Board re-arrange fixtures as senior hurling semi-final falls foul of weather

FOR the second time in a week adverse weather conditions have wreaked havoc on the championship fixtures of the Waterford County Board.

Yesterday the second of the senior hurling semi-finals between champions Ballygunner and Lismore fell foul of the atrocious weather conditions at Fraher Field, Dungarvan. The date has now been refixed for the same venue on Saturday (1.00pm) and admission will be free.

A week earlier the other semi-final between Mount Sion and Stradbally was also postponed because of a flooded Fraher Field pitch.

It went ahead yesterday despite the incessant rain.

The Ballygunner and Lismore teams were out on the field and ready to play the game before referee John Michael Kelly inspected the heavily flooded goalmouth area at the country end and then consulted with the umpires.

The vice chairman of the West Waterford Board, Tom Cunningham, and groundsman Ollie Drummey tried to clear away the surface water but to no avail.

Additional pools of water were appearing throughout the field and there was an inevitability about the decision to call off the game.

An emergency meeting of the county executive was held later to reassess the situation and it was decided to play the second semi-final on Saturday, with the final (for which Mount Sion have qualified) going ahead as scheduled on Sunday week.

In the event of an all-city decider between Mount Sion and Ballygunner the venue will be Walsh Park but Fraher Field will host the final if it’s a Mount Sion/Lismore pairing.

A senior hurling championship relegation replay between Tallow and Ballyduff Lower, which was to have been played in Fraher Field on Saturday, was switched to Leamybrien.

It could not be accommodated as a doubleheader bill with the Ballygunner/Lismore semi-final because of fixtures that are already in place for the venue that afternoon.

“We have been most unfortunate with the weather these last two weekends,” county PRO John Jackson said. “There can be no criticism of the decision of the referee to call off the second semi-final, and barring a draw in that game next Saturday the final stands, as scheduled, for October 22.”