Big hurling powers battling to avoid the drop

Cloyne's Noel Cahill keeps a hold of the sliothar despite the challenge from Fermoy's Darragh O'Carroll. Pic: Howard Crowdy

While East Cork has seen a fistful of renaissance clubs catapult up the grades, two proud hurling institutions are battling to avoid relegation this weekend.

Carrigtwohill, county champions of 2011, and Cloyne, three-time runners-up, must face off to retain their Senior A status on Saturday afternoon (Castlemartyr, 4pm).