Carnew are ready O’Brien says unity is side’s strength

With Casey O’Brien CARNEW boss Casey O’Brien believes that a good blend of youth and experience has brought his team to the county final and that the unity within the ranks is what may get them over the line against the reigning champions, Bray.

“They’ve put in a huge effort (the players). A lot of sacrifices made and what have you. To be fair to Tom Darcy, he brought in a couple of young lads and we’ve brought in a couple of more young lads and to be fair to Carnew they’ve done a lot of work at juvenile levels over the last few years, the likes of Jim Bob (Doyle) and lads like that. We’ve more new blood and we’re finishing matches with nine and 10 under-21s so we maybe a year or two ahead of ourselves but sure we’re in the final now and you never know what would happen on the day.

There may have been a suggestion in recent years that the emerging talent was not appearing quick enough to create that blend but Casey O’Brien says that it’s important for younger players to have more experienced warriors longside them to guide them in big games like the one on Sunday in Aughrim.

“There’s a lot of young lads there now but you need experience to guide these young lads and I think there’s a good blend there now at the moment and there’s a few mature heads like Graham Keogh, the Collins, Don Hyland, Liam Kennedy and lads like that that are a help to the young lads and please god the blend is right and we’ll see what happens,” he said.

Last year Bray got away on Carnew in the county final and Casey wonders whether the lessons learned from that defeat will be enough to help the proud carnew men bridge the gap that was very evident in the decider last year,

“It’s hard for young lads going into their first county final so without a doubt they would have learned from it (last year) and it depends on whether we’ve learned enough to bridge the gap that was there last year.

“I think we’ve shown earlier in the year, we’re the only team to have beaten Bray in three years, that’s the only match they’ve lost in three years. I think they (the Carnew players) have learned from it and there’s another couple of young lads like Oisin Furlong, Jack Doyle, Wayne Kinsella, they weren’t around last year. The three of them are a huge bonus to us this year. The three of them have done very well. Very fit, very strong.

Carnew experienced a big boost at the start of the championship with a morale boosting win over Bray. While it was the aim back then it will have absolutely no bearing on Sunday’s game says the former Wicklow boss.

“That was our stall set out to try and beat Bray at the start of the year to give the lads some confidence but that match was probably three, four months ago so it has no bearing and no relevance on the game on Sunday.

Casey O’Brien says that John Henderson is a man who will have his team right but he suggests that there may be a “bit of pressure” on the Bray hurlers as they go in search of the three-in-a-row.

“John’s been around. He’s played in All-Ireland finals, he’ll have them right. They’ll be right on the day. They’re going for three in a row. They’ll be hot favourites. We’re under no illusion. Any team going for three in a row, you know they’re a good team. It doesn’t happen everywhere. They’re going to be up for that big time. But, it’s a bit of pressure on them as well; it’s a bit of burden that they have to carry so hopefully we can capitalise on that.

O’Brien says the strength in depth in the Bray panel is huge but that Carnew have a unity that will take come reckoning.

“We all know the Christy Moorehouses, the John Hendersons, the Diarmuid Mastersons, they’ve all got plenty of experience and they were able to bring lads off the bench, the likes of Paul Cunningham and Padraig Doyle, lads who would get on any senior team so they’re strength and depth is huge but we’re not too bad ourselves, our unity is our strength at the moment and we might get across the line against them,” he said.

A look at the semi-finals reveals two drastically different matches and Casey O’Brien says that St Pat’s should be proud of what they achieved.

“Pat’s put it up to Bray for a long time, they really did. It was a good match, it was an open match. I think both semi-finals were very different. There was a lot of open play with Pat’s and Bray whereas with with Glenealy and Carnew there wasn’t a whole lot of room, there was a lot of hard hitting, more tight physical game, whatever you want to call it. I’m sure Pat’s are proud of what they achieved, they put Bray to the pin of their collars and Bray pulled away in the last 10 minutes.

Pat’s had a very good year, without a doubt,” he said.

After a lengthy spell with the county, how does it feel to be back managing a club?

“It’s goods to be back in the club scene. It drags on a bit longer. You were finished earlier with the county team, you knew when you were starting, you had an idea of when you were finishing. It’s different with the club; you’re going from week to week some times, when’s your next match. It’s nice to be back. I wouldn’t be going to every club or anything like that, Carnew came calling and I said I’d give it a lash.

“I have enjoyed it, really have. You can only enjoy it if the players are putting it in and they are and hopefully we can reap the rewards next Sunday in the final,” he added.