Clon sweating on O’Sullivan
County U21 star Rory O’Sullivan, who missed the semi-final win over Ballymahon College, aggravated a knee injury playing club football last weekend and is undergoing intensive treatment ahead of today’s clash.
And Lynch is not pleased with the development: “Speaking with the St Brendan’s coach Gary McGrath earlier in the week, he told me that all his players have been wrapped in cotton wool for the past three weeks with no club activity whatsoever.”
With or without O’Sullivan, Lynch who trains the side along with Haulie O’Sullivan, realise they face an onerous task at headquarters.
Lynch insisted: “St Malachy’s are going for a hat-trick of titles; they beat us soundly in the semi-final last year and have five of that team available.”
West Cork has always been a football stronghold so it is surprising that over half of Lynch’s team come from clubs synonymous with hurling such as Ballinascarthy, Argideen Rangers and Kilmeen.
“In the past the bulk of players came from the local club, but that has change quite a bit over the years.
There is a great cross section playing which can only be good. Also vocational schools football here in Cork has come on hugely.
“The All-Ireland semi-final win over Ballymahon College (Longford) was comfortable enough, but St Malachy’s are going to be a different kettle of fish.
Vocational football in the north is way ahead of the other provinces, and it’s going to take a massive effort to dethrone them.
They play a very fast brand of football from defence out and we will have to try and counter that. I would give ourselves more than a fighting chance, provided of course Rory (O’Sullivan) is fit.
St Malachy’s has been a superb nursery for Down football since it was founded in 1959. The school’s first principal, the late Danny Flynn, took over as trainer of the county senior team in 1959, and the following year the county created history by becoming the first northern county to bring the coveted Sam Maguire Cup across the border.
The following year Down repeated that feat, and St Malachy’s players have backboned county teams over the intervening decades.
Team coach PJ McGee is downplaying their chances of a third consecutive title. “I’m very worried about the game.
“I understand Clonakilty have a fine team, backboned by four members of the Cork team which won the All-Ireland vocational inter-county title a few weeks back. It has been a long hard road for us to get to the final. Close on 35 schools set out at the start of the year to win the Ulster title (Markey Cup). This will be our eighth championship match this season and hopefully it will end in All-Ireland glory.
“We beat Clonakilty at the semi-final last year with what I would consider to be the best team St Malachy’s ever produced. Five of that starting 15 are still with us and when you add in another seven who were on the subs bench, it there is a lot of experience in our team. While we don’t have the quality of last year, we have a team that works extremely hard for one another, but we will still have our work cut out for us.
“Clonakilty will be very keen to atone for last year’s semi-final defeat, so we are expecting a high intensity game from them.”
