Mullinahone.net

On the week that former Mullinahone player Paul Kelly is to rejoin the Tipperary senior hurling panel recent results have decreed that Mullinahone face a huge hurling game on Sunday next. 

Last weekend they played Ballingarry in Fethard in the league section of the South Tipp senior hurling championship. Earlier league results meant that Mullinahone had qualified for the semi-finals but Ballingarry had not. In last weekends game Ballingarry came from behind to beat Mullinahone by four points to win a semi-final place. Now on Sunday both sides must meet again in Kilsheelin in the South Tipp semi-final. 

This time the game is knockout, with the winners advancing to the South Tipp final, which will be played at a later date. If Mullinahone fail to win it will be the third year in a row that they have failed to reach the South Tipp final, a far cry from the heady heights that the club reached in 2002. With the club supplying two of the better players to the Tipperary hurling team it is important to arrest the clubs downward spiral. 

This year to reach the semi-final we have defeated Swan now out of the county and south championships and Ballybacon/Grange up this year from intermediate ranks. We have lost to local rivals Killenaule (the south champions) and Ballingarry. 

Since we became seniors in 1992 we have not failed to reach the divisional final three years in a row. It is hoped that we be at full strength for next Sunday’s semi-final, but injuries to both Paul Curran and Pat Croke are a worry. While some of our elder warriors seem to be waning, our supporters will be hoping that the younger guns will step up to the mark. Defeat on Sunday will also see us fall into the county qualifiers where we would join a number of very prominent teams who have been eliminated from their own championships.

 
Sunday’s game is also about local pride and supporters will be hoping that they will have a team to talk about rather than successful individuals. Hopefully the attention given to our senior hurling team will bear fruit. Supporters are asked to come out in numbers and get behind the team. Definitely the pressure is building.