More than bragging rights on the line as Ross and Clonakilty clash

A TEN-MINUTE drive in a car – that’s all that separates the home grounds of Clonakilty and Carbery Rangers. Neighbours and football rivals, there is a lot at stake when the two clash in a Bon Secours Premier SFC derby on Sunday (3pm) in Enniskeane.

Apart from the championship points on offer, Rangers boss Seamus Hayes sums up why this Group A clash is such a huge game.

‘We’re direct neighbours, adjoining parishes and there has always been a healthy rivalry between the two sides. I would expect this game to be a very tight affair,’ Hayes says.

Whatever the pairing means to Ross, it feels the same in Clonakilty.

‘Any derby game with Ross is going to be tough,’ Clon selector Eoin Ryan adds.

‘They have got the better of us in the championship over the last number of years. Derby games take a life of their own, things can happen that make a big difference to the match. We do have to be at our best to compete with Ross, there’s no doubt about that.’

Most punters wouldn’t pick an outright favourite for this game. Clon head into the game after their convincing win against Valley Rovers (0-20 to 1-9), while Rangers drew with Castlehaven (0-11 apiece).

The two teams will have to be at their best to win this battle. Neither camp sees themselves as favourites.

‘Clon are really stacked when you look at their team. They have a lot of fellas who have worn the red jersey for Cork, both on the seniors and underage,’ Hayes comments.

‘We were there to watch them against Valleys. They have threats all over the pitch and have the talent. It’s a huge task and like the Castlehaven one, I think we’re underdogs going into it.

‘We are confident in our players that they will rise to the occasion. If we are to win, we have to match the fundamentals: the intensity, the workrate, the discipline and the desire. If you match your opponents in all those, you’ll be there or thereabouts. To be honest, I think this game will come down to a kick of a ball at the end.’

The Clon camp thinks that they are the ones under the cosh going into the match, however.

‘Castlehaven would have been one of the fancied teams before the group and Ross went out and got a draw (0-11 apiece), and could have won,’ Ryan says.

‘Obviously, we’ll be up against it. We have to bring our A-game and be as tigerish as they are. I’ve watched them play a few times and they’re hard to break down. We have to stay at it; patience is the key.’

Getting one point in the opener against Castlehaven was massive for Seamus Hayes’ side who will play Valley Rovers in the last group game. The Rosscarbery team would love to get more points on the board before then.

‘The two games against the Haven and Clon were always going to be massive for us. Getting a point out of the Castlehaven game was huge and it gave us a good bit of confidence but this Clon match will be as tight and as tough as the Castlehaven game. We are expecting a huge battle,’ the Rangers boss adds.

‘Our future in the group is still in our destiny. We would be hoping to get a result against Clon and you’re going into the last game and it’s still in your own hands. That’s huge for us, we can control it. Most of the pundits would have tipped Castlehaven and Clon to progress and I could understand that when the draw was made.’

The Clon management team is worried after coming off the back of two Carbery JAHC weekends in a row. Not just because of potential knocks but football sharpness too.

‘Junior hurling breaks it up in between because we have a good few dual players so we didn’t have them last week. That breaks up preparation but, look, we’re in a good place going into it. The main thing for us is to get everybody out onto the pitch,’ Ryan says.

‘It’s junior hurling so the fitness and everything is different. It affects our preparation obviously. The lads wouldn’t be at the same tempo as in training. They have a championship game now every weekend. We’d be getting yards into the legs of those who aren’t playing hurling. You can’t do that with the hurlers because you have to mind them. With championship matches every weekend, it’s hard enough to manage it.’

Clon looks to have a fully-fit squad going into Sunday but Ross aren’t in the same boat. Goalkeeper Paul Shanahan, who scored 0-3 against Castlehaven, is a ‘major’ doubt due to a knee injury. That’s not all, as Hayes outlines.

‘We have a good few injuries unfortunately. Alan Jennings got injured in the Castlehaven game, which was a big blow for us. He was coming back from breaking his hand and he has got another injury now which looks to keep him out of it. Our captain Tom O’Rourke is coming back from a hamstring injury, I don't know if he will be ready,’ he adds.