There are three major adult Waterford hurling fixtures taking place on Saturday, with championship silverware and progression on the line across Fraher Field and Lemybrien.
The afternoon gets underway in Dungarvan before attention turns to Lemybrien and then back to Fraher Field, with the Western Junior A, Junior B and Western Intermediate championships all providing plenty of intrigue.
Abbeyside-Ballinacourty v Deuglán Naofa
The Local Bar Western Junior A Hurling Championship Final
2pm – Cappaquinn Logistics Fraher Field
The first of the day’s games sees Abbeyside-Ballinacourty and Deuglán Naofa meet in the Western Junior A Hurling Championship final.
It promises to be a fascinating contest given how closely matched the sides have been this summer.
The teams actually met earlier in the championship at Bushy Park, where Deuglán Naofa edged a tight encounter by just a point, winning 0-19 to 1-16.
Both sides then produced strong semi-final performances.
Deuglán Naofa defeated Ballyduff Upper 1-25 to 2-12, while Abbeyside-Ballinacourty booked their place in the decider with a 3-22 to 1-16 victory over Ballinameela.
That leaves very little between the finalists heading into Saturday’s showdown.
For Abbeyside, there is an opportunity to turn that narrow league defeat on its head and finish the campaign with championship honours. For Deuglán Naofa, another victory over Abbeyside would secure the title and underline their impressive form throughout the competition.
With only a point separating the teams in their previous meeting, another close encounter could be in store.
Ballygunner v Fourmilewater
JJ Kavanagh & Sons Co. Junior B Hurling Final
1.30pm – Lemybrien
Earlier in the afternoon, Ballygunner and Fourmilewater go head-to-head in the JJ Kavanagh & Sons Co. Junior B Hurling Final.
The Lemybrien venue sets the stage for what should be another competitive county final, with both clubs looking to finish their campaign on the highest possible note.
There is plenty of familiarity between the clubs across the various grades this season, while Fourmilewater’s junior side have shown their strength in the competition.
They defeated Kilgobinet 0-18 to 0-12 in the group stages, while Ballygunner’s Junior B side have also been involved in some tight contests.
Ballygunner’s junior side have already shown their ability to perform in knockout hurling, overcoming Roanmore in the Eastern Junior B semi-final earlier this month.
A county final brings a completely different pressure, however, and both teams will know that a strong start could be crucial.
Ballyduff Upper v Kilrossanty
Comeragh Oil Western Intermediate Hurling Championship Final
4pm – Cappaquinn Logistics Fraher Field
The final game of the afternoon sees Ballyduff Upper face Kilrossanty in the Western Intermediate Hurling Championship final.
Both teams have already had to navigate difficult semi-finals to reach the decider.
Kilrossanty booked their place with a 2-22 to 3-12 victory over Sliabh gCua/St Mary’s, while Ballyduff Upper produced an impressive display to defeat Colligan Emmets 4-24 to 0-15.
That means both arrive in Dungarvan having shown plenty of attacking quality in the knockout stages.
For Ballyduff Upper, the challenge will be to reproduce the scoring form that saw them hit four goals in their semi-final. Kilrossanty, meanwhile, will be looking to build on their ten-point semi-final success and bring the Western Intermediate title home.
It promises to be an intriguing battle between two sides who have already demonstrated that they have the firepower to punish any defensive lapse.
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