field will have been reduced to four, with the two quarter-final winners joining Thurles Sarsfields and Clonoulty Rossmore in the semi-finals.

Verdict: Éire Óg Annacarty

SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP - QUARTER-FINALS

Saturday, September 26th – Moycarkey Borris v Drom & Inch, County Camogie Grounds @ 11.00

Sunday, September 27th – Éire Óg Annacarty v Cashel King Cormacs, County Camogie Grounds @ 1.30pm