Munster U20 football and hurling permutations ahead of final round on Wednesday

The football action has been switched from the usual Thursday slot to Wednesday meaning there is an overlap with the hurling championship.

ALL TO PLAY FOR: Kerry's Daniel Kirby breaks from Cork's Odhran Foley during the Dalata Hotel Group Munster Under 20 FC at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Pic: Eddie O'Hare.

Unlike the previous two rounds, this week’s Munster U20 football action has been switched from the usual Thursday slot to Wednesday.

The overlap with the provincial U20 hurling championship means a great deal of moving and permutating all on the one evening.

Let’s throw in with the football. There are no lame horses here. Each of the four counties involved in Phase 2 - Clare, Cork, Kerry, and Waterford - can end up in the Munster decider.

Tipperary were a controversial last-minute free away from breaking the Cork-Kerry final stranglehold 12 months ago.

Maybe this is the year where the traditional Munster final pairing is interrupted, and not by means of a favourable draw.

Taking them in the order of where they currently sit in the Phase 2 table, unbeaten Cork (3pts, +1) will qualify for the decider with victory or a draw against Waterford (Páirc Uí Chaoimh, 7pm).

Defeat to the Déise would be fatal for Ray Keane’s young charges, unless there is a sharing of the spoils in the other game at Austin Stack Park.

Otherwise, the expected Kerry victory takes them ahead of Cork, while a Clare stunning of the green and gold would also end Cork’s campaign given the Banner’s score difference of -1 is so close to Cork’s that they would leapfrog them in that department in a Cork defeat/Clare win scenario.

The task is straightforward for Tomás Ó Sé’s Kerry (2pts, +22). Victory at home to Clare (Austin Stack Park, 7pm) keeps their five-in-a-row Munster bid alive, irrespective of what happens on Leeside.

A draw will only be sufficient so long as Cork don’t come off second best to Waterford. A Kerry draw and Cork defeat sends the young Rebels through on the head-to-head rule.

A second defeat for Ó Se’s side means no Kerry involvement in the Munster U20 final for the first time since 2021.

Onto surprise package Waterford (2pts, -22). A second win of the Phase 2 series and fourth overall in this year’s Munster U20 championship secures the county a first final appearance since 2006.

A draw is only of use to them if Clare can spring a gargantuan upset in condemning Kerry to back-to-back losses. In that event, both finish on three points, with Waterford advancing courtesy of having edged Clare last week in Kilmihil.

And, finally, to Dermot Coughlan’s Clare (1pt, -1). 

Must shock Kerry. Must then hope there is no stalemate at Páirc Uí Rinn. It doesn’t matter whether it is Cork or Waterford who come out on top, so long as there is a winner, Clare will seal unlikely progression.

Cork manager Ray Keane against Kerry. Pic: Eddie O'Hare.

The Munster U20 hurling championship still has all five foals in the field. But if results go in a certain direction on Wednesday evening, the top three will be decided with a round left to run.

Should already-eliminated Waterford, who lost their opening three games by margins of one, one, and three-points respectively, secure a first win at this age-grade since 2022, they would eliminate Limerick and confirm Clare, Cork, and Tipp as the three teams advancing to the knockout phase.

A Limerick-Waterford draw at the Gaelic Grounds (7pm) would also deliver the same outcome.

A first Limerick victory of the round-robin will only keep them alive so long as Clare overcome Tipp at Thurles (7pm).

Tipperary recording a third straight win would close off Limerick’s route to the top three as the only two teams the Treaty could then finish level with on four points are Cork and Clare, both of whom have the head-to-head on them.

A Tipp-Clare draw leaves Cork as the only side Limerick could catch up to on four points, but again, head-to-head is against them.

With Tipp having Limerick as their Round 5 opponents, victory over the Banner would push Brendan Cummins' team into pole position to advance direct to the Munster final for a third consecutive year.