Manning the midfield minefield

IN KILKENNY he’d be well known as Lyngers; to everyone else, he’s Derek Lyng, Allstar midfielder, one of the strong men on the Cats team that faces Cork in Sunday’s All-Ireland decider.

One of the most experienced also, an ever-present on Brian Cody’s teams since 2001, to the exclusion of more established stars. The Urlingford man’s not a spectacular hurler, certainly not in the way of his new midfield partner, Cha Fitzpatrick, but he is tremendously effective, a powerful, ground-devouring workaholic.

Mind you, he does chip in with the occasional point, and more often than not at a crucial time in the game. On Sunday, more than usual, that’s what he will be trying to do.