Kanturk face 'big guns' in positive frame of mind after sweeping past Fr O'Neill's

Kanturk manager Tom Walsh was glowing in his praise of his team’s performance that earned them a substantial 3-25 to 2-15 victory over Fr O’Neill’s in the Co-Op Superstores Cork Premier SHC in Kilworth on Saturday.

“We’re delighted with it because I’ll tell you last year we had a very disappointing year,” he said. “This is our fifth year Premier Senior and for the first three years we made steady progress, but last year we went backwards a bit because we had a lot of injuries to key players.

“They are all back tonight. So, that made a big difference to our performance because we wouldn’t have a very big panel and when we lose a player it stretches us quite a bit. We had a big impact from our subs as well, so we are delighted with that.

"We're in a good place in hurling and football, two big wins, and two big statement wins. We used a few extra players as well and they got game time and I’m delighted with that because when you’re picking your team there are a few lads left out and they have the work done as good as everybody else. That is the downside of it.

“All-in-all this evening, we are very happy with where we are. But at the same time, we know that the big guns are coming and we are not naive about that. We have a certain amount of positivity now and we’ll prepare for that. We know it will be a big test.” 

The big guns he is referring to are Glen Rovers and Blackrock.

“We have to remain focused, we have the Glen in three weeks. We’re playing them in Castletownroche.

We’ve played Blackrock over the last two years and they have beaten us, so we know there is a big challenge.

“I think as a group of hurlers and footballers, Kanturk are probably at their best stage now in terms of where the maturity of the group is. I know some of them are over the hill a small bit maybe, but they are still there. The younger lads are after coming through and are in their mid-20s. 

"Young Conor Noonan was injured last year, you can see the value he brings to it, his energy and his hurling, he missed last year.

“We were missing quite a few players last year. We are in a better position so we will see where it takes us.

“We have a lot of work done, and a lot of S&C work done earlier in the year. We felt we were short in that last year as well, so we addressed that.

“But we have a couple of lads there who have no hurling played, they’re just back from the Cork footballers. Paul Walsh (manager’s nephew) had a super game but he hasn’t played hurling in months. Tommy (Walsh, manager’s son) has one game played, so there is improvement to be gotten out of those lads as well.” 

Driving on

Kanturk used a second-half surge to win by 13 points.

“We felt at half-time Fr O’Neill’s were going long with the puck-out and we weren’t defending the break of the ball, we weren’t hungry enough, which we did very well in the second half. We said when that ball will break, we have to win it.

“Our accuracy, which has let us down for quite a good few years, was good tonight. Like, 16, 17 or 18 wides wouldn’t be a problem for us. We have improved that stat as well and that is important. Little improvements help.

“The most important thing tonight is the win and we are delighted with that.

“Football is next in a fortnight. We have a break next weekend so we’ll get a good bit of hurling in at the same time. I must talk to the football manager, he mightn’t like to hear that, but we need to do a bit of hurling as well.

“Just delighted. We haven’t had a win like this since we were up Premier senior, and no disrespect to Fr O’Neill’s. We’d had quite a lot of draws and quite a lot of one and two-point defeats and matches we could have won.”