Sem well placed to advance

CORN UÍ MHUIRÍ SEMI-FINAL

St Brendans College v Clonakilty Community College (Cork)

A REPEAT encounter from the group stages, one where Paul O’Shea caught fire, but one where St Brendans College are expecting a much tougher test than they got prior to Christmas against Clonakilty Community School.

“I looked at their team sheet from the quarter-final and it was noticeably different from the one they had against us in the group stages, Haulie O’Sullivan [Clonakilty mentor] is an old friend of mine from college and he had said to me they were missing a few the first day they played them,” St Brendans manager Gary McGrath said.

O’Shea scored 1-7 out of 4-16 with further goals from Ryan O’Grady, Emmet O’Shea and Patrick D’Arcy sending them towards a 23-point win back in November with only 0-5 conceded on the day.

McGrath agrees that the challenge can be as much a mental one as a footballing one in that context.

“We want to move forward all the time and not find ourselves looking backwards. I’ve said it before that we feel we are starting too slowly and if you keep doing that then eventually you are going to get caught out,” the Sem boss said.

One positive from their victory over Tralee CBS in the quarter-finals was that their team captain Darragh Lyne came through his first competitive game since the group stage match with Clonakilty in good stead but there are concerns over a back injury to Dylan O’Callaghan at present as he along with another number of players are involved in the Frewen Cup with the School today prior to Saturday’s semi-final.

“It’s one of the unique things about the team is that they are all underage again next year and in winter football like we have at present more physically and older players can make a difference like what Clonakilty have,” McGrath said.

While it would generally be expected to be a closer affair, the talent St Brendans have will still make them favourites.

Six starters with All-Ireland Minor medals