Skibbereen wary of derby backlash from Dohenys
Senior coach Gene O’Driscoll is under no illusions about the task confronting his charges.
“Local derbies are deadly,” said O’Driscoll. “They can bring the best and the worst out of teams. It’s an all-west Cork affair number one, and secondly, whoever comes through will be the only team from the division left in the championship. So, so from both perspectives, there is a lot hanging on the outcome.
“After a lull of almost 14 weeks, the matches are coming thick and fast now, which can be tough on players, but you would sooner be involved than not.
“Our two games against Na Piarsaigh have been hugely beneficial to us. The replay in particular, played in atrocious conditions, tested the character and the physical ability of our lads.
“Make no mistake about it Piarsaigh were very tough opponents, but credit to our lads, they survived. However, Dohenys will be an entirely different style of team, and of course conditions won’t be anything like they were that night in Castlehaven.”
O’Driscoll, who was a member of the Skibb team which went all the way to county, provincial and national honours in 1992, yearns for more of the same.
“It was a fantastic time for the club and it would be great to sample it again. Apart from Kevin O’Dwyer and Don Davis, none of the other players were involved. They can remember it as youngsters and it has given them the incentive to try and emulate that feat.
“However we can only take one game at a time and I’m not looking beyond the Dohenys match. There is a great history between these two west Cork clubs going back decades and there has never been much between them, in any grade,” he added.
“Last year Rossas beat Dohenys in the third round of the championship, and Dohenys will see this game as the perfect opportunity to turn the tables.
“If there is one worry I would have it’s our lack of consistency over the full hour. We had St Nicks well beaten in an earlier round, only to let them back into the game and we were fortunate to survive by two points.
“In the first game with Na Piarsaigh, the circumstances were similar and we hung on for a draw after being well on top for most of the match. A team can get caught out playing that kind of a game. If we play flat out for the full hour tomorrow I would be confident of victory. Another slight concern I would have is our lack of experience at this level.
“This is a very young team, with the average age being around 22 years.
“However, they have done all that has been asked of them this year, and the experience of Don Davis and Kevin O’Dwyer has been very beneficial.
“It was that experience which stood us in good stead in the last few games,” said O’Driscoll.
“Apart from Paddy Nealon, who has a groin injury that is proving most troublesome, we have no other injury problems.
“The game is a big occasion also for the Drimoleague club as they have never hosted a game of such importance before,” he concluded.
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