Improved display from hurlers
A LITTLE bit of history was probably written on Sunday last when the Fermoy hurlers travelled to what has been known as one of the ancestral homes of hurling in East Cork in Cloyne to contest yet another round of the Rochestown Park County Division One league game.
I cannot remember a Fermoy hurling team taking on such a renowned hurling club as Cloyne are in a competitive adult hurling game before now. I am quite sure that older folk in Cloyne might think similarly when the clubs clashed in the IFC in 2013/14 and again just two weeks ago.
However, this was not exactly a David versus Goliath affair. Right from the start Fermoy gave as good as they got and even, over the course of the hour, Fermoy followers could point to numerous missed chances which, if taken, could have turned the final result upside down.
That the home side, playing in their splendid new complex, were in front for most of the first was thanks to the concession of two goals which our rearguard must put their hands up for. A similar story tells the tale of goal number three early in the second half when, again, the first touch left us down and we were duly punished.
However, thanks to a brilliant solo effort by Brian O'Sullivan, who beat three backs before slipping an unstoppable shot past Donal Og, and some fine points from Liam Coleman, Alan O'Connor, Jack Hutchings and Peter Murphy saw to it that the scores were level at half time, Cloyne 2-5 Fermoy 18.
Fermoy had much the better of the early period of the second half but again some poor shooting cost them dearly on occasions. Just when it looked as if a surprise win was on the way, Cloyne suddenly found their range with the aforementioned third goal putting them back in front once again.
This was when the Fermoy side seemed to lose their composure and they gave away some very uncharacteristic frees, for which they were duly punished by the experienced Cloyne side.
In a rousing finish they could have snatched a well deserved draw but for some poor decision making from frees and play as time was running out. IHL v BANDON FRIDAY NIGHT
On the positive side, this was a much improved display all round from last week's game with Ballincollig, another game on this coming Friday night in Fermoy (7.30pm) sees Bandon coming to town and this game will certainly shed some light on what the Selectors have in mind for the forthcoming IHC game v Kildorrery at Castletownroche on Sunday June 8th - this means an interesting few weeks ahead.