That’s championship BABY!!!
The Cork hurling championship kicked off yesterday with Imokilly giving Seandun an all-merciful hammering…
Imokilly 3-24 Seandun 0-5
Declan Barron reports from Riverstown
A Seandun side that was completely out of their depth, offered only token resistance to Imokilly in the opening round of the Evening Echo Sponsored Cork senior hurling championship, played at the Sarsfields grounds in Riverstown on last Saturday night.
Apart from an equalising point from a Kevin Burke free, the City Divisional side Seandun, put up no showing whatsoever as Imokilly completely dominated the proceedings, with Pat O’Brien opening their account in the second minute. Stand in team captain Paddy O’Regan was on target twice from free’s before the impressive Seamus Harnedy had the opening goal for Imokilly in the 10th minute.
Once the goal went in Imokilly began to find their range and points from Pat O’Brien, Seamus Harnedy, Trevor O’Keeffe, Martin Hickey, Ronan Spillane and sub Brendan Ring had Imokilly in cruise control as they led by 1-11 to 0-1 at half time. The impressive Sean O’Leary and Noel O’Riordan shored up the way to goal as a poor Seandun forward division could make no impression on the Imokilly defence.
On the resumption the whitewash continued with Youghal’s Brendan Ring bundling home the second Imokilly goal, and while Seandun did manage to score four more points in the second half, they were no match for an Imokilly side that continued to score at will. All of the Imokilly forward division got on the scoresheet with impressive sub Paul Cashman landing the last three points of the match. Before that Bill Cooper had broken through for a superbly well taken third goal as Imokilly cruised to victory.
Ronan Dwane will be happy to have gotten the game under the belt but the challenge presented by Seandun was tissue like and Imokilly will surely be up against better opposition next time out. For now however it was job completed as the East Cork divisional side makes its debut in the 2010 season a winning one.
Imokilly: S Harnedy 1-4, B Ring 1-3, B Cooper 1-1, P O’Regan 0-4, P Murphy 0-3, P O’Brien and T O’Keeffe 0-2 each, B Lawton, L Sexton, R Spillane, B Smiddy and M Hickey 0-1 each.
Seandun: C McCarthy and K Foley 0-2 each and C Daly 0-1.
Imokilly: C Cronin, B O’Tuama, N O’Riordan, M Galvin, M Hickey, S O’Leary, S O’Keeffe, P O’Brien, P O’Regan, L Sexton, B Cooper, B Lawton, R Spillane, S Harnedy and T O’Keeffe. Subs used B Ring, B Smiddy, P Murphy, JP Ivors and M Wall.
Seandun: M Millane, S O’Gorman, R Higgins, D Murphy, D Howard, C McCarthy, J Cummins, K Brosnan, C Foley, K Foley, C Daly, D Burke, S Cunningham, D Murphy and E O’Sullivan.
Referee: Ken Healy, Ballymartle
Note the three Castlemartyr lads. 
Thats a shameful team that Seandun put out. They have 3 minors playing??? WTF, its the city. Clear a few clubs didn’t let their players forward there.
Fair play to Imokilly though, amazing they still produce so many good players despite so many clubs being up Senior.
Kev, do you know where Harnedy and Galvin are from?
North Tipp:
Kildangan 3-11 Nenagh 2-8
Moneyagall bet Portroe
South Tipp:
Mullinahone 1-24 Carrick Davins 1-12
Galvin is O’ Neills i think, no idea of th othe lad.
Harnedy is St Itas.
Ballinure had 3 lads playing. They are a terrible Junior B team. What the fuck were Seandun up to, collecting lads from soccer games down in Mahon or something. An absolute disgrace.
Divisional teams are done.
Seandun are defintely done. Actually thats a weakish Imokilly side, none from Cobh, only one from Castlelyons, none from St. Catherines, only one from Aghada and none from Fr O’Neills. None of the Hartnetts, no Timmy Mac, no McGann, no Ger O’Leary, Billy Murphy etc. We’ll have a fairly strong side this year anyway.
Ya i was looking at the Imokilly team and thinking they may struggle when they were previewing it in the paper.
Going by the feeling at the recent proposals for the future of Cork gaa it seems there isn’t much gra for them anymore. Club teams refusing access to their players is very common now. Heard a suggestion that all will be abandoned except both Duhallow teams and Beara football.
Avondhu 2-16 Duhallow 1-9 FT.
Johnny Keane at it again.
Johnny Keane at it again.
Fixtures in Limerick this weekend:
The first round has proven the championship to be alot more open than expected with a number of teams using the winter to good effect. There is very little to seperate most of the teams meeting this weekend.
Group B
Tonight:
Adare V St Senans - NCW - 7:30
Adare seem to have turned this around as regards football and were by all accounts good value for their win over Fr Caseys last week. I think this will have focus the minds of St Senans and will know not to expect a push over, which Fr Caseys probably did. A win for either team tonight will see them set up very nicely to make the knockout stages later in the Summer. It’s a tough one to call but I think Senans are that bit stronger overall, I’m going to go with Senans by a couple of points but wouldn’t rule out a draw.
Friday Night
Ballylanders V Fr Caseys - Kilmallock - 7:30
This is a pivitol game for Caseys, a loss tonight would see them heading into the last 3 games needing to win them all, whereas a victory would keep them right in the hunt. Ballylanders have seemingly a lot of strenght and conditioning work done over the winter and used it to good effect against NCW in the last round, but Caseys may be a bridge too far for them. Going to go for Caseys in this.
Pallasgreen V NCW - Clarina - 7:30
Two losers from the opening rounds meeting here. NCW had appeared to be flying before being somewhat surprisingly beaten in the last round, while Pallasgreen were just edged out by Senans. Whoever loses here would have to win all their remaining games to have any hope of making the knock out stages. I’m going to go for NCW.
I’ll stick up my Group A previews later on.
Played last weekend but forgot to post it
County Senior Football Championship Round (1)
Aherlow 2-14 Killenaule 0-06
Galtee Rovers 2-14 Fethard 1-10
Éire Óg Anacarty 2-11 Ardfinnan 2-07
Carrick Swans 4-08 Clonmel Óg 2-14 A.E.T
Arravale Rovers 2-13 Moyne Templetuohy 1-07 A.E.T
Clonmel Commercials 0-09 Loughmore Castleiney 0-09 A.E.T
Moyle Rovers 2-20 Thomas MacDonaghs 0-11
Limerick SFC:
Adare 0-10 St Senans 0-7
That puts Adare 2 from 2.
clare hurling championship starts this weekend with two games, Inagh Kilnamona v Cratloe and Wolf Tones v Tubber…Rest of the teams are out next weekend
Bantry Blues take on Ballinora in the first Football game of the year tomorrow night in the Premier Intermediate cHampionship.
Hard one to call, Bantry started the year in flying form and had the great Phillip Clifford back flying at full forward. But they haven’t being going well recently and have loat their last 3 league games, and Clifford had a falling out with a young player and manager and had the classic taking off of the jersey incident recently. This can actually make some teams, or break others, he’s a prick and not good for young fellas so if he’s not around i think its good for the Blues. Graham Cantys availability will have a bearing as well.
Ballinora are much changed, relegated in the league last year (like Bantry) they are in slight transition. Couple of good new players coming through and a dominant settled midfield for the first time in 3 years. Cronan Healy is playing his last game for Cork Con on saturday in the AIL final and will be a loss, but he’ll be more available than ever afterwards. Ballinora have been mixed in the league, and have been having strange results in challenge games, loosing to Junior teams and beating the shite out of Senior teams all over the country.
Impossible to call, but if Canty’s there it may swing it for the Blues.
[b]Limerick Senior Football
Group B[/b]
Tonight
Ballysteen v Dromcolligher/Broadford - NCW - 7:30
Drom would be expected to win this comfortably enough. Ballysteen are short a few due to injuries etc and the fact both teams won their first round game means it’s not a “must win” for either team. Drom
Saturday
Monaleen V St Kierans - Askeaton - 7:30
An interesting clash here. I saw Kierans destroy Claughan in the 1st round, but the opposition were so poor it would be hard to take anything from it. The have a very young (but accurate) forward line and it will interesting to see how they get on against the more experienced Monaleen defence. On paper Monaleen have a good team and have been strenghtened by the arrival of CJP from Ahane, but they have had a good team on paper for years without ever delivering much. That said I still think they should beat Kierans tonight. Monaleen
Sunday
St Patricks V Claughan - Clarina - 7:30
The Childers Road rivals meet for the first time in senior football championship in a long time and should be hotly contested but realistically the new kids on the block, St Pats, should have plenty in hand over Claughan. St Pats
Live 95fm County SFC Group 1
Ballysteen 0-8 Dromcollogher/Broadford 1-12
Live 95fm County SFC Group 2
Ballylanders 1-9 Fr. Caseys 2-13
Pallasgreen 1-9 Newcastlewest 1-5