'Toast' adds flavour to St Catherine's win over the Barrs

From group-stage elimination in 2022 to the return of club stalwart and former Cork senior hurling boss Denis Walsh in 2023, St Catherine’s story under the new format has been one of recovery.

Since his return, the line has pointed upwards, but the final hurdle always looming, always clipping them at the last.

Two county final defeats in successive seasons, with the sting of an All-Ireland Junior Club final in the middle. Close, then closer, but still no title.

The old GAA mantra about “losing one to win one” is yet to work in their favour. They’ll stretch it into a trilogy test this season, wagering on the promise of “third time’s the charm”. In a grade that is perpetually tight, Catherine’s have somehow become a leader – if there even are such things at Premier Junior.

Fine margins, and they cut deep. Tracton felt it, finalists in 2022 and gone without a trace the year after. St Finbarr’s second string know it too. Twice in two seasons they’ve had Catherine’s pinned to the wall. Twice Catherine’s found a way out.

“We played the Barrs last year, and it was in the second game, and if we had lost we were out, because we had lost the first game,” said manager Denis Walsh after the win on Friday. “It was exactly the same this time, so we didn't have to look at scoring averages or anything.

I mean, a draw would have done the Barrs tonight, so a win actually is great from a headspace point of view, that you’re able to say, bang. That’s it.

“I thought we were on the back foot in the first half, to be honest with you. I think it was a miracle we went in [leading],” he remarked. “We looked at looked at the score one time, we were five points to three down and I was saying, Jesus, we’re only two points down.

“I thought we were getting a runaround, right? And next thing we were in at halftime up by two and look, as you saw there, we kind of we killed the game off really in the last 10.” 

Killing the game off is one way to put it. Killing the game off took 37 attempts at goal, of which Catherine’s converted 19. Fifteen wides, two saved and one short, leaving them with a 51% conversion rate, and only 50% from placed balls.

But Walsh, grinned optimistically under the floodlights at Carrigtwohill, preferring to look on the brighter side.

“Is that right? We had 23 [wides] the last day! We’re after bringing down the average!” he laughed.

Against the Barrs, Oisín Fitzgerald started centre-forward, then moved back to midfield when Shane Cotter limped off, and was out then at wing-forward for the game’s conclusion. The Imokilly hurler played three different games in one and still managed to be one of the night’s most influential.

“Powerful,” Walsh put it. “Look he’s a Cork U20 player, a lot of ambition. He comes from a great family, there’s no surprise to us.” Beside Fitzgerald in midfield for the second quarter, was James Hayes, known universally as ‘Toast’.

The origins?

“That’s James Hayes, Laura’s brother. The other brother’s called Crust!” Walsh chuckled. “I think he was living on toast one time, that’s about it, toast and water!” 

For all the bakery puns, the loaf on the table was Catherine’s had survived, and now they were heading for a quarter-final with Ballygarvan, the same side they edged by a point in last year’s semi.

“It would have been a bit of a bummer if we went out now,” Walsh explained. “Whereas we have displayed consistency if nothing else, and resilience. They’re great characteristics and we’re back in the mix now.

“We’re into a quarter-final, and I suppose, I don’t think there will be anyone fancying playing us, but there are some outstanding teams there as well. The Glen took us in the first round, and they’re a very good side. So we’re under no illusions, we’re glad to get into the draw.”