A GREAT day s entertainment is in prospect for Fraher Field on Sunday with the eagerly awaited county minor football final between Ballinacourty and De La Salle preceding Stradbally's long awaited semi-final clash with their great rivals, Nire. With Abbeyside already having accounted for De La Salle in the minor hurling final, the Ballinacourty wing of the club involving th s ame players, will be bidding for double glory on Sunday.
MARGINAL FAVOURITES
Ballinacourty will go into this game as marginal favourites just as De La Salle did in the hurling decider but that means nothing as we have seen all years.
De La Salle were considered somewhat fortunate to get past Gaultier in the Eastern final but they are very much up for this game and determined to take this title.
With the hurling title safely secured, the pressure is not as great on Ballinacourty but I have a feeling De La Salle will produce a big game on Sunday to take the title.
The biggest difficulty facing Stradbally going into this semi-final against the Nire is a lack of competitive football for over eight weeks now.
Nire on the other hand had difficult games against Ardmore and more recently Kilrossanty and should be in peak condition for this game.
AMBITIOUS STRADBALLY
Since the start of the year, Stradbally s ambition has been to win a third title in a row for the club, something not achieved since their great five in a row in the forties.
Stradbally s last two titles have been achieved in convincing fashion and they will justifiably go into Sunday s semi final as favourites to advance.
There is a real balance to their side with strong defenders in John Halpin, Trevor Costelloe, Kevin Coffey, Emmet Cummins and Tom Walsh, while in John Hearn they have a tireless worker in midfield.
In attack, they have the best finisher in the county in Niall Curran, while Stephen Cunningham, Ger Power, John Coffey and Trevor Curran are all proven scoregetters.
In Michael Walsh they have a trump card who can turn a game whether in midfield or attack.
Who will forget his brilliant performances for the Waterford under-21 side this year that must surely make him county footballer of the year.
He could prove to be the biggest stumbling block to the Nire if he is on form.
From the Nire s point of view, they knowexactly what they are up against and they believe they are capable of coping with it.
Though Stradbally have maintained the upper hand in their most recent championship encounters, very little has separated the teams.
There is considerable experience in this Nire side with such as Michael Byrne, Jack Moore, David Ryan, Pat Walsh, Brian Wall, Martin Walsh, Connie Power and, of course, Waterford s other star of their Munster under-21 success, Shane Walsh. Like his Stradbally counterpart, Shane Walsh can also be regarded as a potential matchwinner. This game should bring the biggest crowd of the season for a football tie to Dungarvan and what a game they have in prospect.
Stradbally s delay in getting this game could well work in their favour.
They will go in as the fresher side free from injury and at full strength.
The Nire look the only side capable of upsetting them but I think Stradbally will be ready and should make it to another final.
