Contrast in teams clear from looking at 2005 line-outs

IWAS browsing through old county final programmes over the weekend when I came across an interesting fact in relation to next Sunday’s Pettitt’s Senior hurling championship decider. One of the five previous meetings between Oulart-The Ballagh and St. Martin’s on the big day was on October 23, 2005, when the Enniscorthy District side won by 1-15 to 1-9, having led by 0-8 to 0-5 at half-time.

The losers had a squad of 30 listed for that game, and guess how many are still involved with the Seniors? Believe it or not, nobody is still standing from that panel which was captained by Rory McCarthy from centre-back and included current manager Tomás Codd at midfield.

Indeed, the sole player still performing at the highest level is centre-forward Eoin Quigley whose Sarsfields side lost their Cork semi-final replay to divisional outfit Imokilly on Saturday night.

On the other hand, that winning Oulart-The Ballagh team twelve years ago included Keith Rossiter and Paul Roche in the full-back line, Des Mythen who scored 1-1 from left half-forward, and the Jacob brothers, Rory and Michael, in the attack.

In addition, Nicky Kirwan, Dennis Morton, Barry Kehoe, Garrett Sinnott, Ben O’Connor and Darren Nolan were on the bench in 2005 and are still part of the squad for next Sunday’s showdown.

I think those figures clearly underline the difference between the sides, with the battle-hardened and experienced holders having seen it all and done it all before.

And they will be coming up against the young pretenders, a group of players brimming with confidence who are making the transition from hurling to football and back again week after week to devastating effect.

And while history can throw up some eye-catching pointers, it’s probably more relevant to look back to the sides’ last final clash in 2015 when Oulart-The Ballagh triumphed by 2-15 to 0-13 after building a 2-6 to 0-6 half-time lead.

What has changed in the meantime to suggest that St. Martin’s are more than capable of bridging that eight-point gap?

Well, first and foremost, Rory O’Connor was a raw first-year Minor two years ago, and he has developed since then into one of the finest attacking prospects the county has seen in the past decade.

That’s why his availability or otherwise next Sunday will be so crucial to the outcome. His knee injury kept him out of the replayed football semi-final against Shelmaliers, and each and every neutral looking forward to the game will be hoping that he is fit for the fray because his array of skills are a joy to behold.

Some will argue that it doesn’t say a lot for the St. Martin’s squad if they are relying so much on a 19-year-old, but I beg to differ.

He’s the main man for the challengers, and if he plays as hoped it will take a considerable effort to keep him at bay. Of course, the other big injury doubt, Des Mythen, is every bit as influential as his five semi-final points against Rapparees proved.

It’s also worth noting that Rory’s big brother, Jack, didn’t feature in the 2015 final, although 13 of the likely Martin’s starting 15 were involved. Tomás Waters, Daithí Hayes and Stephen Murphy have moved away from the squad since then, while all of the Oulart-The Ballagh team from that last meeting figured at some stage in the semi-final.

How much should we read into the result when the sides met in the first round of the group stages in Bellefield on May 5?

St. Martin’s won by 0-20 to 1-14 and that was a confidence-booster without a shadow of a doubt, although I tend to agree with the view expressed by Tomás Codd elsewhere on these pages. Their shrewd manager felt that his team really needed that win and probably put more preparation into the game than the holders who have perfected the art of peaking in October.

Oulart-The Ballagh are in a familiar position for long-time champions. There is a feeling that they are vulnerable, but until such time as they actually falter, observers are reluctant to rule out their chances entirely because of their outstanding pedigree.

I find myself in that boat too, but I believe Sunday could herald in a new dawn with a first title for St. Martin’s since 2008.