Carriag na bhFear have bounced back from East Cork defeat to reach county hurling final

AT Ovens on Saturday afternoon, Carraig na bhFear manager Mick O’Donnell was bursting with pride.

When he comes over to chat with The Echo, his side are just after booking their place in the final of the Cork Junior A Hurling Championship after defeating Ballinascarthy in the semi-final.

It was a fantastic advert for hurling at this grade in the county.

The game was played at a high-intensity level throughout and supporters were kept on their seats such was the gripping nature of the exchanges.

It was a contest which at certain stages in proceedings was on a knife-edge. At the end of the hour or so of action, it was crucially Carraig Na bhFear that were the ones left standing.

“They are a great group of lads and they have fabulous commitment there. We are going since the last week of January, so that is ten months and it is serious going,” said O’Donnell.

“We had the whole parish here and we now have a county final to look forward to.

“It means we have another fortnight of training and another big match to look forward to.

“It keeps the thing going. We are still hurling and we are hurling in the dark again, which is great to be still here and involved.

“I thought we played very well in the first half, we probably didn’t have the lead we should have had for it.

“We missed chances and I thought our forwards were very much on top. We gave away frees and that kept them in it.

“Mind you, they had chances in the second half also, they missed them and I’d say they’ll regret them.

“They had good chances. But I think that we finished the game stronger and ended up winning by four.

“So we would be very happy with our finishing in both games, the quarter- and the semi-final.”

With that O’Donnell went over to say his post-match words to the awaiting huddle of Carraig na bhFear players and backroom staff.

All eyes now will be on the Cork JAHC decider for Carraig na bhFear. In the decider they will be taking on Russell Rovers.

That will be a repeat of their Imokilly final meeting in September. On that day it was Russell Rovers who came out on top courtesy of a 1-16 to 0-16 full-time score.

If that game is better than this one played in Ovens, then those who head along to the decider will be in for an absolute treat.