Castlelyons should be able to see off Kanturk
COUNTY PIHC Kanturk v Castlelyons Sunday April 30 Castletownroche 3.30pm
KANTURK’S only win in three outings last year came at the expense of Tracton in a relegation play-off and they were very disappointing in their opening game against Cloyne. They exited the title-race in Round 3 following a hard-fought encounter with Kilworth, but their form overall left quite a bit to be desired.
The 2013 intermediate kingpins had competed well in the previous two campaigns, however, qualifying for the semi-finals in their first year up, and bowing out to Valley Rovers in a quarter final replay in 2015, so it would be no major surprise should they make a similar impact in the season ahead.
They will face a difficult opening assignment against Castlelyons, who beat them by three points in a first round tie two years ago, although the East-Cork side didn’t exactly set the world on fire either last year, shipping a couple of heavy defeats from Inniscarra and Ballinhassig at either side of a victory over Courcey Rovers in Round 2B.
Colm Spillane, Anthony Spillane, Colm Barry, Aidan O’Sullivan and Tom Condon will be expected to spearhead their bid for victory, while Lorcan McLoughlin, Darren Browne, Alan O’Keeffe, John McLoughlin and Aidan Walsh – providing he has recovered from the shoulder-injury he sustained with the club’s footballers last weekend – should feature prominently for Kanturk.
Verdict: Castlelyons
Fermoy v Kilworth Sunday April 30 Ballyhooley 3.30pm
FOR the second year in-a-row, near neighbours Fermoy and Kilworth will do battle in Round 1 and if their thrilling encounter last season is anything to go by, the spectators in Ballyhooley next Sunday are in for a real treat.
Fermoy won that game by 3-16 to 4-11, but they needed a couple of late goals to snatch the laurels from Kilworth’s grasp, and both sides went on to acquit themselves admirably after that.
While Fermoy lost their next match against Cloyne, they bounced back with victories over Charleville and Inniscarra before turning the tables on Cloyne to advance to the decider where they came up short by six points against Bandon.
Kilworth also bowed out to Bandon, 2-17 to 1-18, at the quarter-final stage, having clocked up a couple of narrow wins over Kanturk and Valley Rovers prior to that, and needless to say, they won’t be lacking self-belief ahead of the rematch with Fermoy.
Will Condon, Austin O’Hara, Kieran Lane, Jeremy Saich, Noel McNamara and Mark O’Connor
The likelihood is that the Avondhu side will have what it takes to get the desired result against Fr O’Neills
can be relied upon to play leading roles for Kilworth, with Brian O’Sullivan, Liam Coleman, Shane Aherne, David Geary, Tomas Clancy and Darragh O’Carroll likely to provide much of the inspiration for Fermoy.
Verdict: Fermoy Charleville v Fr O’Neill’s Sunday April 30 Pairc Uí Rinn 3.45pm EN route to county IHC glory in 2015, Charleville easily dispatched Fr O’Neill’s, 1-28 to 1-8, at the semi final stage, so they must be strongly fancied to put the East-Cork side to the sword again on Sunday.
Given that no team managed to lay on glove on them two years ago, Charleville were expected to make a smooth transition premier intermediate ranks and they didn’t do badly in their first season up, even if their record of one win, over Blarney in Round 2B, in three games tends to suggest otherwise.
Their two defeats came at the hands of title-winners Bandon, after extra time, and defeated finalists Fermoy, however, so, obviously, they weren’t too far off the pace last year.
Fr O’Neill’s – with Dean Dalton, Eoin Conway, Billy Dunne, Podge Butler and Ger O’Leary making major contributions – lifted the intermediate title last year, and, buoyed up by that success, it will be a surprise if they don’t provide Charleville with a sterner test than they did in the previous championship collision between the sides.
The likelihood is that the Avondhu side will have it takes to achieve the desired result, however, especially if such as Cork senior Darragh Fitzgibbon, Danny O’Flynn, Andrew Cagney, Mark Kavanagh, Alan Dennehy and Gavin Kelleher are firing on all cylinders.
Verdict: Charleville Blarney v Watergrasshill Sunday April 30 Pairc Uí Rinn 2pm RELEGATED from senior ranks in 2013, Blarney haven’t seriously threatened to reclaim their topflight status in the meantime, endured a particularly disappointing campaign in 2016 when they failed to register a victory in three outings against Watergrasshill, Charleville and Courcey Rovers.
After beating Blarney by four points, Watergrasshill gave a good account of themselves when going under, 2-15 to 0-16, to eventual champions Bandon in Round 2A, but they were thrashed to the tune of 14 points by Mallow next time out.All of which suggests that neither Blarney nor Watergrasshill are entitled to harbour any lofty aspirations at the moment.
At the same time, both teams aren’t without potential, and Blarney, with such accomplished hurlers as Cork senior Mark Coleman, Joe Jordan, Darragh McSweeney, John Barrett and Colm Murphy on board, are certainly capable of better than what they produced last year.
Anthony Cronin, who excelled at midfield, John Halbert, Kevin O’Neill, Sean O’Callaghan and Patrick O’Regan were Watergrasshill’s leading lights in last year’s win over Blarney, and if they perform as well this time, it might just be enough to get the East-Cork side over the line again.
Verdict: Watergrasshill