Senior status up for grabs as west duo clash in final

BY GER McCARTHY

THE 2017 Cork intermediate camogie decider sees West Cork’s Enniskeane and Newcestown going head to head in Brinny on Saturday afternoon.

An intermediate county final between two Carbery clubs doesn’t need any additional spice and should be an occasion to savour for both sets of supporters. 

Local rivals Enniskeane and Newcestown have each enjoyed productive campaigns, contain inter-county talent within their ranks and have already met twice this year.

The two sides clashed in Bandon on May 28th where Newcestown ran out 2-14 to 1-8 winners to claim the intermediate league title. But Enniskeane gained revenge for that loss by overcoming their Carbery rivals in the group stages of the championship.

Enniskeane manager Brian Daly believes an opportunity to reach the senior grade on offer for the winners will only add to the spectacle. 

‘First of all, it goes without saying that the entire Enniskeane squad and backroom are looking forward to this weekend’s county final,’ Daly said.

‘The chance to move up to the senior grade represents a massive incentive for both teams. The start of the campaign involved a round-robin tournament before the top four progressed to the county semi-finals. Both West Cork teams were kept apart in the semi-final draw and we each registered comprehensive victories to make it through to Saturday’s decider.’

Those last-four encounters saw Enniskeane rack up 5-11 in their straightforward victory over Tracton while Newcestown had little trouble in seeing off Sliabh Rua 4-6 to 0-2.

‘We beat Enniskeane in the league final at the start of the year but then they came back at us and beat us in the group stage of the championship. I guess the decider is on Saturday in the county final,’ noted Newcestown manager Finbarr O’Callaghan.

‘We were a senior club up to about seven or eight years ago but then we went through a difficult patch where we went back down to junior A. 

‘Newcestown has a loyal bunch of players that have kept things going over the past few years while on the other side of things, half of this year’s team is under 18 years of age.

‘That is all down to having a very strong under age set-up within our club and a huge amount of work has gone in over the last ten years’.

Cork and Enniskeane’s Orla Cronin is expected to feature prominently as is Newcestown’s Maeve Lynch who played for the Rebels in their intermediate All-Ireland defeat to Meath only last weekend. 

‘Both sets of players are competing at the county A section of the championship and that can only benefit them in the long run,’ said Enniskeane’s Brian Daly.

‘We have a good catchment area around Enniskeane which is attracting a lot of young players and our squad has benefited this year. Having said that there will be nothing in it on Saturday as it is very difficult to choose between two such evenly matched teams.’