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You are > Home > Causeway aim to preserve their unique record
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Thursday, September 30, 2004
Causeway aim to preserve their unique record
By: Paul Brennan
AIB County Senior Hurling Championship Final Preview
Kilmoyley v Causeway
Sunday, October 3
Austin Stack Park, Tralee
Throw-in: 3pm
WITH the fanfare of the county landing its 33rd All-Ireland Football title it may be excusable that the small ball game in the county be temporarily forgotten but hurling takes centre stage this weekend with a thrilling County Senior Hurling Championship Final in store.
Defending champions Kilmoyley are bidding for a record equalling fourth successive title with the only team to have achieved that feat, Causeway, standing in their way of sharing in that piece of history.
This element adds to the intrigue of the contest but the simple fact that Sunday’s match pits two excellent hurling sides together could be grounds enough for making this an engaging final that remains extremely hard to call.
Kilmoyley’s dominance of the championship over the past three years could have them installed as favourites again this year but a couple of factors might suggest that hot favouritism isn’t justified.
On the less quantitative side is the reality that champions have to be dethroned sometime and a fourth successive county final appearance might be as good (or bad) a time as any. Of course, the best time to catch defending champions out is often early in the campaign but neither Ballyduff or St Brendans could spring any surprises, even though Kilmoyley were less than their impressive best both days, especially against St Brendans in the semi-final. And that, perhaps, is the second reason why Causeway will take to Austin Stack Park more in confidence than in hope.
John Meyler has admitted that it does get harder to keep players motivated the longer a winning spell goes on, and certainly the champions weren’t entirely focussed for much of their semi-final, although St Brendans deserve much credit for their own approach to that game.
However, if there’s one thing that Causeway should respect, if not fear, is that Kilmoyley aren’t champions since 2001 for no good reason. They have a glut of quality players and Meyler has built a team that has skill, character and courage in spades.
St Brendans might have thrown down the gauntlet to Kilmoyley but collective patience, experience and then individual brilliance saw them through with a little more than the four-point margin would suggest.
With a healthy splash of inter-county hurlers, Kilmoyley have that vital ingredient of big game players, an invaluable commodity when the hurling might be elusive on a particular day. In the Murnanes, the Bricks, the Harrises, Padriag Regan, James McCarthy, Darren Young and Richard Gentleman the champions have quality on every line, and that coupled with the fact that they still have a big performance in them and the chance to equal Causeway’s four-in-a-row will mean that the Lerrig men will start as favourites.
It’s no coincidence that Causeway’s arrival back to the big time this year coincides with the arrival back to the manager’s seat of Francie Dineen. Dineen was at the helm when Causeway last won a county championship in 1998 and it seems that if there’s one man to help protect their unique four-in-a-row record it should be someone with those four medals in his pocket as a player. Causeway’s road to this final hadn’t been the smoothest but, like Kilmoyley, they still have their best hurling to come.
Beaten by Crotta in the first round, it gave the side the kick in the behind their manager admits they needed but the response has been impressive. Brushing aside Kenmare in the losers’ group, Lixnaw, the beaten finalists of the last two years, were confidently negotiated in the quarter-final. Ballyheigue, like Ardfert in the other semi-final, proved a tough nut to crack for Causeway but like Shane Brick for Kilmoyley, Causeway have their own gunslinger in John Mike Dooley.
Dooley got the goal that clinched the semi-final for them but while Causeway mightn’t be peppered with inter-county stars to the same degree as the champions they still have excellent and experienced players across the park.
There are several survivors from the ’98 winning side with Maurice O’Connell, the Hartys, the Leahys, Seamus Sheehan, Michael Burke, Cyril Dineen and Dooley all holding winners’ medals, and like Kilmoyley, that experience will be invaluable to Causeway when the going gets tough.
There’s no questioning Kilmoyley’s class but Causeway are a side that has been brought along this year under new (old) management and are benefiting from that first season zest. For early confidence they can’t allow Kilmoyley start well and get their dander up; they must find their own rhythm and let their own game come to the fore.
Kilmoyley’s strengths lies down their centre so Causeway will have to play a wide game, using fast ball down the flanks, limiting the influence of James McCarthy, Maurice Murnane and Shane Brick. With their eye for goal, Kilmoyey are capable of putting up a big score so Causeway will have to be unerring from frees and convert a large percentage of their chances from play.
Champions fall hardest the higher they climb and Kilmoyley are on a lofty perch right now. St Brendans rocked their pedestal in the semi-final and though the champions steadied themselves there might just be a little wobble still there for Causeway to capitalise on. A proud record as well as a county championship is on the line and Causeway might just retain the first and regain the second in a very close match.
Verdict: Causeway
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