Premier SHC: Blackrock's Tadgh Deasy delighted to be back

Blackrock’s Co-op SuperStores Premier SHC victory over Glen Rovers at Páirc Uí Rinn last Saturday night was naturally a source of great joy for the club.

Having been reduced to 14 players when they trailed by five points coming up to half-time, the Rockies managed to grind out a 1-22 to 1-20 win against their great rivals, to put themselves in a strong position to maintain their record of being the only club in the round-robin era to reach the knockout stages.

For wing-back Tadgh Deasy, the game and the venue brought to full circle a period of nearly a year – it was on August 15, in the second round of fixtures last year, that he sustained a cruciate-ligament injury in the win over St Finbarr’s.

Making his return to action in the final round of the league against Douglas, Deasy was in the number 7 jersey on Saturday and made an important contribution to the win.

Jamie Harrington’s side will now go into their next game against Fr O’Neill’s with a chance to all-but-confirm their progression and Deasy is delighted to be looking ahead with confidence.

He credits Blackrock physio Sinéad Murphy of Performance Physiotherapy Cork with driving what was a challenging recovery effort.

“The knee just went and I did my ACL and my meniscus,” he says.

“This was definitely the worst because I'd never had surgery before in anything. I was out for seven months then after surgery, but I’m delighted to be back now, in fairness.

“It’s definitely a tough process – the toughest part last year was missing out on the remainder of the championship, but, to be honest, I actually really enjoyed the recovery.

“It was made very easy for me, to be fair, by the people I was surrounded by. Sinéad looked after me and I can't say enough good words about her – it was world-class the way she treated me.

“Awkward appointment times – Wednesday nights, Saturday mornings, you name it – any problem that came up, she accommodated me.

“Then Jamie, he did my running with me and Eddie O’Sullivan, our S&C coach, they all worked so hard together. They just made it very easy for me, to be fair.”

The PE and English student in UCC was back in action for the win against Douglas in the league – and almost marked that with a superb goal as a mazy run from deep ended with a shot that was just over rather than under the crossbar.

Thankfully, with no ill-effects, he was able to build up towards the championship.

“I kind of got back training around the middle of May,” he says, “just kind of built up a bit of confidence, I suppose, in the knee and a bit of fitness and all that.

“Yeah, I actually wouldn't be thinking about it, to be honest. I think about it alright off the pitch, but you just put in the work in the gym and then trust it when you're on the field.”

An added disappointment at the time of the injury was the fact that Deasy, who had played much of his hurling as an attacker, had been repurposed to the half-back line, with encouraging results.

It is a role that suits him as his height makes him a good ball-winner, while the strong running provides an attacking asset on top of the defensive qualities.

It’s something he has enjoyed and will hope to keep enjoying.

“I have, to be fair,” he says.

“It's a new challenge and I'm just delighted, to be fair, that the management trust me back there.

“I do really enjoy playing there, I just enjoy being on the pitch. I suppose you're just trying to make the most of your strengths to contribute to the team.

“I like to get forward, so I try to do that when I can, but ultimately, the main job is to defend as well.”