Seán Guiheen: Hard work and fitness paid off for Courceys Rovers

Last weekend, Courcey Rovers manager Seán Guiheen was in Páirc Uí Chaoimh as part of the Na Piarsaigh side being honoured for their 1995 county SHC victory.

Twenty-six years on, he is still winning county titles and he couldn’t have been happier for the players he had worked with.

“I’m over the moon for the players and the commitment they gave,” he said.

They’re the most honest bunch I’ve ever met in my life – no airs or graces, down to earth, very respectful and work extremely hard in training and you saw that in the performance today.”

Courceys trailed Castlelyons by six points at half-time and fell further behind early in the second half but Guiheen never lost hope.

“To be fair, they flooded back in front of Seán Twomey and we weren’t using the ball properly out of defence to suck them back out the field,” he said.

“They got a grip of the game and they were a worthy six points up at half-time but we said to them, six points is nothing. You saw that last week – Midleton were up nine points and the Glen came back.

BELIEF

“I said to them that if we were in it coming down the home stretch, if we were a point or two down at the last water break, we’d win the game because we’d been doing it all year.

We’ve been finishing very strong, we’re very extremely fit – Eoin Galvin is our strength and conditioning guy, what a serious operator, one of the best out there. 

"They’re super-fit and I knew we’d have a chance coming down the home stretch.”

A key factor in reeling in the East Cork side was the Courceys goal from sub Olan Crowley immediately after his introduction as a sub, cutting the lead to two points before five Richard Sweetnam points put them in front. Squad depth was something that Guiheen felt would stand to Courceys.

“To be fair, all of the subs had a huge impact, every one of them,” he said.

“We did feel that – I spoke Thursday and I said that I felt we had a bench to win the game.

“It was the first time this year that we had a full squad: Aidan O’Donovan, Olan, John McCarthy and all of these guys to come on and I would bank on them coming in and doing a job.”

And now there is a Munster Club IHC campaign on the horizon, with Limerick’s Mungret St Paul’s the opposition the weekend after next.

“It’s massive,” Guiheen said. “Obviously, we’ll let the boys enjoy the next couple of days but we’re representing Cork. I’d hope that they’d be training Thursday and we’ll take it from there.”