Beara have had to wait 91 days between games

BY DENIS HURLEY

BY THE time Beara take to the field against Ballincollig in Round 2B of the county SFC on Saturday, 91 days will have elapsed since their last outing, against St Finbarr’s.

Beaten by ten points on that occasion, the three months in between haven’t been that much kinder to the peninsular division, with a long list of absentees hampering preparations for the clash with the 2014 county champions.

The picture painted by Beara board secretary Finbarr Harrington isn’t the most encouraging, especially in terms of the key players missing.

‘We’re up against it, to be honest,’ he says.

‘We’ll be very short, we have a lot of injuries. Lorcán Harrington is injured at the moment, we’re not sure if he’s going to play or not; Trevor Collins is injured. Joe Harrington carried an injury into the Beara final on Sunday and picked up another knock, so he’s going to be a major doubt.

‘We haven’t done a whole pile since the Barrs game, it’s just one of those years. It has been tough to get it together, with Adrigole and Castletown being under pressure in their own intermediate championships it makes it that bit harder.

‘They’ve struggled and there are a lot of guys gone away to America too for the summer too. That happens and there’s nothing you can do about it.’

Garnish overcame Urhan in the Beara junior A final on Sunday. Two of the victorious side travelled home from the United States for the game, as well and one of the vanquished, and that is good news for Beara, even if they aren’t technically ‘additions’.

‘Yeah, we’ll have Seán ‘Terry’ and we’ll have Paul O’Neill and Conor Lowney of Urhan too,’ Harrington says.

‘We had them for the Barrs game before they left too, though. We’ll be under no illusions, we know that we’re going to be up against it. We’ll go out and give it a shot, in an hour of championship football anything can happen.

‘We’re not in a great shape at the moment but we’ll go out to do our best.’

On Sunday at 3pm in Macroom, Bandon will face Ballydesmond in Round 3 of the IFC. Last year’s junior champions lost to Cill na Martra in their opening game but got back on track with a comfortable over Clonakilty. They will again look to Mark Sugrue and Barry Collins to provide much of their scoring output.

FIXTURES

Saturday, August 6th

PIHC (Round 3)

7pm Mallow v Watergrasshill, at Castletownroche

IHC

7pm Carrigaline v Eire Óg, at Brinny (Round 2B)

7pm Grenagh v Meelin, at Banteer (Round 3)

SFC Round 2B

7.15pm Ballincollig v Beara, at Bantry

PIFC Round 2A

7pm Fermoy v Ballinora, at Mayfield

IFC Round 3

7.30pm Aghabullogue v Glanmire, at Blarney

U21 A FC final

8pm Ilen Rovers v St Finbarrs, at Páirc Uí Rinn

U21 B FC final

6.15pm Clyda Rovers v Ibane Gaels, at Páirc Uí Rinn

Sunday, August 7th

SHC Round 2A

3.30pm Douglas v Imokilly, at Páirc Uí Rinn

IFC Round 3

3pm Bandon v Ballydesmond, at Macroom

Tuesday, August 9th

Premier U21A HC

6.15pm Valley Rovers v Bishopstown, at Páirc Uí Rinn (Round 2)

8pm St Finbarr’s v Blarney, at Páirc Uí Rinn (Round 1).