Imokilly hurlers will have lethal weapon Paudie O'Sullivan back to face Sars

HOLDERS Imokilly will have former Cork star Paudie O’Sullivan available for next Saturday night’s Cork County SHC quarter-final with Sarsfields at Páirc Uí Rinn.

The Cloyne club man, one of the stars in their back to back victories in 2017 and 2018, missed the third-round victory over Midleton with a shoulder injury but he is back in contention for a starting place again as is another key member of the squad, St Catherine’s Dan Mangan.

O’Sullivan lined out in a challenge encounter against Éire Óg Nenagh from Tipperary in Mallow last Sunday and performed very well.

His availability is a huge boost for the divisional team and an illustration of his worth to side is the fact that in the previous two championship-winning campaigns he has contributed a grand tally of 10-29. The availability of himself and Mangan provides the management team with a headache that they are only too glad to have and it remains to be seen if one or both of them start on Saturday in a game that is generating huge interest.

Meanwhile, Sarsfields will not make a final decision on star forward Eoin O’Sullivan until later in the week.

He is a doubt with a back injury and his absence would be a considerable blow.

In the victory over Douglas in the last round, O’Sullivan was in superb form, scoring a dozen points, the bulk of them from sometimes very difficult placed balls.

Sars, apart from that, have a clean bill of health and the club was boosted last weekend by the victory of the intermediate team in the quarter-final of the county.

They will now play Cloughduv in the semi-final and that is another illustration of the depth of their resources.

Glen Rovers and Newtownshandrum open proceedings at Páirc Uí Rinn on Saturday night in what should be a huge night’s hurling by the Lee.

Both games will be shown live on RTÉ 2, the Glen and Newtown at 5pm followed by the East Cork derby at 6.45pm.