O'Driscoll back in action for Carbery

BY DENIS HURLEY

IT'S a case of going from a famine to a feast for the Carbery senior footballers.

Last Sunday's SFC round 2A loss to Castlehaven was a first championship outing since April 30th, but the turnaround is far shorter this time.

The divisional side take on last year's premier intermediate champions Kiskeam in Macroom on Sunday afternoon for a place in round four, with Carbery manager Gene O'Driscoll pleased at the way the schedule has fallen in terms of easing fixture congestion.

‘We were pushing for it to go ahead,' he says, ‘from the point of view of club commitments down the line.

‘Bandon are playing this Saturday but if they win they'll have a game with Bantry and then there's hurling to take account too, so you're trying to free up time.'

From a playing point of view, playing again quickly can only be beneficial, the Tadhg Mac Cárthaigh clubman feels.

‘Big-time,' he says.

‘I'm sick of saying it, this is the way the championship should, games coming in a condensed period.

‘The players are back with their clubs this week but we'd hope to have some time with them, just from a get-together point of view, especially those lads who are out of the championship.'

The flipside of the timing is that Alan O'Connor and Graham Canty, both of whom missed last week's game, remain out. Ruairí Deane, whose head injury necessitated a long delay against the Haven, is being assessed and Carbery are waiting on medical advice, but there is good news in that O'Driscoll's son Colm is available having been unable to start last time out.

Kiskeam beat Aghada in round 2B after losing to Avondhu in their first outing. While Carbery will be favourites, O'Driscoll certainly isn't taking anything for granted.

‘I saw them against Fermoy in the premier intermediate final last year,' he says.

‘Even that game would tell you a lot of what they're about because Fermoy were strong favourites.

‘They haven't been on our radar this year but they're in the same boat as ourselves, so you have to give them and this round the necessary respect.

‘We found out a lot about ourselves last week, there's a big difference between playing junior or intermediate and playing and competing at senior, even playing regularly in the Kelleher Shield is a huge help.

‘We found the Haven's intensity hard to cope with and you'd hope that the players will have learned from that experience.'