SAHC: Carrigtwohill happy to deal with four-week gap before semi-final

Carrigtwohill certainly saved the best for last in Group 1 of the Co-op SuperStores Cork SAHC.

Travelling to Aghavine on Saturday evening for an east Cork derby against Killeagh having already claimed four points, Carrig knew that a win or a draw would guarantee them top spot.

They got the win they were looking for – but the manner of it was so comprehensive that they bagged top seeding and an automatic place in the semi-finals of the competition.

A 4-13 to 0-6 half-time lead was built thanks to relentless industry and guile and, while Killeagh did respond in the second half as the game finished 4-20 to 1-14, the outcome was never in doubt.

“It’s the best we played this year, obviously,” said Carrigtwohill manager Denis Walsh, “they've been improving and improving and improving.

“That was a savage first half, no doubt about it. The work that they've done with John Dwyer, the connections and the movement and the heads-up hurling, it all came out there in the first half.

“They've been kind of threatening to do that. We had a lot of wides against Na Piarsaigh – I don’t know how many wides we had in the end against Killeagh but in the first half, I thought we were very efficient and we had a big goal threat, too.

“We had a goal threat against Fermoy, though it probably took a lot of chances to score four goals; not so much the last day [Carrig scored 1-22 against Na Piarsaigh] but we had it again against Killeagh.

“They're definitely going and maturing as a group and progressing. I think, of the 17 players we've used, eight are under 24 and there's another couple of lads coming back into it who are very young as well.

“We’re delighted.”

While two goals each from brothers Seán and Patrick Walsh, as well as fine point-taking by Liam Gosnell, showcased some of Carrigtwohill’s attacking capabilities, just as important was the effort expended in trying to turn Killeagh over when they had possession.

That was a collective job, with nobody shirking the less glamorous side.

“The workrate in the forwards was savage,” he said, “and that's the key to the whole thing.

“Every team, it's a fundamental, isn't it, for every team that wants to be successful. You've got to have forwards that are working hard and our forwards were working savagely.

“I don't know how many scores we got from turnovers, but I'd say it was a healthy return.

“In fairness to Killeagh, I think it was easier to score into that goal but, look, we couldn't be more happy with that. We’re just thrilled.”

The result means that Carrigtwohill and Castlelyons take the direct route to the last four, waiting to see who emerges from the Blarney-Na Piarsaigh and Bride Rovers-Inniscarra quarter-finals.

While few would turn down such an opportunity, the four-week break that comes with it can be difficult to navigate, especially as the semi-final tie is against a team coming in off the back of a victory two weeks previously.

Walsh is naturally aware of how important it is to deal with it, but he’d prefer to be there than not.

“Two years ago, we were in the semi-final too as group winners and the four-week gap was tricky,” he said, “because it's very hard to find challenge games at the time of the year.

“They have football on Thursday, which is great, and we'll have to try to manage the next four weeks, but it's a great problem to have.”