Cushinstown seek place in final

THE FOOTBALLERS of Rathgarogue-Cushinstown will be aiming to follow the marvellous example set by the Ballygarrett hurlers last weekend when they take on Shannonbridge from Offaly in the AIB Leinster Club Junior championship semi-final in O’Kennedy Park, New Ross, on Sunday (1.30 p.m.).

With one spot in a provincial decider already secured by the Gorey District men, now it’s the turn of the side managed by James Bolger who already have two well-merited wins under their belts.

After coming away from Dr. Tierney Park in Graiguenamanagh with a 1-14 to 1-9 victory over Mooncoin, the Kilkenny Intermediate champions, they travelled the even shorter distance to next Sunday’s venue one week later and defeated Craobh Chiaráin from Dublin by 0-11 to 0-6.

Claiming the scalp of a team from the capital is never an easy task at any level of football, so that success should leave Rathgarogue-Cushinstown in a very positive frame of mind.

The challenged facing our Intermediate ‘A’ victors is made more difficult by the fact that Offaly are one of just two counties, along with Kilkenny, who are entitled to have their Intermediate winners representing them in this particular championship.

Shannonbridge beat Clonbullogue in their county final in Tullamore on October 19, and since then they have recorded Leinster wins over Fenagh from Carlow by the minimum (0-14 to 0-13), and Roche Emmets from Louth (2-13 to 1-8).

The club won its sole county Senior title as recently as 1996, and that was five years after their only triumph in the Intermediate grade prior to this season.

They are captained from midfield by Ronan Hynes, and other key figures include his partner in that sector, Philip Egan, plus goalkeeper Barry Rohan, defenders Paul Maloney and Bill Egan, and attackers Ronan McEvoy, Darragh Corbett and Jack Darcy.

Rathgarogue-Cushinstown will be hoping for big displays from their two county Senior panel members from earlier this year, Eoin Porter and Daire Bolger, at centre-back and centre-forward respectively, as well as the Codys, Brian O’Neill, and Daniel Martin Carroll.

They also have plenty of options on the bench, with Aaron ‘Red’ Ryan in particular making a big impact after being introduced in their two Leinster tests thus far.

The first semi-final between Clann na Gael of Meath and Ballymore Eustace from Kildare will take place in St. Loman’s Park, Trim, on Saturday.