Charleville eye group stage progression after positive start to life under James Kennedy

With a format that squeezes some of the best teams in Cork to their limit, it’s no wonder the Cork PSHC is as competitive as it is. It’s one of, if not the toughest in the country.

Three games. Lose your first and you’re in trouble. Lose the second and months of preparation go to waste.

Truly a sink-or-swim grade, decided by the finest margins. Teams who are not prepared get found out very quickly.

For a team to be sucked into the relegation battle three times in four seasons would suggest they’re sinking.

Charleville may have been thrown in the deep end but they’ve stayed afloat at each asking. It shows the resilience of James Kennedy’s side. There is a lot for Charleville to be hopeful about.

Each time their backs are to the wall, Charleville survive. There is no reason this team cannot achieve what Kennedy is aiming for in his first season as Charleville manager, and get out of the group this season.

“Our goal – I think every team’s goal is just to get out of the group, and to take it from there. Everyone in our group is looking at that, that’s their target.

“That’s what we’re looking at, we’re not too results focussed at this time of the year,” he said, after their draw with St Finbarr’s last week. “It’s just about building and improving on each performance every week, but our overall goal for the year would be to get out of the group.

The years gone by may not have been so kind to the north Cork side, but 2023 was an excellent season for the club and one they should have been able to build on.

Misfortune plays a part and it certainly did last year, but in that 2023 season Jack Doyle was so integral to their success, picking up a Reardens All-Star for his efforts at the end of the campaign.

Doyle is certainly a player who has come out swinging in the opening two league games, firing 1-9 against Blackrock in the opener and 0-8 against the Barrs last Friday.

WORK RATE

“Jack [Doyle] is excellent, he was fantastic the last day as well,” Kennedy added. “His work rate, really good. Overall as a team as well, excellent.

“The forwards were really good, worked really hard and at this time of the year that’s all you can ask for from the lads.

“Overall we’re very happy.

“Both teams were down a lot of bodies coming up, it was a good workout for both sides and for this time of year we’re happy with it.” 

Kennedy was pleased by what he saw at the other end too – with Darren Butler and Jack Meade particularly impressive, though their defensive solidity in the opening two games has been hugely positive.

“Darren [Butler] was really good, very good at organising us back. I think we conceded 1-5 in the first half and no frees conceded, our tackling was really good.

Our discipline was really good.

Given they conceded 11 from frees against the Rockies compared to just five against St Finbarr’s the disciplinary improvement was clear. Incremental improvements and tweaks here and there are far more important than results are in March. It’s exactly what Kennedy is targeting at this stage of the league.

“That’s what we want to see, that’s what the league is about for us especially the early rounds, it’s all around trying players and giving game time for everyone,” he said.

“We’re doing that. We’re very happy with everyone at the minute. We’ve a couple of injuries at the minute so we’re not sure yet.

“We’re taking that week by week, but I think for the next couple of games we’re going to be trying lads, rotating our panel.

“We’ve a big panel there, it’s all about giving lads game time, that’s what the league is for.”