Cork Hurling: Glen Rovers know better than anyone just how tight margins are

A tough battle and a tough win, but a win nonetheless.

On their return to the Cork Premier Senior Hurling Championship, Glen Rovers have qualified for the quarter-final stage, with a game to spare.

It was never easy for Glen Rovers, they were pushed all the way by a Fr O’Neill’s side that refused to wilt. They may have led from start to finish, but getting over the line was tough.

Their win over Erin’s Own was their first PSHC win since 2021, but the northsiders have now one their last seven championship games, and haven’t lost since that relegation playoff defeat to Kanturk two seasons ago.

Yes, they never should have been relegated. But they’ve been ruthless in their pursuit of getting back to the top flight, and in their first two games since returning.

“This grade is different, every team can catch you if you’re not on your game,” selector David Cunningham said after the win against O’Neill’s. “We were a bit off now today, and you can see we were just in a dog battle the whole way through.

“We probably struggled to get going, and against any team in the senior championship, no matter who it is, which we've learned the hard way, you can be beaten. So we’re lucky, happy to get out with the win tonight and we’ll take that.

TIGHT

“That puts us into the quarter-finals, we’re happy with that,” he said. “We knew it was going be a tough battle, they beat the Barrs down here in the group stages last year. [It’s a] tight pitch, and it was every bit that tonight.

“It was right down the last puck of the game, so we’re happy to get the win, get into the quarter final. That was our objective at the start of the year.” Key to checking off that box was Micheál Mullins, the midfielder contribution 0-4 from midfield, but so much more in his play.

The space he carved open in midfield, his positioning on restarts, frees and sidelines – Mullins put in what was easily his best performance in a Glen jersey.

“Yeah, he was excellent. He’s pure class,” Cunningham remarked. “He was everywhere around the pitch, he got scores, tackles, won breaks – he was excellent.

“But he is an incredible hurler, great ability and he’s an incredible athlete as well. He used all his attributes tonight.” 

TOUGHEST

Up next is Sarsfields – the toughest opposition for any team in this grade at present, their result against Erin’s Own reinforcing that fact. But regardless of what the outcome will be in the final round game between the two, Glen Rovers can go in knowing their qualification does not hinge on a result against the reigning Munster champions.

“We’ll just play them I suppose and think of nothing else, I definitely won't be thinking about semi-finals. They were in the All-Ireland club final last year, you’ve seen what they did in their first two group games, they're going to be absolutely, a really difficult team to play against,” he said. “But yeah, it's not knockout game, we can really have a go off it as well so we’ll look forward to it.

We want to go far in this competition. They're the team that are setting the standard.