Flannan’s without key players

DEFENDING champions St. Flannan’s, Ennis will be without two key players for tomorrow’s Dean Ryan Cup final against DLS Waterford in Cashel (2 p.m.).

Eamon Callanan and Eoin Glynn are on the injured list for in what is a repeat of last year’s White Cup final, won by the Waterford college.

Flannan’s include only one player from last year’s victorious Dean Ryan team, Colin Ryan, who captains the side.

“It’s going to be a very difficult game for us”, said Flannan’s Con Woods. “Had we been at full strength I would be reasonably confident of retaining our title. But the two lads are a big loss.

“We are up against it, but Flannan’s never put out a bad hurling team and I expect those who do play to uphold the great tradition of the college.”

DLS will be at full strength and are looking forward to the final.

“We will field the bulk of the team that defeated St. Flannan’s in last year’s White Cup final,” said team official Frank O’Callaghan.

“Over half of the team played in the Harty Cup games and the experience gained should stand to those lads. This is our second final appearance in three years and we have yet to win it. A lot of work had been put into this team, it would be a tremendous boost if we were to win it.

“Flannan’s go into finals expecting to win while we go out hoping to win. That’s the difference between having a great tradition and none. If we are beaten tomorrow it will be by a better team and we’ll have no excuses”, said O’Callaghan.

With the holders depleted through injury, DLS won’t ever get a better chance to win their first title at this level. But they’ll have to be at their very best to do so.

With three of the four groups in the Harty Cup decided, all eyes turn to Group A in which there are three games to play to decide the top two.

Douglas Community School and Farranferris clash tomorrow in Redmonds Grounds and, despite both teams losing their opening two games, the winners are still in with a chance of qualifying.

For that to happen, however, whoever wins tomorrow would have to win their last game and then hope that both Shannon Schools and St. Josephs are beaten in their last match.

Farna are the fancied side, but they can expect Douglas to put up strong resistance.

On the Cork colleges front, Nagle College and Mitchelstown CBS clash in the final of the “C” SHC in Fermoy tomorrow. The Mahon school had good wins over Blarney and St. Aidan’s on their way to the final and in Brian Aherne and Gary Norberg have two excellent players who could make all the difference to regaining a title they last won in 1996 when one Wayne Sherlock led the school to victory.