Gerdy wants hungry Newtown to make history

APART from the result, it’s probably the first question asked after the senior county final of any serious hurling or football county - did anyone new stand out?

Was there any player on view who might add to the senior county side next year?

After the Cork hurling final of 2003, one name was mentioned more than any other, that of Gerard O’Mahony, the Newtownshandrum left corner-back, Gerdy to those who already knew him.

Part of an outstanding defensive sextet, Gerdy gave a superb performance against reigning Cork champions Blackrock, contributing enormously to the Newtownshandrum win.

Disciplined, controlled, knowing instinctively when to break, when to stay, with his pace, his confident and precise ball-control, Gerdy was a study in corner-back play.

He, snuffed out the challenge of Blackrock danger-man Brian O’Keeffe, and then repeated that performance a few weeks later when blotting out Toomevara captain Michael Bevans in the Munster semi-final.

As a result of those eye-catching performances the talk in Cork now is of a possible slot on the county senior panel for next year. But, as he readies himself for this Sunday’s Munster final against Patrickswell of Limerick, the man himself laughs off all such speculation.

“Cork? I don’t know about that, I played with the minors alright in 2001, won the All-Ireland, and that’s one of the highlights of my career so far. But anything else hasn’t even entered my head, to be honest.”

It’s not as though Gerdy will be holding his breath, waiting for that call. Though he’s been putting in consistently high-quality displays for his club all season, there was no call from the Cork U-21 selectors, not even for a trial game.,

Similar treatment was also meted out to his younger team-mate, James Bowles who was practically ignored by the county minor selectors, despite playing a leading part in the senior county victory, and leading his side almost single-handedly to the county minor final.

Gerdy won’t bother discussing his own position, but was only too willing to discuss what happened to James.

“That was very bad alright. He was called up late, wasn’t there at all for the Munster championship, which I thought was very bad. He’s a savage player, especially for an 18-yr-old. Trying to mark him in training, he’s a real handful. Ben O’Connor is a class player but you can see the same thing in James.”

Sunday sees Gerdy (and James) get yet another chance to impress, a chance to show what might have been, what might yet be, given the opportunity at the top level.

County isn’t what’s on his mind, however, but a chance to do something with Newtown’ that they’ve never done before.

“Winning the Munster title would be history for Newtown, but it would also be a boost for Cork. No Cork team has won the Munster club hurling title since Midleton in 1987.

“There’s a lot of hunger in Newtown’ to change that, make our own bit of history, but we know we’re up against it.

"Patrickswell have got to be respected, far more experience than us at this level. I can’t understand the bookies, or the papers, they’re making us red-hot favourites. I don’t know how many senior county titles the Well have won but I do know it’s far more than us.

“We see every game as 50/50, and this one is no different.

“We like to spread it out, play a running game, and hopefully we can do that on Sunday. But it will all come down to the day, whoever is tuned in the most, whoever wants it the most, will win”.