SENIOR CHAMPIONSHIP on FRIDAY.
We are in Cork County Senior Hurling championship action on Friday evening June 3rd. Our opponents are na Piarsaigh and we haven’t far to travel as the game is fixed for Felix Sarsfield Memorial park in Watergrasshill. We last met the city side in Championship action back in 2004. In our very first game in the Senior grade we met Na Piarsaigh in Fermoy. It was a baptism of fire for us at Senior level and at time Na Piarsaigh seemed far superior but in the second half we came right into the game but we were eventually defeated by two points.
Like our opponents on Friday night we had a poor start to the 2011 Co Senior Hurling League. Despite two early draws we had to wait until a fortnight ago for our first League victory against Cloyne. Na Piarsaigh had a slow start but hit a recent purple patch with three good victories. We have been badly hit with injuries to several players over the last eight weeks. Hopefully for Friday night most of these will have cleared up. Games in the Cork Senior Championship are never easy to win as we’ve learned in the past few seasons but in fairness we have always competed well since our elevation to the top grade. No one is in any doubt but that Na Piarsaigh are very formidable opponents. In last years first round played after the Rovers v St. Finbarrs game they destroyed the Glen. We are well capable of winning this game with a whole hearted display from all the team. The match is timed for 7.30 so let’s have plenty of vocal support for the team. Go for it lads.
Junior Hurling.
We had mixed fortunes in the East Cork Junior Leagues over the last week. We lost away to St. Itas in Div 2 and defeated St. Catherines at home in Division 3.
JHL2 V St.Itas
It was a very depleted squad that departed Rathcormac for the St. Itas venue in Pilmore on Wednesday night of last week. Examinations and injuries meant that we had just a bare team. As is nearly always the case in the pitch by the sea side a gale force wind was blowing and we drew the short straw and ended up playing against the elements.
Within 10 minutes we were 2-3 behind due to sloppy play in defence and also the failure of the team to click into any kind of reasonable hurling pattern. We made a recovery when we scored 1-2 in quick succession but by half-time we were behind by 2-11 to 1-5. The position was not helped either in that we lost Pa O Driscoll with a recurrence of his leg injury after 10 minutes.
The 2nd half was again a disaster when we conceded 1-1 immediately on the restart. We failed to adjust to the conditions and did not adequately use the advantage of the elements. We lost by 3-14 to 2-7. It is obvious that we need to assemble the full Junior Panel for serious training and we ask for 100% commitment from all involved in the weeks ahead.
Team: Frank Hogan, Fergus Collins, James Murphy, Tomas Kearney, Patrick O’Driscoll, Brendan O’Driscoll, Jim O’Connor, Michael Kearney, Ryan O’Connor, Sean O’Brien, Pat Walsh, Eoin Murphy, Daniel Lane, Alan O’Keeffe and Gavin Quill. Sub: Niall Hogan.
Scorers: Gavin Quill 1-0, Brendan O’Driscoll 1-0, Daniel Lane 0-3, Pat Walsh 0-2, Eoin Murphy 0-1 and Niall Hogan 0-1.
JHL3 V St. Catherines.
This game was fixed for Thursday night but was switched to Saturday afternoon.
We started slowly playing against the wind and after 12 minutes we were behind by 5 points. We then got into the game and by half-time we were just three points in arrears, 0-9 to 1-3. At the start of the second half we scored some excellent points and were playing like a Rovers team can do. We had St.Catherines on the rack but then faded out of the game for a period and started to concede points from unnecessary frees and left our lead slip. But the defence held firm coming near the end and finally we won by the narrowest of margins 1-15 to 0-17.
Team: Frank Hogan, Barry Collins, Joe Delaney, William O’Leary, Fergus Collins, Stephen Walsh, Ryan O’Connor, Stephen Pratt, Sean O’Brien, Stephen O’Leary, Richard Cahill, Liam O’Leary, Daniel Lane, Alan O’Keeffe and Niall Hogan.
Subs: Kieran Woulfe, James Bermingham and Shane O’Connor.
Kilworth V Blackrock.
On this Sunday night June 5th Pairc na Bride hosts a County Intermediate Championship game when Kilworth and Blackrock meet. The game is timed
for 7 o clock.
All club members that are available for Stewarding duties are asked to be at the pitch by 6pm.
Cork v Tipp.
Tipperary revenged last years defeat at the hands of Cork in Thurles on Sunday last when they had a flattering 8 point winning margin. A total scoring tally of 3 – 45 gave the crowd of 31,00 great value for their money. Cork must now go the Qualifier route. They go into the ‘hat’ along with Laois, Carlow, Antrim, Offaly and probably Westmeath (they play Galway in Mullingar next Saturday). Four of this six will be in action on Saturday June 18th with the two winning teams that day in action again the following Saturday against the two teams that got the ‘byes.’
