Kinsale’s Young Guns Face stern test

( JJ Hurley)

Kinsale’s up-and-coming starlets   face a do-or-die encounter with Cobh on Friday night in Ovens at 7.30pm in the McCarthy Group Premier Junior A Football Championship.

In what could be dubbed the group of death, all four teams, that also includes Na Piarsaigh and Cullen, are all sitting on two points each.

Kinsale will be hoping they will bring some of the tailwind to Friday night’s encounter, acquired from their previous victory over Cullen, along with their impressive win over Carrigaline in the U21 Football Championship in the South East, as well as the minors lining out at the top tier of the county football competition.

The only disappointment to date was their first day out against Na Piarsaigh, falling to a one-point defeat, in a game team manager, Gerry Murphy, admits wasn’t one of their best.

‘We were very poor, there is no great mystery in it, but we probably should have still won it, but we gave away an awful soft goal at the end of it,’ he said.

‘We didn’t play well at all, and if you are going to play poor in the championship, these things are going to happen,’

Of course, it is a young promising side, who are learning their trade, one in which Murphy has played a significant part in, as structures he helped to put in place are beginning to bear fruit.

‘In last year’s semi-final against Canovee, we had 12 players under 21, and five of our starting backs against Cullen, were from this year’s U21 side,’ he said

 ‘They are very young, but they have been playing at this level for three years now, and they are gaining experience.  

‘These are good players, and it’s like a conveyor belt at the moment.’

A club often considered to be   something of a sleeping giant, Murphy is confident the structurers are now in place to take Kinsale to the next level.

‘There are plenty of GAA families in Kinsale and it was about getting good coaching and that’s there now, he said

‘Under Ger Webb, and the present committee, everything is very positive, you get anything you ask for, and the new grounds will also make a big difference, the population is growing, everything is positive.

‘However, at the end of the day you still have to play well, you still have to get results and that’s what we are thinking about at the moment.’  

Of course, last weekend’s win over one of the favourites for the Ross Oil South East Junior A Hurling Championship, Belgooly, amplifies much of what Murphy reflects on.

Some of last weekend's star performers including Chris O’Callaghan, Michael Murphy and Gearoid Kearney will need to bring the same A game to the clash with Cobh, if they wish to reach the knockout stages.

But one of these nautical towns will be hoping to get the fair wind, but expect a gale force encounter here, before the tide is set to go out for one of these teams.    

  Cork U20 Footballer Gearoid Kearney seen in action here recently against Carrigaline in the Huntsman Bar U21 Football Final (Sports Photos Kinsale)