CAST your minds back to 2024 and Adrigole appeared to be cruising towards a place in the county intermediate A football final. They led Boherbue by 0-11 to 0-5 in the semi-final – but the Beara club ended up on the wrong side of a 1-9 to 0-11 scoreline.

That defeat still hurts, but there is a chance at redemption when they renew rivalries with the Duhallow outfit on Saturday (6.30pm) in Dunmanway.

Following an impressive win over Bandon (0-18 to 0-13) in their championship opener, boss Tim O’Sullivan knows there is an opportunity of advancing to the knockout stage.

‘Don’t worry, we haven’t forgotten two years ago at all,’ O’Sullivan told The Southern Star.

‘We are focused on going game by game. It was initially Bandon. Now it’s Boherbue. There is something there from a couple of years ago but we’re not focused on revenge. We are focused on the lads who are there at the moment and that they are playing well. Hopefully, we can get the win and get into a quarter-final. That’s our focus.

‘What happened two years ago happened. That’s water under the bridge now. We’re taking it every game as it comes. Getting a good performance in every game and pushing on.’

That opening-day victory was crucial in starting their campaign well and easing the pressure ahead of their clash with the Duhallow men, who also won their first-round match against Kildorrery.

‘Winning the first round gives you that breathing space. If you lose the first round, there is a lot of pressure on you for the second round. We were happy with the result. First half, we were a bit scrappy and it took us a while to get going. We had the wind in that first half and didn’t take full advantage of it,’ O’Sullivan explained.

‘We were delighted with the second-half performance. Against the wind, I thought we were clever. I thought our bench played very well when they came on. We were happy to get over the line and that small bit of breathing space is great.

‘Coming down from premier intermediate, Bandon are an experienced side. We were happy to get over that game. We’ve had great clashes against Boherbue down the years. It’s a tough game. There are no easy games anymore. Between all the teams in all the groups, there is nearly a kick of a ball between them. It’s all on the day.’

Winning your first game helps ease the pressure going into the second group match. For Adrigole, they want to win and seal a top two place in the group.

‘In championship football, there is always a bit of pressure. We put a good bit of focus on that Bandon game but after that game, it was about getting lads refocused for the second round. Whether you like it or not, there is pressure in every round, no matter what the circumstances are,’ the Adrigole boss said.

‘If you lose this weekend, you are putting pressure on yourself for the final round. Championship football is championship football. Having said that, winning the first game is a plus. We’re still looking to beat Boherbue and set ourselves up for a quarter-final. That would be the goal,’ O’Sullivan added.

Ben O’Sullivan, who hit 0-5 in their latest win, picked up an injury towards the end of their opening round game and may be a doubt. That means Cian O’Shea, Charlie O’Sullivan and Tom O’Connor will have to deliver up front.

‘You are always hoping to have your full strength for championship. We’re not at full strength yet and probably won’t be for this weekend. We are hoping to have most of our panel available for the last game against Kildorrery. That’s the hope. We would have liked one or two more lads to be back for the next game. That didn’t work out. In general though, we are happy enough,’ the Adrigole boss said.

‘We picked up injuries in the league but we managed to blood a few of the younger players there too, which was a positive. That’s something we hope will stand to us later in the championship. When you’re caught for players, they will have that experience.’

An extra incentive for the club is the intermediate A championship trophy being named after Adrigole man John ‘Lock’ O’Sullivan who passed away in 2002. After three successive semi-final exits, the Beara men will want to end their years of hurt this season.

‘The fact that the cup is named after John ‘Lock’ is always a motivating factor for the Adrigole players and the management. For the people around the parish too.

‘The name of the cup is at the back of our minds though. We got over one round but we know in this championship, you have to perform every day you go out. It’s taking every game as it comes. That’s what it is for us,’ O’Sullivan concluded.