Pat Heffernan delighted with Watergrasshill's character after Kilworth draw

WATERGRASSHILL played out an exciting draw with Kilworth in the opening round of the Premier Intermediate Hurling Championship, and while not a result that coach Pat Heffernan would have wanted initially, the Hill were certainly the happier of the two after their late comeback.

“10 minutes to go and seven down, delighted to get a draw,” Pat begins. “It just showed the character that’s within the bunch. Last year, we played three championship matches, and we were the only team outside of Inniscarra that didn't lose a match in the championship, and we were unlucky not to qualify.

“[Today] things didn’t go great in our preparation, and this that and the other, but the boys showed character to battle back, and to get out of it with a point is great.

“We used the ball quite well. We were playing six [at the back] in the second half, Kilworth got a grip in the second half. It was stop start, and we couldn’t get momentum. I suppose with the two goals, we’d blame ourselves for that, we were left open. Having a man back in the middle, it shouldn't have happened.

“In fairness, the breeze was strong. I was worried though with 10 minutes to go. We kept taking the scores, and we got back into it,” he says. “We probably got a break with the penalty, but it was a penalty. Aiden missed three frees in the first half, he was doubting himself, but he came back and finished with one.

“We didn’t go chasing the game right until the end. We kept taking the scores, next thing we were down to four, then we got the penalty and the goal, and a point to level it. Then they got a point to go ahead, and then we won the free at the end to level it. I suppose Kilworth will be disappointed, they did an awful lot of hurling, but we showed the character that’s within the group. I’d do anything now for a win at this stage after four draws!” he laughs.

You look at this grade and you’ve 11 or 12 even teams, you look at Dungourney on Saturday, Ballincollig were quite fancied.

"Ballinhassig next week will be very, very hard. We’ve Castlemartyr in the last game, who got to a county final last year, so there isn’t going to be anything easy with those two teams.

“Well looking at what we’ve done now and with fellas away and whatever, Ballinhassig will be tough. They’re a very, very strong team. The experience of the guys winning an All-Ireland U20 with Cork, [and] they’ve a very good man in charge of them, Seán Guiheen.

“They’re lucky to have him. He’s a good old friend of mine. He will have them tactically right and set up well, so it’s going to be a huge task for our lads.”