Kanturk are up against it
Kanturk v Sarsfields
KANTURK kick off their second campaign as a senior hurling side with a seriously difficult tie against one of the powerhouses of the game in Cork (Sarsfields) this weekend.
Mallow GAA’s Carrigoon Complex will play host to the Duhallow side’s first meaningful championship tie of the year and while local knowledge may help the men in green and white somewhat they will need to be at their best to take something from this encounter.
Kanturk had a real baptism of fire last year losing out to local rivals Newtownshandrum in their first game before suffering another loss, this time to Bishopstown in Round 2. Credit to the Duhallow side they rallied well in the relegation play-off game against Killeagh, comfortably taking their first championship win as a senior club by all of seven points.
Sarsfields had a much more successful championship run in 2018, but would still have left the competition feeling there was more in it for them. The boys in blue saw off Ballyhea in Round 1 by four points before putting up a cricket score against a totally overwhelmed Carrigtwohill in Round 2 – but just as momentum seemed to be building around the Glanmire club a three-point loss to the students of UCC put them out at the quarter final stage.
Kanturk have a host of household names in their line-up with Anthony Nash, Aidan Walsh and recently retired Cork star Lorcan McLoughlin joined by a host of All Ireland intermediate winners like Darren Browne, Lorcan O’Neill and Ian Walsh.
Unsurprisingly, Sars will bring plenty to this particular party themselves with players of the calibre of Daniel Kearney, Jack O’Connor and Conor O’Sullivan joined by the likes of Liam Healy at corner-forward and Paul Leopold with the latter likely to return from injury. Corner back Darren Kenneally will also play a part this weekend after returning from years in abroad.
Both sides will fancy their chances of going a long way in this competition and despite Kanturk’s poor season last time round players like Daniel O’Connell just can’t wait to get going.
“It’s really a big season for us this year particularly with Sars up first. They are a formidable side with plenty of really good players all over the pitch but we have some good players too and hopefully we will give a good account of ourselves and get through it with a win.
“We have a good chance of going well this year and particularly now with all the Cork lads coming back we are going well in training. Players like Anthony [Nash] and Aidan [Walsh] are brilliant for us but we also have Lorcan [McLoughlin] around all the time now since he retired from Cork.
“Lorcan is doing an amazing amount now with the club – he has more time than ever for us now and is always at training – he is great to give advice so he is a great asset to the club and to the team”.
Having a host of senior inter-county stars on your club team is obviously an advantage on the pitch for young players like O’Connell, but the forward is also well-aware of the benefits off it.
“It’s great to have the senior players around. They are always open to give advice. You can always go and ask questions. They have all been there and done it before and they are more than willing to help the younger players out.”
O’Connell can’t wait to get going this weekend and feels his side are just fine tuning what they need to do to take on a successful side like Sarsfields.
“It’s really all about ball work now. The fitness is there so it is about players getting their eye in and hopefully on the night it will all come good for us. We are under no illusion about how tough this game will be but its championship and in championship no game is easy.”
It’s hard to look past the Glanmire side as they look to bounce back from their premature exit in 2018, but Kanturk will know that there is plenty more in them than they got to show last season. Kanturk were definitely a tired side in 2018 after an intermediate run that had taken them all the way to the All-Ireland crown – lasting all of 12 months.
This time Kanturk have had time to adjust to life with the big boys with a good pre-season that should stand them in good stead. The clever money is on Sarsfields but the heart goes with Kanturk. Kanturk by the minimum.