Meelin and Éire Óg to

COUNTY IHC Meelin v Éire Óg Friday May 24 Banteer 7.15pm

BUOYED up by a convincing victory over Kildorrery in a preliminary round tie two weeks ago, Éire Óg will head into this fixture in a very positive frame of mind.

Aided by a late hat-trick of goals from full-forward Daniel Goulding, they beat last year’s defeated finalists by twelve points, a margin that didn’t flatter them unduly on the overall run of the play.

Along with Goulding, Kevin Hallissey, Ronan O’Toole and Brian Hurley impressed in attack, as did John Dineen and Cork Under 21 panellist John Cooper at midfield, while John Kelleher and Dermot Herlihy back-boned a defence that hadn’t a weak link.

While Kildorrery were without their ace attacker Peter O’Brien, it would be stretching things quite a bit to suggest his absence had a appreciable bearing on the outcome, such was the extent of Éire Óg’s superiority.

The Ovens men’s triumph was all the more satisfying in that it avenged their championship defeats at the hands of Kildorrery in the previous two campaigns, and if they perform as well in Banteer on Friday night, Meelin are going to have their work cut out to bring them down.

Soundly thrashed by Aghada, 3-17 to 1-11, at the quarter final stage last year, Meelin will be looking to such as Jason O’Callaghan, Jeremy Curtin, Kevin Collins, William Buckley, William Murphy, Liam Collins and TJ Brosnan to provide much of the inspiration as they attempt to get back to winning ways.

Verdict: Éire Óg Ballincollig v Inniscarra Saturday May 13 Coachford 6.45pm

HAVING availed of the opportunity – stemming from the decision to revamp and extend the championships at all levels in 2016 – to move up a grade with their second team, Inniscarra looked a bit out of their depth when failing to win any of their three games last year.

They will obviously be hoping to do better in the campaign ahead, but it’s most unlikely they’ll be capable of putting Ballincollig to the sword in their opening assignment.

Given that Ballincollig finished just three points adrift of Dungourney – who later ran eventual champions Fr O’Neill’s to a point – in a Round 4 replay last