‘If we play to our potential then we won't be far away'

BY JOHN MURPHY

RICKY O’Flynn is preparing for battle.

The Ballinascarthy captain will lead his team into this Sunday’s South West decider and is under no illusions about the challenge that Clonakilty will present.

‘All our games so far have been difficult,’ he said.

‘At various stages we looked comfortable, yet bar the Kilbrittain game it was real nip and tuck in the other two against Mathúnas and Kilbree. They presented major challenges but against Clonakilty on Sunday it will be the most difficult hurdle of all to get over. 

‘Clon are vastly experienced, have the ideal mixture of youth and experience, whereas bar a couple of us, the Ballinascarthy team is quite young, we’ve a low age profile. Will it work against our chances of lifting the Flyer Nyhan Cup? I don’t know.

‘We will be underdogs, but if we play to our full potential we will not be far away at the final whistle.’

The experienced O’Flynn is a quantity surveyor based near Cork Airport with MMD Construction. Together with goalkeeper Eamonn O’Flynn they are the two elder statesmen on a youthful Ballinascarthy team. The Reds midfield general began his playing career as an eight-year-old and has been involved with Ballinascarthy teams right up the ranks. 

Highlights have been an All-Ireland intermediate hurling medal with LIT in 2009, an All-Ireland B medal with Clonakilty Community College in 2004, two hurling league medals with Ballinascarthy in 2013 and 2016 together with a number of underage medals.     

‘Leading Ballinascarthy out on Sunday will be the pinnacle of my sporting career,’ O’Flynn said.

‘I was involved with Bal at minor level when we won the league and county, but this is much greater as I was not captain then. 

‘When I was young I used to go to training with our next-door neighbour Kevin Crowley, who was the goalkeeper back then, so it is nice to be actively involved now and actually playing,’ remarked O’Flynn who was man-of-match in the semi-final win over Kilbree.