Repeat finalists have fared better in football than hurling
Uibh Laoire's Ian Jones flicks the ball past Aghabullogue's goalkeeper John Buckey and Tom Long for his goal during last year's McCarthy Insurance Group Premier IFC final at SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh. Picture: Eddie O'Hare
Saturday evening’s county final double-header in SuperValu Páirc Uí Chaoimh will see the hurlers of Bandon and the footballers of Uibh Laoire look to go one better than last year.
At 5pm the Lilywhites do battle with Aghada in the final of the Co-op SuperStores Intermediate A Hurling Championship and then at 7pm the McCarthy Insurance Group Premier IFC decider pits the Inchigeela outfit against Kiskeam.
Both Bandon and Uibh Laoire have bounced back to defeats last year – both against Aghabullogue, coincidentally – and the Coachford outfit are among the positive examples of teams managing to regroup following a final loss and go again.
In 2022, Coachford lost the IAFC final to Kilshannig but got over the line against Mitchelstown a year later. Then, they reached the Premier IFC decider at the first attempt – again, Kilshannig were the opposition and a replay was required before the north Cork side won out. However, just as was the case two years previously, Aghabullogue put their experience to good use and were the team claiming the trophy 12 months later.
Across seven seasons since the group-stage format was introduced, Uibh Laoire are the fifth example of the beaten premier intermediate football finalists making it back to that stage the following year.
Currently, the count is two wins and two losses, though overall in the football championships, 13 runners-up have put themselves in the same position the following year and eight of them – 61.5 percent – have taken the extra step. Of the other five, Nemo Rangers in this year’s Premier SFC won after three successive losses while for Kanturk in the 2022 Premier IFC it was a case of third-time lucky.
In the hurling, there have also been five clubs who have experienced back-to-back final losses. However, whereas in the football it is five out of 13, the small-ball stats show five out of eight.
Sarsfieds in last year’s Premier SHC, Fr O’Neill’s in the 2022 SAHC and Ballincollig a fortnight ago in the Premier IHC are the exceptions and in the case of O’Neill’s, the breakthrough came after defeats in each of the previous two editions.
Bandon are the first IAHC team to even manage to make it back since the system was changed and the overall evenness of that grade is shown by the fact that they are renewing acquaintance with an Aghada team they met in the opening round – Bandon beat them by three points while they squeezed a two-point victory against a Russell Rovers side that would end up relegated.
With the big prize on the line, they will hope that the experience of last year stands to them.
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