Stephen Glasgow encouraged as Bride Rovers 'get monkey off the back'

The last two finalists in the Co-op SuperStores SAHC and the winners of the Premier IHC who went on to Munster and All-Ireland glory – Bride Rovers certainly couldn’t be accused of exaggeration in claiming to be in the group of death.

However, the Rathcormac/Bartlemy side are equally tough opponents for everyone else, having been semi-finalists in the second tier in each of the past four seasons. In both 2023 and 2024, their quest for glory came to an end at the hands of Blarney and so Sunday’s opening victory of 1-22 to 1-15 against the mid-Cork side was satisfying for coach Stephen Glasgow and all associated with the club.

“Just to get to step on the ladder is great,” he said.

“We have a history with Blarney down through the years, it's a bit of a monkey off the back as well.

“Just to play with the passion and the intensity that we did play with today, I was really delighted with it.”

The seven-point winning margin was deserving for Rovers, who had led by four at half-time. That advantage was made all the more impressive by the fact that they fell 1-1 to 0-0 behind against the wind but thereafter, an Adam Walsh tour de force at full-forward – aided by Cillian Tobin’s deliveries – helped them to push on.

“To be fair, it's happened to us a few times during the league this year where we've conceded goals early, but we'd always recover,” Glasgow said.

“And to be fair to Adam Walsh inside full-forward, he's a big unit. He was getting on top inside, so he was a great out ball for us. Got some great scores and got us back into the game.

“What they were trying to do, they were doing it early, was trying to draw us out.

They dropped the player off and then hit their full-forward as much as possible, so we just dropped Cillian into the pocket, got the ball to him and his delivery was excellent in fairness, again, into Adam Walsh's hand.”

Conleith Ryan’s goal early in the second half served to provide even more breathing space.

“We came out and we won the throw-in and they turned us over and got a score straight off us, so that was a bit of a kick in the teeth,” Glasgow said.

“But then, once we got that goal and a bit of breathing space, we maintained that lead throughout the game.

“Obviously, Connie, he has a great paw on him.

“Once he got that ball and he went on the outside, you knew his head was down and he was going for one thing and one thing only.

“And to be fair to him, it paid off – but we would have killed him if it didn't go in!”

Brian Roche took up much of the point-scoring burden in the second half, finishing with seven in all, but it was far from a one-man effort.

“We have a good sprinkle of Cork players on the team,” Glasgow said.

ON SONG

“We have the two Roches, obviously, we have Tobin at centre-back, the Cork U20 captain Denis Cashman, and then sure Adam Walsh inside, he’s great when he’s on song.”

Most of them were on song, though, as the Rovers built on their RedFM Hurling League Division 3 final victory over Newcestown after extra time.

Now, they head back to the venue for that decider, Riverstow, trying to get the better of Courcey Rovers.

“Going to extra time, I thought it might have taken a bit out of us,” Glasgow said, “even though we were three weeks out from the championship at the time.

“But it definitely stood to us, battle-hardened coming in and getting a trophy was very important.”

“It's all about getting that first W under the belt. We're out again in 12 days, I think it is, against Courceys down in Riverstown and it'll all be for nothing today unless we back it up with a performance and a victory against them.”