Ballyduff Upper and Clonea go toe to toe in the second of this weekend’s Waterford Senior Hurling Championship relegation play offs on Saturday afternoon.
The loser returns to intermediate, while the victors will cement another year among the senior standard bearers.
Ballyduff Upper suffered two comprehensive defeats in the group stages of the championship - those coming at the hands of Abbeyside and Ballygunner respectively.
Clonea were defeated by Roanmore and needed to beat Passage to make it through to the last 8, but alas they fell short in that quest.
Throw in for the clash at Fraher Field is at 1.30 on Saturday and there is plenty of talk about who is better equipped to beat the drop.
Former Waterford hurler Brian Flannery believes that Ballyduff Upper have huge work to do if they’re to retain senior status come Saturday evening.
“Ballyduff Upper have probably been the least impressive of the teams going in to the relegation play-offs. I think they scored 9 points the last day against Abbeyside - they’ll need to register far higher than that if they’re to retain their status.”
Current selector with the Waterford senior hurling panel, Stephen Frampton believes Clonea always bring a physicality factor with them.
“Clonea always have had a physicality about them. They always came across to me, even when I was playing, as a physically imposing team. They’re a big strong physical team and they always have been traditionally.”
Frampton says that when it comes to surviving the drop though, there’s not many like Ballyduff.
“Ballyduff are a bit like Johnstown in Kilkenny - they’ve stayed up senior for many years despite playing in a pile of relegation playoffs. Ballyduff not to the same level, but they seem to be that team are always hanging in there every year. They might pop down to intermediate an odd time but they’re battle hardened. They’ve been in this situation a lot of times.”
Ballyduff Upper were promoted to the senior ranks last year courtesy of a heart stopping win over Ballyduff Lower in the County Intermediate Hurling Championship Final.
Clonea have been boosted with news that forward Ciaran Kirwan has had a recent red card rescinded so he is available for selection.
You can hear a full preview on all of this weekend's games on our podcast page with Brian Flannery, Stephen Gough, Stephen Frampton and Derek Lyons all sharing their thoughts on the action.
