Premier Junior Hurling Championship
The eagerly anticipated Cork County Hurling Championship returned for the 2023 iteration on the August Bank Holiday Weekend, with a jam packed schedule with a game in almost every town and village in the county.
From a Russell Rovers perspective, it’s the Co-op Superstores Premier Junior Hurling Championship. Rovers went in with high hopes and expectations after winning the league in early July, but if one thing is clear from the early championship results, is that league form means little when it comes to the real business.
Our first day out was against Meelin, who we played in well prepared Castletownroche venue. Despite a lively opening from our forwards, disaster struck as we had to reshuffle the team after losing Kevin O’Brien and Kieran Walsh to injury within the first 10 minutes. Despite this, Rovers managed to keep their noses in front as Brian Hartnett and Luke Duggan Murray kept the scoreboard ticking over. However Meelin almost always had a response and credit goes to them for their fighting spirit. One does have to wonder what the outcome would have been if Ross Walsh’s penalty found the back of the net. Instead his counterpart in the Meelin goal made a fine stop.
Playing with the wind in the second, Rovers range of scores increased, with Mark O’Dwyer, James Kennefick and Kevin Moynihan pointing early on. Coming down the home stretch it was in Rovers hands, as Jack McGrath and Brian Hartnett saw Rovers lead with 3 minutes left. What happened next was a major sucker punch as Meelin managed to score not only one, but two goals. With only seconds remaining, a stunned Rovers were unable to recoup the deficit, ending up on the losing side 0-19 to 2-15.
In one way the loss to Meelin refocused the minds as seven days later Rovers had a must win encounter against St. Finbarr’s. Despite the disappointing result in Castletownroche, credit must go to the loyal Rovers support who stuck with the team and showed up in force in Cobh on Regatta weekend. While fireworks overlooked the Cobh skyline on the Sunday night, we saw three cracking goals in Pairc Ui Chonaill, two of which were in the first ten minutes. Any worries of a repeat of seven days earlier put to bed early on.
After Kevin Moynihan found his range early on with two long distance scores, Mark O’Dwyer then goaled from an acute angle, which was followed by anoter goal for the ages from Brian Hartnett, after a crossfield ball from Ciaran Sheehan. Rovers didn’t take their foot off the throttle, and St Finbarr’s simply couldn’t handle the class of O’Dywer and Hartnett in the inside line throughout. Leading at half time, 2-10 to 0-05, Rovers could be forgiven for thinking of taking the foot off the gas, but again it was Mark O’Dwyer on the end of a fine team move to billow to the net from a ground strike five minutes into the second half.
Credit must go to the Rovers backs who didn’t give the Barr’s a sniff of goal throughout, with Paul Lane, Eoghan Devanney and James Ahern particularly impressive in the full back line. Late points from Luke Duggan Murray and Ciaran Sheehan put icing on the cake for what was an excellent display, which left us all leaving Cobh in much better spirits than the first day out. Final Score: 3-17 to 0-11.
Everyone is now eagerly anticipating the Imokilly battle on September 1st when St Catherine’s will be the opposition in the final group game. The old championship adage of win or bust for Rovers.
East Cork Junior C Hurling Championship
Rovers travelled to Dungourney to take on the hosts in the first group game of the Junior C Championship. Having reached the final of this competition last year, and having reached the league final this year, Rovers went in with high hopes. Having to rely on a mix of youth and experience, Rovers found it difficult to turn possession into scores, and ultimately fell to a very youthful Dungourney side who ran out deserved winners 2-12 to 0-09. Credit to Matthew Fitzgerald, Kieran Ivers, Brian Crowley, Brian Daly, Seamus Kearney, Anthony Archer and John Paul Ivers who continue to show incredible commitment to the Rovers jersey, all togging out for the adult teams for almost 25 years at this stage. Also, a big congratulations to Kevin Roche and Shane O’Donovan who made their championship debuts in this game.
