DANIEL Twomey hopes his Newcestown team can turn on the style in front of a home crowd as they look to save their season.

After back-to-back defeats in Group 3 of the Co-Op Superstores Premier Senior Hurling Championship, Newcestown are in must-win territory – both to give themselves a chance of qualifying for the knockout stage and to fight off the prospect of a relegation play-off.

On Sunday, they take on St Finbarr’s in a huge championship clash in Enniskeane (4pm throw-in), knowing they have to win.

Having the game in West Cork – just a short drive from Newcestown – could help Twomey’s troops deliver the result they need.

‘This is a chance for people in West Cork to go out and watch a local West Cork club playing in the premier senior championship,’ Twomey says.

‘It’s a great decision to play a big game like this in Enniskeane. It’s a chance to promote hurling in West Cork.

‘A lot of the clubs from Carbery play championship games in and around the city so to get the opportunity to have a senior championship match here with something on the line is great.

‘Even for youngsters around the place, to see the likes of William Buckley, Brian Hayes, fellas like that, it’s great for them, and even to have a look at our own fellas as well, the likes of Luke (Meade) and all these lads.

‘It should be a great occasion, and I hope it’s a good day to bring the kids and get a big crowd there.’

Newcestown's Richard O'Sullivan has scored 0-17 so far in the championship.

The arena will be heaving. The crowd will turn out. Newcestown will get huge support. Twomey now needs his team to deliver their best performance of the campaign.

The 1-20 to 0-14 defeat to Bride Rovers in their opener put Newcestown on the back foot. It was damaging. Twomey lamented after: ‘We were sound asleep, we couldn’t get going.’

If he felt his team was in second gear against Bride, they upped the pace against Midleton last time out. They looked on course for a huge result, leading by three points with four minutes left.

Disaster struck.

Midleton hit 1-1 and won by a single point, 1-18 to 1-17.

‘Look, it was devastating at the time,’ Twomey reflects.

‘It was still devastating after watching it back a couple of times. I felt like we did an awful lot right on the day and that we didn’t deserve to lose.

‘I would’ve probably been disappointed with a draw. We should have won the game. Just a couple of bad wides, maybe, on our own behalf, in the second half when we probably should’ve killed off the game.

‘But looking at the positives, if the lads can keep that kind of standard up for the last hurling game and the last football game, we should be in a good place.’

Twomey referenced the footballers’ upcoming premier senior clash with St Michael’s on September 16th, but all attention is on the Barrs this weekend.

The city men recovered from an eight-point loss to Midleton to beat Bride Rovers 3-21 to 1-18 last time out. They are back on track. A win on Sunday sends them into the quarter-finals. It’s a team brimming with inter-county experience – William Buckley, Brian Hayes, Damien Cahalane, Ethan Twomey and Ben Cunningham. Jack Cahalane and his older brother Damien are well known locally as Castlehaven footballers. Randal Óg footballer Sean Daly now plays hurling with the Barrs, too.

‘Look, it’s going to be tough, obviously,’ Daniel Twomey says.

‘We know who the Barrs have and stuff like that, but if we can get anywhere near the performance again, we’ll be there or thereabouts.

‘They have to win the game as well to go through, so it is a huge challenge.

‘But it’s something that we’re looking forward to. We have to keep our heads up and we have to keep going, to try and get a win, and that’s the focus at the moment.

‘And obviously we’ll have the local West Cork support as well when it’s on in Enniskeane.’

Sean O'Donovan impressed against Midleton.

Gutted with the manner of the loss to Midleton, Twomey felt the performance deserved a lot more.

Sean O’Donovan was superb at full forward, scoring 1-2. Cork footballer David Buckley impressed. Former Cork hurler Luke Meade was as influential as ever.

Richard O’Sullivan scored 0-6, including three from play, to add to his 0-10 haul against Bride Rovers.

‘Against Midleton we put a lot back on to the lads to get their heads right and get sorted. Performance-wise, it was probably one of the best performances Newcestown have played at senior hurling – and a lot of people have said the same,’ Twomey remarks.

‘If we can keep that level of performance, we won’t be far off the Barrs. It’s a hard ask, but it’s what’s needed.

‘If you want to be up with the big boys, you have to be able to beat the big boys. And we have a chance on Sunday to try and beat one of them again.’

A Newcestown win coupled with a Midleton victory will send Twomey’s team into the quarter-finals if they can overturn the 11-point scoring-difference gap with the Barrs.

But a third defeat will lead to a relegation play-off.

‘There is a lot on the line, but to be honest with you, we haven’t talked about it. All we’re focused on is winning, beating the Barrs,’ Twomey adds.