Kilbree tipped to edge past Bandon in South West JAHC first round

Bandon v Kilbree, Saturday, May 23rd,

Bandon lost to Dohenys in last year's championship.

7pm in Barryroe

BANDON had to wait until last Saturday to see what players would be available to the team and their narrow defeat by Courcey Rovers won’t be good for morale.

They won the title in 2009, surprising Clonakilty in the final but have failed to impress since then, losing their two games last season to Bal and Dohenys.

Selectors Robert O’Mahony, Chris Bonner and Kevin Walsh will hope to have intermediate player Philip Crowley, Robert Wilmot, David Lehane and Pat Prendergast to backbone the side while young minors like Timmy McCarthy, Aidan Dullea, Mark O’Regan and newcomer Adam Murphy will add bite to the side. The players train with the intermediate team. In the league to date they have played three games, beating Kilbrittain and losing to Bal and Rossa’s.

Kilbree are putting a lot of energy and concentration into football in recent seasons, anxious to win both the junior B and U21B county titles but they have also impressed in underage hurling.

Last season they won the county minor B hurling title and many of those younger players should figure on the junior team. They will have experienced campaigners like Kevin O’Donovan, Ray Collins, Brian McSweeney and David and Brian O’Donovan to spearhead their challenge but were struck a big blow when captain Dylan Coffey broke his leg. Don McCarthy could also be missing, just recovering from injury.

Of the younger brigade, Damien O’Gorman will miss the game because of Leaving Cert, but Liam O’Brien, Damien O’Leary, Jack Coffey and the Scannells, Ogie and Shane may be included.

New manager, after a successful run at underage, is Timmy O’Brien with assistance from Colm Young and Seán O’Brien. The team has played only three league games, winning one and drawing one.

Prediction: Much will depend on how many players the Bandon intermediates use against Courcey Rovers but Kilmeen will be anxious to convert all their underage success into adult success. They have produced some stirring displays in recent seasons but collapsed on the big occasion. This should provide a first step to a brighter future at junior A level. Kilbree to win.