Rochestown favourites, but Killorglin's edge ensures no margin for error

St Francis College Rochestown haven’t stepped far wrong at any stage so far in this year’s Corn Uí Mhuirí, and they’re well placed heading into today’s quarter-final with Intermediate School Killorglin.

With the Cork side posting two wins and a draw in the round-robin stages they topped group one, while opponents Killorglin come into this one after defeating Hamilton High School Bandon in the final round to ensure their place in the knockout phase.

Roco will get the favourite tag for this one, but their Kerry opposition have been much assured in what is their second season back in the top tier of Munster’s post-primary football.

Drawn with Kerry rivals Presentation Milltown and Cork schools Patrician Academy Mallow and Hamilton High School Bandon in Group 2, Killorglin opened their campaign with a derby defeat to Milltown, but even in that loss there were plenty of positives to take.

Killorglin had recovered from a five-point deficit, briefly took the lead late on and only lost their grip in injury time as Milltown found the composure to snatch it.

RESURGENCE

Against Patrician Academy Mallow in the second round, they came good to get their first win since returning to the premier grade.

The concession of four goals was somewhat glossed over by the superb performance posted by 2024 Kerry minor Adam O’Neill, who has since taken his tally to 2-22 from the first three games.

O’Neill’s return against Mallow – four two-pointers included – kept them in front despite the constant threat at the other end from Dylan O’Connell. It was not flawless, but it was enoguh to set up a crucial winner-takes-all clash with Hamilton High School Bandon.

Bandon had controlled long spells and led approaching the final five minutes of their group stage meeting, and looked as though the Hammies might see it through.

Killorglin, needing more than a draw to progress, refused to be muzzled. O’Neill levelled matters, then led the charge as they went on the hunt for green flags. His goal, after brilliant link up play with clubmate Tomas Joy, put them in front.

Moments later, another flowing move ended in a second goal – Joy involved in that one too – and Bandon were gone.

There is unsurprisingly a strong Laune Rovers spine to this side, O’Neill the most prominent of the 17 panel members from the Killorglin based club, while Listry footballer and captain Éanna Murphy has also been in good form. He was on the Kerry minor panel of ’24 with O’Neill.

They’ve come a long way from last season, a year in which they lost all three group fixtures and were dumped out at the earliest stage.

Equally important, is where this team is coming from. They reached the O’Sullivan Cup (Kerry post-primary senior football) semi-final, losing out to St Brendan’s Killarney.

Killorglin also made it to last four of the Frewen Cup, only falling to Clonakilty Community College, the one other Cork school left standing with Roco in this year’s Corn Uí Mhuirí.

Killorglin are not a team that need to be in control of proceedings to remain a threat. If this quarter-final is still alive late on, the Kerry school will believe they belong there.

And belief, at this stage of the Corn Uí Mhuirí, is rarely misplaced.