Preview: Tourlestrane vs
Tubbercurry
in what has been a subdued
Belfry Senior Championship thus far, there is every chance things will ignite
today as traditional rivals Tourlestrane and Tubbercurry clash with a place in
the next weekend’s final at stake.
The wider south Sligo
community remains in shock following the tragic death of Mairead Davey RIP, and
today’s meeting of two local clubs will certainly be a difficult one as the
community attempts to come to terms with this untimely loss.
On the field, Tubbercurry
and Tourlestrane are regarded as the top two teams in the competition so his
promises to be a tight, tense and fiery encounter with Tubbercurry hoping to
gain some revenge for their narrow two-point defeat to their neighbours in the
league final earlier this year.
Both sides will certainly
have learned much from that match-up which ended 0-17 to 0-15 in Tourlestrane’s
favour, but arguably it is Tubbercurry who carry greater momentum into today’s
tie.
They topped Group One with
three consecutive wins - including one over already confirmed finalists Eastern
Harps - to qualify directly for the semi-finals, and are waiting in the long
grass having not played for four weeks, though that in itself could be a
disadvantage.
Tourlestrane are also
unbeaten, having beaten Drumcliffe/Rosses Point, Coolaney/Mullinabreena and
Calry/St Joseph’s en route to the final four. Granted, they may not have turned
too many heads with their performances so far, but this is a Tourlestrane side
that hasn’t lost a competitive game in Sligo since their semi-final defeat to
St Mary’s at this stage in 2015.
Tourlestrane’s defensive
solidity is the most striking feature of their campaign so far, and it will be
fascinating to see how they attempt to contain a free-scoring Tubbercurry
attack including David Kelly and Dermot Walsh.
After an underwhelming
couple of years since their last championship triumph in 2014, Pat Kilcoyne has
overseen an upturn in Tubbercurry’s fortunes and with such talent at their
disposal, it is no surprise to see them competing at the business end of the
championship once again in 2017.
While they have 20
championship titles and remain by some distance the county’s most successful
club, Tubbercurry have only one title to Tourlestrane’s six championships since
the turn of the millennium. A win today would leave them as hot favourites to
add a 21st next Sunday, and knocking out Tourlestrane would give an added
confidence boost.
For Tourlestrane, the
motivation for winning this year’s championship is simple. For all of their
success in the last 25 years, they have failed on nine occasions to put
together back-to-back senior championship titles and that remains a source of
frustration for the men in green and gold. Back-to-back title would certainly
cement the club’s place as the most successful of the modern era, but they face
an almighty challenge today to secure another final meeting with old rivals
Eastern Harps - a team that thwarted their two-in-a-row ambitions on a couple
of occasions throughout the noughties.
Both sides know how
important today’s encounter is in the greater scheme of things - a crack at
outright glory awaits the winner - but also local bragging rights for the
winter ahead. It all adds up to what promises to be a cracking encounter that
is too close to call.