COURCEY Rovers is a team that is finding their form again.

The 2020 county champions are one of just two clubs in the SE Systems Cork senior camogie championship with a 100 percent winning record after the group stage of the competition. The other club is holders St Finbarr’s, which makes the stat even more impressive.

Declan Crowley’s team face St Catherine’s in the quarter-final this Saturday (2pm) in Castle Road and know that knockout camogie will pose a new challenge.

‘I wouldn’t say we’re overconfident but if everything goes our way, the girls are in good form and we’re injury-free, we’ll be a tough team for anyone to play,’ selector Joey Gallagher told The Southern Star.

Crowley’s management team includes Gallagher, Kevin Hannon, John Twomey and Sara Hayes, with Steve O’Mahony in as S&C coach. Gallagher was also involved with the Cork U23 All-Ireland winning team this year.

An opening-day Group C win over last year’s semi-finalists Blackrock (2-16 to 1-9) set the tone for Courceys, who then went on to beat Ballincollig (1-14 to 0-11) and Ballinora (0-20 to 3-9).

In their victory over Ballinora last weekend, they were without star names such as Fiona Keating, Linda Collins, Aisling O’Reilly and Ann Marie Collins, but still pulled through as Saoirse McCarthy hit 0-10.

‘We’ll drive on and we’ll keep going as best as we can. Winning breeds winning,’ Gallagher explained.

‘We’re after very good performances, and after playing well in our last three games. We were missing three or four girls against Ballinora and we still won, which is a good sign that the other girls are playing well. It’s great that everybody is looking for a spot on the team.

‘Ballinora was a huge win for us to keep up the momentum. It’s not good to lose when you’re winning all the time. The other girls that came in for the absent ones all stood up and said, “I’m still here. I’m in for a place.” There’s a good fight for places, which is great.’

The Ballinspittle club couldn’t have asked for a better start. Saoirse McCarthy, unsurprisingly, is their top scorer with 1-18 (9f). Jacinta Crowley (0-13, 7f), Linda Collins (1-7), Aine O’Donoghue (1-4), Fiona Keating (0-6), Ann Marie Collins and Caoimhe Foley (0-1 each) have all contributed too. Only St Finbarr’s have scored more than their 3-50.

While not predicting this explosive start to the championship, Gallagher noted the key additions of returning players.

‘We had six players back this year that we hadn’t had for the last year or two. Aisling Maloney is back and is a stalwart at centre-back. Jacinta Crowley, Ellen Maguire and Alanna Corcoran are back. This year too, we’re in a great position of having a seriously good goalkeeper in Katie Crowley, who’s the sub keeper for the Cork minor A team this year. She is only 16.

‘Linda Collins also came back from Australia in April. Her influence is unbelievable. She’s a fierce scoring threat for us. If you don’t mark Linda and leave her on her own, there’s only one thing she’s going to do, and that’s score,’ Gallagher added.

Despite missing the win over Ballinora, Fiona Keating, Aisling O’Reilly and Linda Collins are expected to return this weekend, but Ann Marie Collins remains sidelined due to a bad injury to her small finger. Ciara O’Donoghue is out for the whole season too with a broken ankle.

Once Courceys can call upon their inter-county star Saoirse McCarthy and standout forward Fiona Keating, the supporting cast all raise their game.

‘Every success Saoirse has had, she’s after earning herself. She’s been the player every year that Cork wants and especially Courcey Rovers. We’re just a small club and we need everyone to be on their game on the day. To be fair, Saoirse has never let us down. I can’t remember a bad game she ever had.

‘Fiona has never let the club down either. She’ll fight to her last breath to get you a win if she can. She’s just like Saoirse, a great player.’

‘That’s not forgetting our captain Edel Moloney, Jess Helbrow, Aisling O’Reilly and all the other girls. We have 15 really good hurlers this year. Something we haven’t had for the last couple of years because they were missing, gone away, the whole lot and they just gave up for a year. They’re all back now and all playing well,’ Gallagher concluded.