Premier JFC: Depth tested but belief strong as Cobh chase knockout berth
Cullen goalkeeper Fachtna O'Connor makes a fine save but could not keep out the second shot by goalscorer Diarmuid Kearney of Cobh. Picture: Larry Cummins
Cobh head to Dunmanway this evening knowing that a positive result against Urhan will secure their passage to the knockout stages of the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier JFC, and selector Damien Byrne feels they are in a decent place.
They sit on three points from two games in Group 2 as they look to secure a knockout spot, having reached the semi-final stage last year.
“You’d always take having destiny in your own hands at the start of pre-season,” he reflects.
“Your first priority every season has to be making sure you’re not looking over your shoulder at relegation. That’s why the first game, getting a win against Inniscarra, was huge for us. You’re looking up instead of looking over your shoulder.
“If you asked me with ten minutes to go would I take a draw, I’d have bitten your hand off. Championship football is often about a couple of breaks going your way, and we got them.”
Their second outing, a draw with Glenville, carried a different emotion. Cobh led by three points entering the final play only to concede a last-gasp goal.
“Anytime you’re three points up and it’s essentially the last play, you’re thinking, ‘Let’s just batten down the hatches.’ Glenville got an attack, took a shot, it got blocked, and it could just as easily have rebounded to one of our lads. Instead it hopped perfectly into their fella’s stride and he finished it low into the net.
“The positive is you got a point — you didn’t lose. On the day we had about 31 attacks and an amount of poor wides and poor decision-making. We only kicked 11 points. Against Inniscarra we went on a run where we hit five two-pointers in a row.
“Against Glenville, a couple of two-point attempts that went six inches inside the post the first day went six inches outside this time. That’s just the nature of it.”
Attention now turns to Urhan, a side Byrne knows will bring intensity, honesty and aggression.
“They’ll present a very tough challenge,” he states.
“I saw them against Glenville back in July — they were up for it, positive, pressing up any opportunity they had. When a team presses like that, all it takes is one sloppy pass and suddenly they have the ball and you’re at sixes and sevens. They were very aggressive in that manner.
“We have to be tuned in. If it turns into an arm-wrestle, our fellas are generally good at that.
“Look, there’s no point being in the competition if you’re not looking to be involved at the business end. But there are no easy games. We are looking forward to the challenge.”
Group 1: Kinsale v St Vincent’s, Riverstick; Cullen v Millstreet, Knocknagree.
Group 2: Cobh v Urhan, Dunmanway; Inniscarra v Glenville, Ovens.
Group 3: St Nick’s v Kilmacabea, Macroom; Canovee v Na Piarsaigh, Páirc Uí Rinn.
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