With a few exciting weekends upcoming, the possible winners of the Tommy Moore Cup 2016 have been whittled down to 12 with 2 more due to go this weekend.

Munster is very tight and hard to call with only 4 teams left.

Na Piarsagh looked dead and buried but got their act together to reel in Sixmilebridge and advance in Munster. They now face Thurles who got a bit of a scare against Nenagh after a very nervy finish. Very little in the betting to separate them and whoever wins this it looks like will be favourites to beat the winners of Glen Rovers and Ballygunner. The Gunners have not won a Munster since their 1st way back in 2001. Glen Rovers a team with great history in the competition from decades gone by will no doubt want to rekindle the spirit of old and turn around Cork clubs fortunes who have been very weak in recent times who have not had a representative in an all Ireland since 2006, and not won a Munster since 2009 which is a very long time for a county like Cork and especially recognising their history in the competition.

Leinster looks very open in my opinion.

Clonkill cruised past St Mullins and now play Oulart of Wexford who were very lucky to win away to Clough Ballaghcolla. Oulart are clear favourites here, but Clonkill will fancy their chances of causing an upset. Very hard to call and the 2/1 available on Clonkill seems good value.

On the other side of the draw the Dublin final was the last to be played with Cuala getting the better of St Judes. They now play Coolderry of Offaly. They are around a while now, but will have no fear of any of the teams left in Leinster considering they are the only team left to have won a provincial title in recent years. Bookies have both Cuala and Coolderry at 7/1 for Leinster. Will be a tight game and very hard to call also.

Once this match is concluded, and whoever comes through will play KK champions Clara who receive a bye into a Semi Final. They have time to recover from their County final against O'Loughlins where they were winners of a very high standard club final. They are rightful favourites not just because they are the KK champions, but because they have a bye into the semi final, they have had time to size up the opposition all around them in Cuala (I have no doubt the watched in the Dublin final) & Coolderry, and can even go take a look at some of the other Q-finals this weekend if they like. They also have the experience of winning the county title 2 years ago, and will want to make there mark in Leinster this year.

In Connacht we had shocks at the semi final stage with AI favourites Gort knocked out and former winners St Thomas's gone also when both would have been fancied to go far. Craughwell have been shortened up considerably in the betting as have Sarsfields. Both will see this as great rare opportunity to fly the flag for the west with Portumna, St Thomas's & Gort subdued for the winter.

All the while we still have Cushendall looking on, sitting in an All Ireland semi Final after a hotly contested Ulster final against Slaughneil of Derry. The standard in Ulster clubs is starting to rise and its great to see. The Antrim clubs still dominate , but Portaferry from Down last year proved that their colours can be downed and for the 2nd year Slaughneil finised level against their Antrim counterparts. I feel Cushendall were very disappointed to let their chance slip last year against Portaferry and will be out to make amends and show that the Antrim club scene is very much in rude health and try emulate their bitter rivals Loughgiel by advancing in the All Ireland series. Not to be taken lightly at all.


All Ireland Club Championship Odds Outright (Best Shop odds available)
Clara 10/3
Thurles Sarsfields 4/1
Craughwell 5/1
Na Piarsaigh 11/2
Sarsfields 15/2
Cushendall 12/1
Oulart the Ballagh 14/1
Glen Rovers 14/1
Cuala 14/1
Ballygunner 18/1
Coolderry 20/1
Clonkill 40/1

wing back (Offaly) - Posts: 115 - 06/11/2015 10:25:47    1804883

I have a feeling Thurles Sarsields will be hard to beat in munster, I really thought Nenagh would beat them. Interesting to note that Nenagh beat Na Piarsaigh in a challenge in early September by about 15 points. Na Piarsaigh had about 12 of their starting team incl. county players on the field and were blown away for most of the game. I think the final score was 2-29 to 20 points or something like that..

McFan88 (Limerick) - Posts: 447 - 06/11/2015 11:50:08    1804909

I think Coolderry will struggle against a younger and much fitter Cuala side on Sunday. Hopefully that's not the case.

PortInFaithful (Offaly) - Posts: 472 - 06/11/2015 13:43:24    1804947

Well done, Wing Back. Enjoyed that preview.

keeper7 (Longford) - Posts: 4088 - 06/11/2015 14:59:00    1804969

Think Ill have a hundred quid on Oulart at that money.

Doylerwex (Wexford) - Posts: 2627 - 06/11/2015 16:38:56    1805003

Best of luck to Coolderry today. An awful day out there. Could be a bit of a slog.

wing back (Offaly) - Posts: 115 - 08/11/2015 11:57:52    1805288

Interesting championship. There's no count champions with a real proven track record beyond this stage. Thurles have a recent habit of always finding a team better on the day once they've won Tipp, Clara wouldn't inspire my confidence, Oulart-the-Ballagh have had one too many hard luck stories for my liking... Could be open to someone like Ballygunner after a good win today?

roundball (Tipperary) - Posts: 2514 - 08/11/2015 20:37:53    1805440

Well done to Cuala today. Look very capable and will give Clara lots to think about.

wing back (Offaly) - Posts: 115 - 08/11/2015 20:58:11    1805450

Bit surprised with Cuala winning by so much. Didn't think the heavy conditions would suit them. Clara in Parnell will be a cracker if dry. On TnaG

witnof (Dublin) - Posts: 1604 - 09/11/2015 09:28:34    1805478

It wasn't to be for Coolderry. Cuala had too much for them all over the field.

Cuala v Clara, Clonkill v Oulart and Na Piarsaigh v Thurles on Sunday. How do people see these matches going?

Cuala and Clara is being shown live on TG4.

PortInFaithful (Offaly) - Posts: 472 - 11/11/2015 13:03:16    1806375

I fancy Clonkill to beat Oulart

Im going to side with Cuala to beat Clara after their impressive showing last week.

Can't call the Thurles vs Na Piaraigh game

wing back (Offaly) - Posts: 115 - 13/11/2015 10:44:58    1806984

Well done to Cuala. Well deserved victory over Clara and earn their place in a Leinster final against Wexfords Oulart. Na Piarsaigh put Thurles to the sword and are back in a Munster final again and face a very underestimated Ballygunner. I fancy Na Piarsaigh but it will be very close I'd imagine.The Galway county final is still yet to be decided and it's very hard to know who will go on to represent Connacht here.

Only 7 teans left.....with the last being Cushendall who must have been delighted to see the defection of Thurles and Clara.

The favourites continue to drop.....Every team left will fancy their chances of getting their name on the Tommy Moore cup in 2016.

Best Odds Available:

Na Piarsaigh 9/4
Cuala 11/4
Ballygunner 13/2
Sarsfields 7/1
Craughwell 15/2
Oulart 10/1
Cushendall 12/1

wing back (Offaly) - Posts: 115 - 15/11/2015 17:56:55    1807440

Cushendall v Cuala on St Patrick's Day, Cuala best I have seen this year, and should have won much easier today but a lot of dubious decisions by the man-in-the-middle kept Clara in it.

Brian_Coyote (Antrim) - Posts: 346 - 15/11/2015 18:45:54    1807456

What dubious decessions did Clara get They must be very disappointed Clara with the two soft goals they let in they were very poor , as regarding ref decesions the player can nearly run the full length of the field with the ball in the hand.

johnwhite12 (Kilkenny) - Posts: 306 - 15/11/2015 20:09:48    1807480

Nothing against Cuala but as a neutral you'd want to have a heart of stone not to want Oulart to finally win Leinster...

KildareKelly (Kildare) - Posts: 593 - 15/11/2015 20:52:45    1807487

I thought the ref had a good game in Cuala v Clara. He got one decision wrong - the 16th point for Clara it appears that the Cuala goalkeeper tripped Conor O Shea of Clara. On closer look it appears that Conor OShea tripped himself up but hard to blame ref when things happen at speed.

Cuala were indisciplined in the first half. They gave away heaps of frees all of which were punished. Cuala were able to get a greater spread of scores from play. Clara had a purple patch after half time and came into it. Cuals were able to pick it up again at the end though to pull through. Deservedly IMO.

Felt a little sorry for Clara goalkeeper. The first goal he was shortsighted and ball hopped underneath him . The second goal he makes a great save only for the ball to fall straight into the path of Cuala corner forward. The third goal he gets beaten at near post from a tame enough bat at goal. A few of his frees also dropped harmlessly out of place. The goalkeeper spot can be a nightmare when things don't go your way.

Best of luck to Cuala in final. As KildareKelly said , you would want a heart of stone to begrudge Oulart at this stage (unless you are from Faythe Harriers or whoever Oulart biggest rivals are)

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 16/11/2015 09:14:46    1807505

bennybunny
County: Cork
Posts: 3036

1807505
I thought the ref had a good game in Cuala v Clara. He got one decision wrong

What about no. 10 for Claras first yellow card? He ended up being sent off then?
Was the softest card I've ever seen given.
He was way too fussy giving frees and then yellows for nothing.
I thought he was equally as bad for both teams.

Joe_Bloggs (Tipperary) - Posts: 186 - 16/11/2015 09:38:21    1807508

The referee has a thankless job.I wudn't be brave enough to do the job.There will always be questionable decisions and sometimes,downright wrong calls,but i rarely,if ever,comment on a referees performance.Impossible to keep both sides happy.They do the best they can and people should have more respect for the job they do.

cuederocket (Dublin) - Posts: 5084 - 16/11/2015 09:59:11    1807511

Joe Bloggs

He was way too fussy giving frees and then yellows for nothing.

The referee's job is to call a free when he sees them. You cannot accuse a referee of being too fussy. If the players foul a lot, then the referee's duty is to call a free (if he sees it -he has only two eyes like everybody else). There was a lot of silly fouling going on yesterday. In hurling the tackle is defined, you can hook, block, flick the ball of the stick. You do not need to pull at players at hands and nudge them on the back when they get to the ball. This happened a lot and Cuala were the bigger culprits. It did not cost them.

It is the duty of the players to let the game flow. If they do not commit fouls, then there are no frees (of course a ref can make a mistake like the 16th point for Clara where there was no foul but a free was given - buy again they are human).

Conor O'Shea's first yellow card may have been soft but the crucial thing is whether he was wrong to give it? If he saw (with his eyes) Conor O'Shea push the player, then he books him and the rules support him.

Cuedrocket makes a valid point. Being a ref is a thankless job. The ref had no bearing on the outcome of yesterday's game.

bennybunny (Cork) - Posts: 3917 - 16/11/2015 10:59:50    1807528

The ref in the Cuala/ Clara game was blowing up the pulling and dragging blighting the game. He gave a foul for the Clara fullforward shouldering the Cuala lad right in the chest, the look of disbelief on the Clara lad was something to behold, I suppose that sort of stuff is fair game at intercounty level.
Yes, the Clara No10 did get what looked like a soft yellow, thought it was more to do with the linesman and what he said TBH than what the referee initially gave which was just the free, even the free was harsh IMO.

Clara keeper had one of those days. The first softish goal seemed to eat at him and affect his concentration, second goal he was unlucky with as he'd pulled off a pretty decent save, ball broke to the attacker, not sure where the defender was, hardly the keepers fault. Last goal was just the icing on the cake.

New winners in Leinster, but what is it with Thurles Sarsfields, they seem to not have it once they get out of Tipp, strange considering the talent at their disposal. Na Pairsigh are looking for a run out on St Patricks day and they'll take some beating!

bricktop (Down) - Posts: 2503 - 16/11/2015 11:08:03    1807530