Pearses take on reigning County Champions Gort in the Salthill Hotel Senior Hurling Championship this coming Sunday evening in Athenry at 6.30pm. Referee will be Sean Moran. Gort will be raging hot favorites to win this one, but as the new championship format has proven so far, no one is safe. Pearses were not expected to topple Carnmore in the last game, but a big half-time lead left Carnmore with too much to do in the second half. Gort qualified for the group stages at the first time of asking in Round 1, with a narrow win over neighbours St. Thomas’. They will look to the likes of captain Andy Coen, Aidan Harte, Richie Cummins, Jason Grealish and Ger O’Donoghue to lead the way. Pearses will hope that Tomandamp;aacute;s Flannery, Cyril Donnellan and Jimmy Gelston can continue the good form they showed in the last game. There is also good news for Pearses with Shane Raftery returning from his exile in Oz. Tommy Larkins played last years Intermediate Champions Moycullen also in Athenry, last weekend, in the first game of Group A. Larkins were the better team throughout, with the West Galway men too reliant on full-forward Eanna Noone. Larkins missed three goal chances in the first half, but took the goal chances they had in the second half to run out winners by 9 points. Jason Flynn impressed for the Woodford/Ballinakill men. The Gort game will be proceeded by Group D game between neighbours Loughrea and Tynagh/Abbey-Duniry, which won’t be found wanting for Championship bite.