‘The lads showed no ill-effects from Monday’ says manager Moloney
CHARLEVILLE Team Manager, John Moloney was, as one might expect, pretty satisfied with the result and with the level of performance, along with being extremely proud of his charges. He along with all those involved is looking forward in a crowded programme of fixtures to representing Cork in a provincial final.
“A great win and I suppose the turnaround was only a couple of days since last Monday, but when you win a county there’s a bit of celebrating, but we got the boys in again last Thursday night.
“We had a puck around and a chat, and things and we said we were representing Cork and we would do the best that we could do, we want to represent our county and they did well today.
“The lads showed no ill effects from Monday and I suppose that first half performance against that strong breeze stood to us and it was the performance that probably won us the game.
“Against Courceys in the two games [county final and replay] we didn’t score a goal. It’s very hard to score a goal against teams who have very good back lines. It was a turning point [the goal], because, it gave us a bit of momentum and it drove us on, we got a couple of points after that to go in at half-time against the breeze.
“So in the second half, with that strong breeze we tacked on a couple of more points, but credit to Lixnaw, they were down a couple of players, they battled to the very end and I must give them savage credit.
Our backs have been outstanding all year, those men don’t see any scorelines after their names, but by God they are after improving in every game. I am very proud of them, very proud of them, our backs.
“Ben [O Connor] has done a mighty job with us, since he came in, but I suppose it’s not just the Newtown style of hurling, it’s that every fellow has to work, work, get in around, be there for the breaking ball, be off the shoulder, it’s the workrate and they showed it, (today) thanks be to god.
“A huge profile [for Charleville with Darragh Fitzgibbon’s All Star Award], the young fellows will look up to him now, young fellows that mightn’t be hurling will say we will go down to the field and meet Darragh and he will puck around a few balls with us.
“Anything the club ever asked Darragh he will do it, so, it’s great. We have football Monday night against Midelton in the semi final, under 21 hurling next Saturday. I suppose, at this time of the year all you can do is take one game at a time and hopefully we don’t get any injuries.
“It’s going to be tough in the final, I think it’s Feakle, but look, as I said, what we are going to do is that we are going to represent Cork, we are in the Munster final representing Cork and we are going to give it one good shot anyway.”