Buckley: We have chance
SO what is the feeling around Mallow GAA as their current crop of hugely talented hurlers prepare for what is the biggest game of their young lives to date? Well as one would expect it is not all plain sailing.
“Fierce pressure, good pressure though” according to manager Joe Buckley. “It’s great to be in a position where we can do something like in 1972. We have made it all the way through a tough season and now we get the chance to emulate the lads in ’72. We have been there three or four times since then but we failed to do it on those occasions but hopefully we can do it this time.”
This current crop have been knocking on the door for a while now and Buckley hopes this is their time. “We have been at the latter end of each campaign since we set out on this road three years ago. Two semi-final losses in the last two years by two points and one point but thankfully we got over the line this time out – third time lucky I suppose. I can only say that we really are thrilled to get the level of commitment from the players again this year after two really hard defeats. It shows just what a great bunch of young men we have here at present to see them come back time after time stronger.
“We made a slow start this season, took us a long time to win a match in the league this year but that is all ok now. We have been building up to this point – the team are not as young this year so it was more important to have them right for championship. The last two years they were so young that you kind of have to get them going early so that is why we were so competitive in the league but that may have cost us in the end. This year it is a little different.”
On wouldn’t expect someone like Buckley to settle for second