Kilbree and champs Ballinascarthy qualify for Carbery Junior A hurling semi-finals

JUNIOR HURLING – Following the third round of the RCM Tarmacadam championships, the qualifiers for play-offs are now known, with a few surprise results thrown in for good measure.

In Junior A, Roinn 1 saw Kilbree winning their third game, beating Dohenys comfortably by 1-18 to 1-8, to top the group on six points. Clonakilty took second place with their 1-20 to 0-6 win over St. Colum’s, their second win to total four points. Colum’s are without a win, on zero points. Roinn 2 saw St James just shading Bandon by two points, 1-18 to 1-16, to take second place on two points, behind champions Ballinascarthy on four points. Bandon were without a win. In Roinn 3, table-toppers Diarmuid Ó Mathúna were surprised by bottom-of-the-table St Mary’s, losing by 4-13 to 2-11. In the vital game, 14-man Newcestown managed a two-point win, 0-16 to 1-11, over a Randals’ team badly hit by injuries. These results mean Mathúna’s and Newcestown finished level at the top on four points each but Mathúna’s take top spot by virtue of their earlier win over Newcestown. Randals have two points, as do St Mary’s whose unexpected win saved them from the relegation battle.

Whereas it was planned to have an open draw for the play-off stages, the CCC was advised by the county board to stick with the regulations that had been set down for the championship. This means that Kilbree, as top qualifier, and Ballinascarthy, as second best, qualify directly for the semi-finals. In the quarter-finals, the third group winner, Mathúnas, will meet the third second-placed team, St James, and Clonakilty will meet Newcestown. In the semi-finals, Kilbree will play Mathúna’s/St James, while Ballinascarthy will play Clon/Newcestown, as Clon had already met Kilbree in the championship. St Colum’s will play Bandon in the relegation play-off, the loser going down to junior B for 2024.

In Junior B, Roinn 1 saw group leaders Gabriel Rangers beating Kilbree seconds by 1-19 to 0-3, to top the group with a full six points. The big surprise came in the second game when county B champions StOliver Plunkett’s were beaten by Ballinascarthy seconds by a single point, 1-15 to 0-17. This knocks Plunkett’s surprisingly out of the championship, with Bal taking second spot on three points. In Roinn 2, the top-of-the-table clash saw Kilbrittain seconds beating Bantry Blues by 3-24 to 1-17 to take top spot on a full six points, with Bantry second on four points. In the second game, Barryroe picked up their first pair of points with a 2-13 to 2-11 win over pointless O’Donovan Rossa. So that all means that two of the pre-championship favourites, Plunkett’s and Rossas, are now gone from the race. The play-off semi-finals will see Gabriel Rangers facing neighbours Bantry Blues, while Kilbrittain will play Ballinascarthy seconds. There is no relegation from Junior B. Promoted to junior A for 2024 are county B champions St Oliver Plunkett’s, plus the winner of the SW championship.

The quarter-finals of the junior A and the semi-finals of the junior B are scheduled for September 16th/17th.

In the county board championships, well done to Newcestown, Barryroe and Kilbrittain who all qualified for the play-offs but hard luck on Argideen who lost out by a single point on scoring difference despite beating group winners, Glen Rovers.