Munster Club JHC: Kilshannig on the road as they seek more success

Having had the benefit of home comforts as they opened their AIB Munster Club JHC campaign with a win a fortnight ago, Kilshannig will face the challenge of being on the other side of such a situation on Saturday.

The county premier junior hurling champions picked up where they left off as they triumphed by 3-21 to 0-14 over Waterford’s St Declan’s of Ardmore as their own Glantane grounds. That win brought them to a semi-final clash with Fethard of Tipperary, who had the home draw and whose own venue is up to required standards to host.

Once again, Kilshannig’s opponents are blue but, having switched to their gold second kit against Ardmore, the north Cork club will be back in their more familiar look, the Tipperary style on show in Tipperary as they look to reach the Munster final.

Manager Pat Murphy knows that a stiff challenge awaits.

“We were at home and it was certainly a big plus to be playing in our own pitch that we are familiar with,” he said.

“This Saturday, we have to travel to Fethard, so that kind of brings a different challenge again.

“Certainly, Fethard are a serious opposition, they have won their own county championshipin Tipperary and gone on and beat the Clare representatives Ennistymon in the quarter-finals.

“There's no doubt, to travel to their grounds and they are playing in familiar surroundings, it certainly brings another challenge for Kilshannig.”

Outside of this year, and last year’s JAHC victory, Kilshannig can also call upon a wealth of experience from recent footballing campaigns, which included two provincial appearances.

“Most certainly,” he said, “we have a very good group of players that's very committed.

“There’s a strong group there with a good blend. We have a mix of youth and experience and a share of lads there that know what's required to dig out the win when a game is tight like that.

“I suppose the last day against Ardmore, we were up seven points at half-time, they came back at us and brought it back to three and if they'd got another score at the time, they'd have troubled us.

“I suppose we're travelling in hope I suppose that we'd be able to perform, I suppose, and bring the performance.

“That's the big thing, certainly the conditions are different now as well, versus the hurling up to now. The weather is changing and certainly it's about grinding out victories now.”

In terms of injuries, there isn’t exactly a clean bill of health, but Kilshannig are playing with the cards that they have been dealt and adapting accordingly.

“Well sure, we have a few niggling injuries and it's certainly something that we're kind of coping well with throughout the year like that,” Murphy said.

“There's always a few lads that wouldn't be able to give us the hour, but we’ll have what we’ll have and certainly we'll be well-prepared under the stewardship of Dermot O'Riordan, our coach.

“Everything that we can do to prepare properly, we're letting no stone unturned that way. Going out as Cork representatives, we'd like to put our best foot forward and bring a performance.

“We'd be hoping certainly to give a good account of ourselves.”

And they will again be backed by a vocal support making the trip.

“I'd expect we would,” Murphy said.

“Our Kilshannig supporters, they're fantastic, as good as you'd get in any part of the country.

“We have a great band of followers for this group of players, they've endeared themselves to the whole parish and probably a lot of Avondhu.

“I'd expect a lot of neutral people to travel as well and traditionally Cork teams have acquitted themselves well in this competition.

“We're hoping for the best, two teams going at it. Everyone wants to succeed and whoever will bring the performance on the day will be victorious, that's ultimately what it comes down to.”