John Horgan on hurling: Glen Rovers could face a northside derby to remember

FOR obvious reasons, Glen Rovers' participation in the Cork County Senior A hurling championship is the focus of a lot of attention.

When the club lost its top-flight status at the end of last season it became a huge story in itself with the question being posed about the immediate future.

The Winter would have been a time for reflection in Blackpool, an opportunity to reset and to ensure that every effort would be made to try and ensure that their stay in the second tier of Cork hurling would be a short one.

They are now just 120 minutes from doing just that, taking the preferred direct route to the semi-finals of the A championship and the team that many are fancying to be champions at the end of the campaign. That is based very much on their form to date, three very impressive victories at the group stage, all achieved without Patrick Horgan striking a ball because of injury.

It's certainly a case of so far so good in the great hurling home but nobody is losing the run of themselves because the far bigger questions on the examination paper are very likely yet to come.

They are now awaiting their semi-final opponents and in that conversation, their great northside rivals, Na Piarsaigh will crop up.

If the team from Farranree managed to get past Castlelyons in their quarter-final assignment we would have a Northside derby game to look forward to with the stakes as high as they ever have been between the great rivals.

But that's for another day and Castlelyons are warming to the task in this championship and, without doubt, will be formidable opponents for Piarsaigh in that game.

Blarney, Bride Rovers and Killeagh are very much in the equation too in their bid to be elevated and anything that any side gets from here on in will be hard-earned.

Where the Glen are concerned, however, success up to now is breeding success among the club's other teams, the premier junior unit into the last four as well alongside the premier minor team.

From the outside looking in there appears to be a renewed energy running through the club again while, at the same time, caution is a word being frequently used too in the build-up to some very big games that will be coming over the horizon.

One of the bigger stories of last weekend in the Senior A championship was Killeagh's superb victory over Inniscarra.

They went into this encounter probably more in hope than confidence after losing their opening two group games.

Nothing had been sorted in the group but the odds were stacked against Killeagh and only a massive effort and a huge tally of scores would be required.

Would two points be enough to get them out of the group? In most instances no but on this huge occasion for the East Cork club it was enough, a return of 4-24 and a whopping victory by 21 points pushing them through.

This is very much a new look Killeagh team, tender in years in a lot of cases and extending their campaign will be seen as a very significant happening going forward.

If things had gone against them last weekend they could be having a much different conversation in their fine fine complex.

For two other East Cork clubs the story was much different, Cloynes's severe beating from Castlelyons plunging them into a relegation decider against local rivals, Carrigtwohill.

Two clubs that not so long ago were contesting and winning county senior finals now find themselves perilously close to going back down to the premier intermediate grade.

But that's the way it is with this format in Cork championship hurling. You get three chances to stay in the chase and if you don't do the business in those games the consequences can be severe.

When these two collide in the relegation decider the stakes will be at an all-time high and for the much older generation it will bring back memories of titanic struggles between the clubs in the East Cork JHC of the '60s and '70s.

This time the story is much different but on the evidence presented to date it would appear that Carrigtwohill will wear the tag of favouritism in that game.

At the outset of the season, every team's objective was to emerge from the group stage and take your chances after that.

ULTRA-COMPETITIVE

That's what Ballincollig did with some aplomb in the PIHC, three wins from three outings ensuring that their frame of mind has to be in a strong place as they now focus on a semi-final clash with Ballinhassig or Carrigaline.

Watergrasshill the same.

We are tired of stating that the PIHC is, it could be said, the most competitive of all the grades of Cork hurling and it turned out that way again this time.

It's so competitive that there was a strong chance that one win might be enough to qualify you for the knockout stage.

And that's exactly what happened with Carrigaline, they secured their place in that stage with just one victory, losing their final game to Castlemartyr but getting through by the skin of their teeth on points difference.

Castlemartyr were desperately unlucky to lose the final to Inniscarra after a replay two years ago but the going has been much more difficult in the subsequent campaigns.

It's an illustration that when the opportunity presents itself it must be grasped with both hands.

Look at Kilworth's situation.

They were beaten finalists last season, losing out against Castlelyons by just two points, maybe unlucky to do so but things for them have changed dramatically and for the worst this time.

From being so close one season they are now facing a relegation decider against Aghabullogue to retain their premier status. How things can change so quickly.

And for Aghabullogue too after their heroics of last season when they won the IAHC title.

The step-up has proved to be difficult as it is in all the grades and now they have an hour to stave off going back down again.

But that's the way it is, the margin for error is minimal in most instances and predicting what might transpire has again proved to be hugely difficult.

Whatever about the standard of play across the landscape, the fare on offer has kept the pot boiling right down to the final games of the group stage and that must always be the objective.