Cloyne and Ballymartle showed last weekend that championship is a different ball game

AS first weekends go it wasn’t a bad one in the Co-Op SuperStores Cork hurling championships.

Kanturk weren’t given much of a chance to get anything against Sarsfields in the Premier SHC last Saturday in Fermoy, but by the end, they would have actually been a tad disappointed to have only left Fermoy with a point as it finished 1-16 to 0-19. Daniel Kearney’s late long-range free denied Kanturk an historic victory. Even when Kearney equalised, Kanturk still created two excellent chances, but neither Lorcan McLoughlin or Colin Walsh could find a point to be the hero. It certainly wasn’t a hanging on job by Kanturk, they stayed with Sarsfields throughout and even when Sars did open up a three point gap, Paul Walsh raised a green flag to peg back one of the fancied teams in the championship.

League is league and championship is championship is a saying we hear quite a lot around this time of the year. A totally different ball game and that’s absolutely true. If we were going by league form, there would have only been one winner in Youghal last Saturday in the SAHC. Cloyne relegated from Division 4, winning three and losing six of their nine league games against a Fermoy team that finished third from bottom in Division 2 but were never in relegation trouble as they won four games and lost five matches from nine outings.

Cloyne, as we have seen too often down through the years, write them off at your peril. They tore into Fermoy and grinded out a 1-18 to 1-14 victory to give them a brilliant start to the championship. An impressive first-half where they scored 1-12 with the wind gave the victors a platform to prevail. It was a slight surprise especially given Cloyne’s difficulties in recent years but when the final-whistle was blown, there was no doubt which team deserved the win and wanted it more on the day.

In the PIHC, Ballymartle have gone on with their business quietly in recent months and their 0-19 to 0-13 win over Carrigdhoun rivals Carrigaline last Saturday was a small bit of a surprise. Joe Delaney from Bride Rovers in his first season with the Riverstick club and they will be delighted to start with two huge points.

From Carrigaline’s point of view, they will be very disappointed with how it panned out for them. They are always one of those clubs who have huge potential and given the huge numbers at their disposal, they will feel they haven’t delivered in recent years. Carrigaline now face a huge game against Éire Óg on Sunday in Brinny at 2pm in what is now a simply must win game.

Sticking with the same grade, and probably one of the biggest upsets of the weekend was IAHC winners Dungourney edging out a fancied Ballincollig team last Saturday down in Cobh, 1-14 to 2-10. Ballincollig are one of the teams expected to go deep into the championship and rightly so. Taking their league form out of it, where they got promoted to Division 1, the Village have a very talented team mixed with a few experienced heads. It’s a setback and their aim of winning a first round championship game for the first time since 2017 will go on. Danny Dwyer’s side take on Bandon Saturday in Cloughduv at 3pm with both teams licking their wounds. Bandon lost to Castlelyons last Sunday.

Dungourney deserved the win, they showed more desire and when they needed composure they had it in abundance. Jack Leahy was the star of the show and despite Ballincollig and Castlelyons tipped to finish in the top two positions, Dungourney have blown it wide open.

In the Premier JHC, the teams tipped to reach the business end all started with defeats. Paul McCarthy’s Tracton were beaten by Argideen Rangers, 0-24 to 0-19. Russell Rovers concession of two goals proved fatal in a 2-15 to 0-19 defeat to Meelin and Barryroe had a brilliant 2-19 to 1-21 win over Ballygarvan.

One team who are going along their business quietly are St Catherine’s, who are under the guidance of former Cork hurling manager Denis Walsh. Their coach is former Sarsfields player Tadhg Óg Murphy. The Imokilly club put in an impressive performance to see off a strong St Finbarr’s second team, 2-18 to 1-12.

An enjoyable first weekend even if the weather didn’t play ball at times. Roll on this weekend’s action.