ON November 16th last year, Bandon lined up in the county intermediate A hurling final against Aghabullogue at Páirc Uí Chaoimh, full of hope.

But the Lilywhites’ hearts were broken by a Matthew Bradley injury-time free as the Muskerry club triumphed, 1-21 to 0-23.

Fast forward less than a year, Bandon are back in the home of Cork GAA, again full of belief.

While recognising it’s a different challenge awaits against Aghada on Saturday (5pm), Bandon boss Joe Burke believes last year’s experience can aid his team’s quest for glory.

‘It definitely helps that we were exposed to the pitch less than 12 months ago. We’ve certainly learned from that experience. It's a different opposition this time. We know that Aghada are going to come all guns blazing after us. We’re going to have to try and control that,’ Burke told The Southern Star.

‘It’s a fantastic setting there, a beautiful pitch. We’re delighted to get back there again. For the supporters, and for the youngsters especially in town, it’s great to get up there and expose them to that setting.

‘We’re thrilled to bits to get back there but we haven't won anything yet. Far from it. We have an hour of hurling to go. Please God, we get over the line.’

Since their semi-final victory over Midleton on October 3rd, Bandon have had four weeks to get ready for the decider. Again, it’s nothing new for the West Cork club.

There was over a month between Bandon’s semi-final and final last year due to weather warnings in addition to Aghabullogue’s progression in football.

Last year was a novelty to them but they now know how to approach the long lay-off.

‘Having a month to prepare, it’s like last year. We had time then due to the match being postponed over weather. We’re prepared for it this year, in a way,’ Burke explained.

‘It was important that we managed that time correctly. We gave the players a couple of days off after the semi-final, just to ease up. After a night or two off, we just went back to it again. Training hasn’t changed, or anything like that. Our numbers are good. There’s a good atmosphere at training, so it’s great.

‘Our numbers have been high all year. We put out a third team in Bandon. That’s our first time in a long time that we had a third team out.

‘We’ve been really lucky with the weather this year. Now, the last week or two hasn’t been the best, but up until then, the weather was fantastic. It’s great to be able to go out to the pitch under the lights and have 30 fellas training for a county final.

‘Our second team went out in the semi-final of the Carbery junior A to St Mary’s a couple of weeks back so everyone has something to train for over the next while. Our third team is actually still in the championship, which is good news as well.’

Bandon manager Joe Burke.

This will be Bandon’s second game against Aghada in this year’s championship.

Burke’s men won the group-stage fixture in August (2-24 to 1-24) but this Saturday is a new test.

‘That game against Aghada could have gone any way. It was really tight. They’re a really good outfit. We know that. At the time, they were in hurling and football. We were the same. We both were knocked out of the football on the same weekend at the group stages,’ Burke said.

‘It’s kind of a level playing field and a real 50-50 game. We won by a goal last time, but it was a puck of a ball that got us over the line that night. It’s going to be extremely tight again this Saturday.’

For a club that hasn’t won an adult county title in ten years, hurling remains a passion in Bandon, emphasised by the fact the club has three adult teams in action this year.

The club has four intermediate hurling titles. A fifth victory would mean a lot to the town.

‘It’s a growing town, and the numbers at every age group are strong. There’s a massive interest in hurling,’ Burke said.

‘There is every sport you can think of in Bandon but we’re trying to promote hurling and to look after our corner as always. There is fierce interest in hurling here at the moment. Fierce interest in GAA in Bandon.

‘We haven't won a county in ten years. I know ten years mightn’t seem that long, but it is a significant number. We’d love to get over the line again. It would be a massive boost for the area and that’s what we hope to do this weekend.’

There have been a lot of winning scores and equalisers in this campaign but Burke couldn’t pick out a single moment which was season-defining.

Instead, he points towards the players’ application up to now.

‘The players’ attitude all through has been brilliant,’ he said.

‘We just took it game by game. Their execution of what we were trying to get them to do, it has never gone down or faltered. In the Midleton game, when the final whistle went, we just knew we were in a final and we were going to go after this. We had a month to prepare for it and that’s all we were focused on.

‘All 12 teams in the grade had aspirations of getting to a final. We treated the group stage separately as in we had to get into the next round and we went after that. After the Russell Rovers game, we focused on the knockout stages,’ Burke concluded, as his side hopes to take the lessons from their experience last November.