Having avoided relegation last year by beating Cloyne, Carrigtwohill entered this year’s championship opener knowing how crucial a winning start would be, especially with Na Piarsaigh and Killeagh to come.
It wasn’t their most polished performance, something manager Denis Walsh was quick to acknowledge, but they did enough to get over the line and secure those all-important two points.
“It was hard work, as we knew it was going to be,” he began. “Fermoy are a big strong physical [team], with plenty of hurling. They beat us two years ago in the championship, and obviously that was in the back of our minds.
“So look, it was great to get over line and look it’s the first round of the championship, everyone’s nervous and fellas react in different ways and so on, you know. We’re delighted to get over the line.
“Those three goals in the first half were huge and it gave us a bit of cushion.
“We created probably another three or four goal chances in the match that we’ll say, were butchered by just the final pass or just a small lack of composure,” Walsh admitted.
That wasn’t our best performance for any means, I think there’s a lot more in us.
Carrigtwohill’s James Mulcahy hammers the ball to the Fermoy net past Brian O’Sullivan and Shane Coughlan. Picture: David Keane.
“But look, it’s championship, you’re going to have to dig out results too. There was a great piece by Denis Hurley in The Echo earlier in the year about the importance of winning the first round since this format came in.
“The teams that have won their first round, most of them have been in a strong position afterwards. That was in everyone’s mind tonight, the importance of winning the first round.”
Ultimately, it was goals and flashes of individual brilliance that saw Carrigtwohill past Fermoy.
“I thought when we ran at them in the first half, we had them in trouble,” Walsh said. “The second ball, the second runner, we didn’t do enough in the first 15 minutes, we weren’t allowed to do it either.
“But once we got that going, we do have legs, we do have speed in our forward line. There’s more in us, I’ve no doubt about that.”
Senior championship debutants Patrick Walsh and Matthew Barrett certainly had Fermoy in trouble, as they combined for 0-6 from play.
“I mean, Patrick is 19 years of age playing in his senior championship debut. I thought he was incredible. For a young fella come into that, I thought he was incredible all through the match.
“He’s a really talented young fella but the maturity showed out there and the composure under pressure, his scores in the second half were huge for us. Absolutely huge for us.
Carrigtwohill’s Patrick Walsh and Fermoy’s Shane Aherne tussle for possession. Picture: David Keane.
“Matthew Barrett as well, 19 years of age, making his first appearance in the championship.
That’s a big thing for these young fellas.”
Barrett’s midfield partner Justin Oke was another standout, directly involved in 2-1 and a dynamic presence in transition.
“He’s got massive hurling and he’s got great legs, he gives us great options going forward from centre field. Justin was terrific, but a lot of guys played out of their skins tonight.
“Last year, we were terrible against Blarney on the first day,” he said. “The other two games all went down to the wire. We lost through a goal in stoppage time against Na Piarsaigh. We drew with Courceys, having been up in injury time.
“So both those games went down to the wire and they could have gone either way, and that’s what we’re expecting for the next two matches that they’ll just go down to the wire. So it’s up to us now to find improvement from tonight.”
