Premier SHC: Johnny Crowley keen for Sarsfields to enjoy the good times

Since Johnny Crowley returned as manager of the Sarsfields senior hurling team, they have lost just two of 19 championship matches.

That run has taken in victory in the 2023 Co-op SuperStores Premier SHC and last year’s AIB Munster Club SHC title – now, they are just one game away from a third straight county final appearance.

They had to earn their victory in Sunday’s quarter-final against Charleville at Castletownroche, triumphing by 0-22 to 1-15 to set up a last-four clash with St Finbarr’s.

For Crowley, it’s all about appreciating the journey.

“A hundred percent,” he said, “and that's actually something that I said to the lads before the game, don't take this for granted, what we're doing.

“It's been a fantastic journey, it's three years in a row, and if you look at the All-Ireland final, we're down four players from that starting 15 and that means there's four new players in there and we're still competing at the top, top level.

“That's something to be very, very proud of – they're a super bunch of lads, they apply themselves so well to what we ask them to do and what they have to do, and it's something we're very proud of.

“It's going to be a great occasion, it's going to be two top teams. We're there, Sunday and Monday night were about recovery and we go back at it Tuesday and we see where it takes us.”

A fortnight previously, Sars had been in a good position to take top seeding after the group stages and earn passage directly to the semi-finals, but they were pipped by Blackrock’s scoring flurry against Douglas.

It meant having to compete in the quarter-finals and it took a good start to the second half, having trailed by a point at half-time, to put themselves in command. Now that they are in the last four, Crowley is grateful for the test.

“Games like that will always bring you on,” he said, “and look, it was always going to be a massive battle, we knew that coming down.

“We knew it was going to be a real, real tight, robust game and it was, and you're not going to get anything less than Charleville.

“They put it all on the line out there in fairness to them. We had a good purple patch there midway through the second half and I think we got probably four or five unanswered points.

“At half-time, we were happy in terms of having played against the elements. We were a bit surprised at the lads in terms of their decision-making and that they were probably taking the second option.
“We had a bit of a go at them to play off the cuff and play spontaneous harming. I think when they did that, they got a reward for it.”