The Ballysaggart and De La Salle players were out on the pitch warming up when, in a cruel twist of fate, the lights at Fraher Field started twitching.
They came back, they went again and after an evening of uncertainty in Dungarvan, the Waterford senior hurling championship relegation play-off was eventually postponed for another day. There were murmurs that the game would be snappily re-fixed for this weekend though it now seems as if it won’t take place until next week, which, from a player’s perspective anyway, would surely be the best solution to a bad situation.
Relegation finals and play-offs are a stressful time for all involved and, for Ballysaggart and De La Salle anyway, this technical difficulty couldn’t have arrived at a worse time. No club hurler or footballer wants to see their team participating in such tension-ridden-fixtures and so, with the game looking like it will now take place next week, it will almost feel like the agony has been prolonged for the players.
All the same, things could be worse. They’ll feel better waking up this morning than they would have felt had their team been relegated. Looking ahead to the re-fixture, the only thing you could with certainty is that this game will be tight. Having been beaten by last minute goals and points in the group stage, Ballysaggart – with the Bennetts on fire – will feel unlucky to even find themselves here, staring down the drop having only recently climbed out. De La Salle, meanwhile, are one of the traditional giants of Waterford hurling and they won’t go down easy.
Ballysaggart have stayed out on the field Still waiting for news pic.twitter.com/mCwY4QKBG2
— Tomás McCarthy (@tomasmcc) September 24, 2021
Elsewhere in Tipperary, there was a high stakes knock-out clash in the senior hurling championship with dual clubs JK Brackens and Loughmore-Castleiney battling it out for a quarter final spot in Semple Stadium. The same teams had drawn 0-10 apiece in the senior football championship last weekend and so, heading into Friday night’s game, there was a good deal of familiarity between the sides.
Loughmore-Castleiney – one of the finest dual clubs in the country – always seem to win these types of games though and yet again, they found the answers when their backs were to the wall. As they always are, the McGraths were to the fore with brothers Noel, John and Brian excelling while their cousin and former All-Ireland minor football winning captain Liam scored 0-2 on his return from Australia.
Really impressive last 25 mins by Loughmore who outscored JK Brackens 10-4 to send reach the county quarters.
The McGrath’s to the fore:
-John and Noels sublime skills.
-Liam back from Oz with 0-2.
-Brian looks to have brought his game to the next level, dominant.#TippSHC2021— Hurler on the ditch (@HurlerD) September 24, 2021
