County Senior Hurling Final on Sunday

On next Sunday September 28th the Bride Rovers Senior Hurling team play in their first ever County Championship Final. It’s an all East Cork decider with Sarsfields from the Glanmire/Riverstown area our opponents. It’s a completely new scenario for our club though we’ve played in and won County finals at Junior and Intermediate level in the last decade. It’s a huge occasion for the club and the parish and when we played the first round of the championship last May, few would have envisaged what has happened since.

We won the Co. Intermediate Hurling Championship in 2004 and have played at senior level since. Overall we’ve completed fairly well at the higher grade. We had some disappointing results however, in the last two seasons. In 2006 in the quarter final, Erins Own had a decisive win and in our first ever semi final last year, Newtownshandrum were far too strong. In both 2006 and 2007 we had defeated St Finbarrs so last December when the 2008 draws were made at County Convention and we were paired against St Finbarrs once more, we were fairly confident.

However after a poor league campaign this spring we travelled to Pairc Uí Chaoimh on the evening of Bartlemy Races to play the Barrs in a nervous state. Our fears came to pass, as we never really got going in the game. The Togher side avenged the defeats of the last 2 years. We missed a lot of chances on the night and yet we were only beaten by 11 points to 9. Coming out from Pairc Uí Chaoimh that evening the players knew that there was just a week until the ‘backdoor’ game against Ballinhassig who’d been beaten by Sars in the first round by a single point. This do or die game was played in Riverstown and we had a great start leading by 0-3 to 0-1 after 10 minutes. Ballinhassig then took over and led by 1-5 to 0-5 at half time. Thirteen minutes later they were 1-10 to 0-6 up and the relegation battle loomed for us. Great credit to the team however, they fought back well. Jerome O’Driscoll scored a great goal and then pointed a ’65 to leave just 3 points in it, 1-10 to 1-7. Ballinhassig increased their lead to 5 points with less than 5 minutes remaining. Jerome O’Driscoll hit his second goal and now we were just 2 points down. Martin Coleman, from a free, made it three as the final whistle approached. Then team captain Brian Murphy won possession and went through for an equalizing goal. We were very, very close to exiting from the Cork S.H.C. on May 25th. The final score was Bride Rovers 3-9 to Ballinhassig 1-13. Back in Riverstown on a Saturday afternoon three weeks later, we played Ballinhassig in the replay.

This was a very low scoring game with the sides level at 0-5 each at the break. In the second half we led 0-7 to 0-5 and again led 0-9 to 0-7 nearing the end. On both occasions we were brought back to level terms. It looked as though ‘twould take extra time to separate the sides until Michael Collins hit a winner late in the game, 0-10 to 0-9. The team was on the road again a week later in Round Three against Midleton at Ballynoe. We led by 1-6 to 0-5 at the break but fifteen minutes into the second half we were 1-10 to 1-7 down. Points from Sean, Jerome and Michael Kearney levelled it up again before Jerome O’Driscoll gave us the lead 1-11 to 1-10. There was no score for the last six minutes and we held out to qualify for the quarter final against Avondhu. We’d seen the North Cork Divisional side in action as they’d defeated C.I.T. in Rathcormac after extra time.

Back to Fermoy then, where we’d played our first senior championship game in 2004 against Na Piarsaigh. Again we’d a good start but as the rain came down Avondhu got on top to lead by 1-4 to 0-6 at the short whistle. ‘Twas only in the last quarter hour that we really got on top and won by 0-15 to 1-7. This win put us in the Co. Senior Hurling Championship semi final for the second year in a row. Our opponents were Erins Own who defeated us by 2-15 to 0-8 in the 2006 Co. quarter final.

             

The Co. semi final was on in Pairc Uí Chaoimh on the day before the All Ireland Hurling Final. This was really a game of two halves – two very different halves. Erins Own dominated the opening exchanges and led by 1-7 to 0-3 with nearly 25 minutes gone. Points from Michael Collins and Jerome made it 1-7 to 0-5 at the break. The second half was a different story with Erins Own scoring just 2 points, while we added 1-6 to win by 1-11 to 1-9. Sars defeated Newtownshandrum in the quarter final game after our match and the following Sunday they defeated the bookies’ favourites, Glen Rovers, to qualify for the final. We met Sarsfields in the senior championship in 2005, our third game at senior level. We were defeated  by them on that occasion. We still have most of that team on duty, whereas Sars have virtually a new team. They will have several of last years Co. Premier Minor winning side and in all the average age of the side is just 21 years. They’ve won Premier Minor and Under 21 ‘A’ grade titles in recent years so they are entitled to be favourites for the title. They have won the Cork Co. S.H.C. twice before, in 1951 and again in 1957. In more recent times, they’ve reached the Co. final in the 90’ when they were defeated by Imokilly.

Senior Hurling In The Club

Next Sunday’s Co. Final is just our twentieth game in the senior grade. Our record to date is as follows:

2004    First Senior Hurling Championship game May 1st 2004

            Lost to Na Piarsaigh.

            Lost to Midleton

2005   Lost to Sarsfields.

           Defeated Glen Rovers.

           Lost to Newtownshandrum.

2006   Lost to Newtownshandrum.

           Defeated Delaneys.

           Defeated St Finbarrs

           Lost to Erins Own (Quarter Final)

2007   Defeated St Finbarrs.

           Defeated C.I.T.

           Defeated Midleton.

           Lost to Newtownshandrum (Semi Final)

2008   Lost to St Finbarrs.

           Drew with Ballinhassig

           Defeated Ballinhassig

           Defeated Midleton

           Defeated Avondhu (Quarter Final)

           Defeated Erins Own (Semi Final)

Build Up

There has been a great build up and excitement in the parish over the last week. Thanks to everyone who has helped putting up flags and buntings to create a carnival atmosphere. Special thanks to all those who generously contributed to the training fund. Sponsorship is vital and we have been very lucky that so many businesses and individuals within and without the parish have helped out. A special word of thanks to our own Denis Ahern for supplying the entire panel of players with hurleys for the Final.

The Game

It will be a tremendous occasion for the club and the parish on Sunday. The club is eighty years old this year and this is by far the biggest ever occasion for all involved with Bride Rovers. The present group of players have done the club proud. Over the decades we have had great players but results didn’t always go right for us. I barely remember the 1960’s when we won two Junior ‘A’ Hurling titles and a ‘B’ Grade title. In the 1970’s we had a fine team too contesting two finals in East Cork in 1972 and 1973 but with no success. We won the B grade again in 1975. The remaining years of the 70’s and the 1980’s were years when our teams always performed well but championship successes were few and far between. In 1991 we regarded to Junior ‘B’ for the first time since 1966. Winning the Co. Minor ‘B’ hurling league title on Sunday December 20th 1992 was a real breakthrough for the club. The following year we won the Junior ‘B’ Grade double in East Cork with Tom Mulcahy and John Joe Barry the victorious captains. We were back in Junior ‘A’ grade in 1994, but ‘twas 1997 before we made any real progress reaching the East Cork Final, only to lose to eventual Co. Champions, Castlelyons. 1998 brought great success with our first Junior ‘A’ East Cork title since 1969. Two minutes into the second half of our Co. Junior Hurling Championship semi final against Ballinascarty at Pairc Uí Rinn, we were 1-9 to 0-4 behind and it looked as though we’d have to settle for celebrating the East Cork win for the winter. The team staged a great comeback and won by 1-14 to 1-13. In the Co. Final we were 0-8 to 0-5 down early in the second half against Freemount. In the end we won our first ever Co. Junior Hurling Championship title by 2-10 to 0-13.

              We went up Intermediate in 1999 and campaigned well as we did in 2000, 2001 and 2002. Jack Russell of Ballyhea came on board as trainer in 2003 and we travelled all the way to the final, with wins over Blarney, Mallow, Youghal (after a replay), Milford and Inniscarra. 2004 saw Bride Rovers in the Senior grade for the first time ever. We were defeated by Na Piarsaigh in our first ever game and lost to Midleton in the second round. In 2005 we lost to Sunday’s opponents Sarsfields, defeated Glen Rovers before losing to Newtownshandrum. In 2006 we got to the last 8 but lost to Co. Champions Erins Own. Last year we went further reaching the semi final but Newtownshandrum were far too strong. That’s been our path over the years. This year we’ve gone the tough route getting to the final, losing our first round, then playing a draw with Ballinhassig before winning the replay and scoring wins over Midleton, Avondhu and Erins Own in the semi final at Pairc Uí Chaoimh.

              We go into Sunday’s game as underdogs. Sars, with their big win over Glen Rovers, have been installed as favourites. Semi final performances of course don’t win finals. We know well how good Sars are but on Sunday next we have a chance of winning our first ever Co. Senior title. Chances like this don’t come too often so lets make the most of it. Team manager, Barry Hazelwood and his co-selectors Anthony Cahill, Tim McAuliffe and Michael Carey have put in a huge amount of work this year and along with team assistant Shane O’Connor, deserve great credit. On the day it’s all down to the players. Win, lose or draw, we can be very, very proud of this panel of hurlers. Go for it lads, we’re all behind ye.

              The game is timed for 4 o’clock on Sunday in Pairc Uí Chaoimh. The curtain raiser is Bandon v Valley Rovers in the Co. Intermediate Hurling Championship semi final at 2.15.

              Supporters are asked to remember the Women’s Mini Marathon is on next Sunday in Cork. There will be access down to Pairc Uí Chaoimh from around 12.45 until 1.45. We also have the Cork 20 Rally in the parish on Sunday so fans make sure to leave early for Cork. it would be great if as many as possible of the Rovers fans could stay together towards the middle of the Stand. Your support is vital and much appreciated. Be there on Sunday in the Green, White and Gold.