Ardclough looking to cause another upset against Kilkenny kingpins Ballyraggett today

There will be a few more sets of eyes on this particular clash then would previously have been anticipated as Kilkenny Intermediate champions St Patrick’s Ballyraggett travel to Newbridge for the Leinster Intermediate Hurling Championship quarter-final this afternoon at 2pm.

The now infamous Kilkenny side will be taking on an Ardclough outfit that produced a stunning upset in the Kildare final to gun down Naas, and they have had plenty of time to recover after their celebrations ahead of their first Leinster Championship campaign since they won the title back in 2008.

It was the celebrations of the Ballyraggett club who attracted national attention over the last couple of weeks however, and, rightly or wrongly, there will be a high level of interest in how they perform when they pitch up at St Conleth’s Park to take on the seasoned campaigners of Ardclough.

They won the county title in Kilkenny largely thanks to the stunning performances of county panellist Kevin Kelly, a player who plundered 3-11 in the semi-final win over Tullaroan before stroking over a further 10 points in the county final victory. Keeping him to limited possession and opportunities from placed balls is the utmost concern for the Clogs ahead of this game.

They have proven themselves to be capable of causing a shock, and with the furore surrounding today’s opponents in the build-up to this tie, maybe it wouldn’t be quite so surprising to see Ardclough cause another upset this weekend.