Valley Rovers GAA

who look a little bit vulnerable and who have kind of just literally stumbled through the group stages having lost two games out of three.

Again, flagging that, they're through with one win out of three and Valley Rovers are out after winning two games out of three.

So that's just one of the vagaries of the group stages.

But overall, I think it's a great system.

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five tiers all the groups plus there's loads of junior A and B action going on that we certainly can't keep up with there's so much outside of our own clubs it's hard to follow all that but it's just it's gargantuan it was certainly epic this weekend again plenty of drama plenty of twists and turns Dennis I suppose we had that scenario whereby it happens sometimes you know you finish in the group with the same number of wins you get three teams winning two games each most prominently and I suppose this weekend was that senior season where Nemo survived Valleys went out a sickener for them and then the bars ended up in a situation where three teams finished on one with each and they went through

Yeah.

Valleys are gone.

It's tough,

isn't it? It's just the way the group goes.

It's the curiosity of how the ranking system compares teams from different groups and you have a funny situation.

Now this year where, like you say, Nemo Rangers topped the group with Valley Rovers and Eustis Town after they won two and lost one each.

Absolutely, and the way the championship is structured as well.

We were just saying that Valleys came into this game today top of the group, but you've put yourselves into a quarterfinal as far as I know.

Now when you crunch all the numbers, they're actually out of championship, they're not in relegation, but it's all to play for all the time and every match counts, every score counts right down to the end.

Yeah, I'm saying since this format came in, everything goes to the last couple of minutes of the last day.

I suppose we'll take it easy this week.

In fairness to the lads, they've given everything there in the last couple of weeks for hurling.

And since the Valleys game, I think we've only had three change sessions in football.

So it is tough to change, go from one court to the other.

And if you look at it, there is a set of results across the three groups where Clannachilty could finish, if they win this game, they could finish the group stage on five points.

And let's say, for instance, Cargilline in Group 1 and and Valley Rovers in Group 2 if they lose their games all of a sudden in Clannachilty are the top ranked team and they'll go direct to the semi-finals so you almost have that carrot there okay it's an if if these certain these certain stars align it could happen for Clannachilty but there is there's still a chance there so they'd want to go out they'd want to win the game Clannachilty They want to build up a bit of momentum going into the knockout stages.

They've had a really good campaign so far.

That opening win against Knock Degree, that draw against Castlehaven.

Exactly, so Conor in a decent enough position but we'll see if they can get to the knockout stages at the weekend in Group 2.

Newstown again in a strong enough position, they face St. Michael's in Riverstick at 4pm on Sunday and Newstown only a win obviously will get them into the knockout stages and they're in a strong position to do so.

Just to mention the other game of the group as well here in Valley Rovers against Nemo Rangers in Ballyhandley at the same time.

That's a crucial game because if Valley Rovers win that game and Newstown beat St. Michael's then Nemo are out of the championship.

that was another unusual game the early one on Sunday in Parc Eireann in that Avalanche goals like

Yeah, and whoever won was probably going to be going through, but it depended then on the Ballymartle-Valley Rovers game.

In the other match, Valleys had the group topped already, but obviously Ballymartle still had a chance of getting through because they had drawn with Carragher Lane, so they were both on one point, Kilworth were on two.

And Kilbert were good in the first half, but then they had a goal chance.

They were up by three and they had a goal chance just before half time.

And.

Ballymartle beat.

Valleys.

It's just so beautiful.

And it's like, you can't beat, like I was at a match there a couple of weeks ago, second round championship, Valley Rovers versus Newstown, senior football.

And it was on in Cochford, a rural agricultural pitch.

Like fucking great ground altogether.

And we're all together just for a month.

The

Valley Rovers and the Noosestown boys would be drinking side by side.

They're

Yeah.

Well, they will, they will be actually because in, in Valley Rovers group, you know, Ballymartin will have a draw with Carrigaline, so they have a point, and that, that's, you know, everyone's kind of still in the mix in that.

So, like, you know, whoever comes last in that group would be hoping they wouldn't end up in a relegation final.

Yeah, yeah.