Ballinameela's Aidan Ahearne trys to block down The Nire's Martin Walsh during their Waterford SFC clash at Fraher Field. | Photo: Michael Kiely
The Nire 0-13; Ballinameela 0-4
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Without disrespect to a number of clubs, if ever there was a need to have a look at the championship structures within the county this game surely showed why.
At the County Convention last December a (defeated) proposal was put to the floor which asked that a competition between Intermediate and Senior grades be established in hurling. But anyone who watched this match at Fraher Field from start to finish, cannot but feel that the same should be done in football and the sooner the better. Quite simply the gap between the top three and those below them, especially towards the bottom of the ladder, is getting wider and wider.
If the numbers in senior were reduced to eight, and the other four clubs currently occupying the top flight along with the top four intermediate teams contested a new second tier championship, it would at least put a stop to the sort of one-sided matches the current system is throwing up.
Over the hour the Nire were always on top, and could have stepped up several gears if needed and handed out a right beating to last year’s intermediate champions. Instead, without exerting themselves too much, they did enough to win and all but secure their passage to the last eight.
See The Munster Express newspaper for full match report.
