Good Win for Thurles Sarsfields

Munster Club SHC Semi-Final:

Thurles Sarsfields 2-20; Cork Sarsfields 2-15

Tipperary champions Thurles Sarsfields reached the Munster Senior Hurling club final, where they will meet Waterford champions DeLaSalle, with a 5 points victory over Cork champions, also named Sarsfields, at Semple Stadium Thurles yesterday. The Thurles side showed a lot of skill for most of the game, and great determination and commitment to score a goal and two points in the final few minutes of an exciting game when the tide of victory seemed to be slipping away. Their lapses, which have occurred in previous games, would be fatal against a team of the calibre of DeLaSalle. I am of the opinion that the sluggishness in their play at times is a result of competing, most of the time, against sub-standard opposition in Tipperary club competitions in which at least half of the teams playing in the senior grade are of intermediate or junior club standard. On a general point, I find it very sad to see players, who display great skill in other facets of play, unable to strike the ball on the ground or in the air without taking it in their hand. Their method of tackling a member of the opposing team is to hold the hurley in one hand and putting the other hand on their opponent, more often than not conceding a free. The huge amount of coaching that is taking place for a good number of years would need a serious overhaul.