Bishopstown 'died with their boots on' says Courcey Rovers manager

Relief and anguish all in one.

The polar opposite emotions experienced by Courcey Rovers and Bishopstown respectively in the aftermath of the Co-Op Superstores Cork senior A hurling championship relegation play-off in Bandon on Sunday.

After a tense 60 minutes plus, the team from Ballinspittle and Ballinadee came from behind to snatch victory on a 0-16 to 0-14 scoreline.

Richard Sweetnam scored the opening point from a free in the third minute, but Courcey Rovers would not lead again until deep in second-half stoppage time.

In a grandstand finish, four late unanswered points enabled the Premier IHC winners of 2021 to retain their status as they overtook an utterly devastated Bishopstown, who now have suffered consecutive relegations in two years.

The result was hard to take for Ian Jones and his squad. While Courceys could scarcely believe their eyes as they overturned the deficit. What followed were unbelievable scenes of jubilation.

Manager Michael O’Sullivan was emotionally drained.

"We trained so hard all year but just couldn’t get over the line. It is such a relief for us to stay up, you don’t believe it.

This club is all heart. 

"We have 32 fellas down training every night trying to stay up.” 

Both sides were missing key players. The absence of Seán Twomey was well documented, but O’Sullivan said there were at least three or four more they had to do without.

“Jerry O’Neill is in Australia, a great player, a big player for us. I got a lovely text from him during the week wishing us luck, he is gone two years. But he should be home at the end of this year.

“We are short Seán Twomey, Stephen Nyhan (goalkeeper), Brendan Ryan, There is another player, I can’t think of it now.

“John McCarthy, who got the last point, is out all year with an Achilles tendon problem and to come on and do that. It is just great.

“It's tough for Bishopstown, two in a row defeats. They died with their boots on.

They went with a sweeper so we were left over with a man, that's how it was set up.” 

Courcey Rovers played second fiddle to their opponents for the majority of the game.

They had to overcome nervousness that obviously prevented them from performing at the top of their game. Some of their wayward attempts were so untypical and they could have been left to rue them, they went well into double digits - actually they hit more wides than points.

O’Sullivan said the cross-wind played a part in the erratic shooting.

TRICKY

“The wind was tricky, we were trying to get our shooters on the ball and it just didn’t happen. Thankfully Tadhg O’Sullivan [manager’s son] stood up and got a couple of points towards the end, big scores. He can score, but we just couldn’t get him on the ball.” 

O’Sullivan junior is no stranger to these important occasions. He captained the team that claimed Premier IHC glory four years ago.

Courcey Rovers will enjoy this week, safe in the knowledge they can expect a bright future.

“We have good minors coming up, a couple of Cork minors to look forward to. It is small, small margins," he concluded.