With only three games left to play this season in Hurling and Ladies’ Football the pressure is on for all the teams involved this week.

First, we have the Goose Village Blackrocks lining up against the Verdun Vikings. The Vikings are currently bottom of the table, but still have three games left to play, which gives them an advantage over second place Griffintown Gaels, who have just one game left. And they’ll need every edge they can get – they’ll be playing in every fixture from now until the end of the season, and they have a mammoth task ahead of them. They need at least two wins, and they absolutely have to beat the Griffintown Gaels the next time these sides meet. It’s not impossible, but the enormity of the task at hand will surely be weighing heavily on the Vikings.
But the first order of business will be taking points from a Blackrocks side that’s been in top form of late, and who have bested the Vikings twice already this season.
The Blackrocks gave the Vikings a lifeline when they soundly beat the Griffintown Gaels last week, but they’ll be just as happy to snuff that little flame of hope out. With their place in the final already secured as well as being untouchable at the top of the table, other teams might feel the temptation to take their foot off the gas and coast into the finals. But the Blackrocks aren’t a side that are content to rest on their laurels, and will want to make it three for three against the vikings with another win here.
Is the Vikings comeback on? Or will the Blackrocks continue their current form? Find out in what will be the game that either makes or breaks the Vikings season.

And on the subject of comebacks, in Hurling the St Henri Harps will tog out against PSC Cu Chulainn in our second game of the evening.

A closely fought victory over Na Fianna Rouges last week opened the door just a fraction for the Harps, and now they’ll be looking to shove it wide open by taking a scalp from PSC. The Harps have two games left, both of them against PSC, and they need at least one win to leap over Na Fianna and get into second. Two wins would nearly guarantee them a second place spot, but first things first.
St Henri have had a poor record against PSC this season and PSC have consistently been in fine form, which will make the task ahead all the more difficult, but not impossible. And despite a number of high profile players having left the Harps this summer, they’ve remained fiercely competitive, as the Rouges can ruefully attest. Anyone in the PSC camp expecting a walkover would be well advised to reconsider.
But even the most die hard Harps supporter would admit that PSC is the team to beat, and having to do it twice would nearly be asking too much. There’s a reason that despite having the fewest games played, they’re still top of the table. Any team facing off against them will have to dig deep if they’re to take points from them.
But things are still close in hurling, and there’s just enough room left for any number of scenarios to play out, which will make this a pivotal game.
Is the St Henri comeback real, or will PSC prove to be too much? Will Na Fianna be able to bring themselves to cheer for PSC, or will they be too busy checking the rules to see if there is some way both sides can lose?
All eyes will be on this game, which should see some fantastic hurling and give us all plenty to talk about.

Both these fixtures are on Monday the 20th of August at Vanier College

7:00pm – Goose Village Blackrocks (Ladies) vs Verdun Vikings (Ladies)
8:00pm – St Henri Harps vs PSC Cu Chulainn

The battle for a place in the final continues this Friday in Trenholme Park where all four men’s teams are in action.

First up the Griffintown Gaels will take on the Goose Village Blackrocks. Both teams took points in their last fixtures, with the Gaels playing first and beating the Blues to briefly move into second place, only for the Blackrocks to finally break the Vikings unbeaten run and reclaim their spot an hour later. Now they get to sort things out among themselves, and both sides will relish the opportunity and look to take full advantage of it.
Victory for the Blackrocks would lift them four points clear of the rest of the pack, and with only two games remaining after this, would put them in a very strong position to clinch a place in the finals. The Gaels would move into second on score difference if they win here, and while their claim on a final spot wouldn’t be as strong it would be exactly what is needed to spur them on for a strong run in.
Things are tight and there’s no room for error now, expect this to make for an exciting game as there two teams go all in to try and secure their place in the finals.

Next, we have the Montreal City Blues squaring up to the Verdun Vikings. The Vikings aura of invincibility was shattered last week when a tenacious Blackrocks side finally took points from them in an exciting clash. The Blues will be counting on this being the beginning of a change of fortunes for the current table toppers, while the vikings will be out to show everyone it was simply a blip on the radar, and it’s back to business as usual.
As a testament to how competitive the battle for second has been, the Blues are only two points behind current second place team, the Goose Village Blackrocks, and are still very much in contention for a place in the finals. They best case scenario for the blues here is that they compound the Vikings misfortune by taking a win here, and that the Geals will have beaten the Blackrocks in their match. That’d leave everyone on six points, and with two games left to play, putting it all up for grabs. Failure to win here won’t put them out of contention, but with the Gaels gearing up for what looks like a powerful performance in the run in, and the Blackrocks in fine form, it will make things much more difficult.
The Vikings for their part will know that all they need now is a single win, and they’ll move beyond reach of everyone. Their place in the final is already secured, and one eye will definitely be fixed on the big day, but a win here will also earn them a first place finish. Their performance against the Blackrocks was not their finest hour and will have prompted questions from inside the vikings camp, but this is an opportunity for them to reassert dominance over the league and remind everyone why they got to where they are in the first place.
The pace and determination of the blues against the experience and grit of the vikings should make for a fantastic match, with neither side letting up until the final whistle.

Both these fixtures are on Friday the 17th of August at Trenholme Park
7:00pm – Griffintown Gaels vs Goose Village Blackrocks
8:00pm – Montreal City Blues vs Verdun Vikings

We’re getting closer to the end of the season, which means it’s do or die time for the teams in this week’s Monday night superleague fixtures.

First up is Hurling where there’ll be a the final game of the season between second place Na Fianna Rouges and third place St Henri Harps.
The Harps have a game in hand over the Rouges, which might turn out to be decisive in their quest to overturn a four point deficit in their last three games.
A victory here for the Harps will keep the dream alive, and give them a boost as they play their final two fixtures, back-to-back games against PSC Cu Chulainn.
To stand a chance of making the finals, they will need a win here as well as at least one victory over PSC, and hope that Na Fianna lose their final game of the season. There are other, less likely, paths to the finals for the Harps, but they’ll know that this is most likely their last chance to remain in contention.
Likewise, Na Fianna Rouges will know full well that they have a chance to put an end to the competition for a place in the finals in this game. A victory here would move them out of the Harps’ grasp, with an insurmountable gap of six points. Anything less will make things far more difficult as their fate will largely be out of their hands, and a place in the final will be dependent on how other games go, a scenario they’ll be keen to avoid.
This is it for both teams, a place in the final beckons both, but there can be only one winner. Expect both teams to give it their all and leave it all on the field. It should be a cracker of a game.

Following on from such a decisive clash of the ash, the ladies will be taking to the field in football, where a top of the table clash sees the Griffintown Gaels face off against current table toppers the Goose Village Blackrocks, and it’s a game that will be keenly watched by the Verdun Vikings as it’s outcome will have a significant impact on the rest of their season.
The Gaels have been relentless in their pursuit of the Blackrocks this season, constantly nipping at their heels and occasionally ousting them from the top spot. A victory here would tie them on points in the top slot, but would most probably leave them in second place on score difference. It would also be a major blow to the third place Verdun Vikings who would now need to win their last three games and then hope for favourable results in other games to stand a chance of making the finals.
The Gaels will be aware of all this, and will come out swinging, looking to put themselves back in the driving seat.
A win for the Blackrocks will secure their place in the final, and throw a lifeline to the Vikings keeping the Gaels within a more manageable four point gap. As if we needed any more proof of the adage that football makes for strange bedfellows, the Vikings will now be rooting for the same team that took them apart in their last fixture.
There’s room for the Blackrocks to recover if they stumble here, as they have a game in hand over their nearest rivals, but they’ll be keen to book their place in the finals now. Given their recent form there’ll be every confidence in the Blackrocks camp that this will be the day they clinch their place in the finals, but the Gaels will be in no mood to acquiesce and will fight them every inch of the way.
As all eyes will be on this fixture, which could decide so much for all the teams in the league, expect it to be fast, frantic and high scoring.

Both these fixtures are on Monday the 13th of August at Vanier College

7:00pm – St Henri Harps vs Na Fianna Rouges
8:00pm – Griffintown Gaels (Ladies) vs Goose Village Blackrocks (Ladies)