Charleville proud to secure trip to Croker, says O’Flynn

IT’S all systems go for Charleville now after their win over Fullen Gaels on Sunday last, a place in the AIB All-Ireland club junior hurling final in Croke Park on February 11 secured.

A relief to have made it, says captain Daniel O’Flynn, but also an honour.

“It was only this morning it began to sink in,” says O’Flynn. “We couldn’t look past the semi-final; we were focused on Fullen Gaels, more so because we knew so little about them.”

They were indeed a mystery team, the champions of Warwickshire and Britain, and it took time to get to grips with them. When they did though, there was ever only going to be one winner.

“We’ve been a strong second-half team but we started well yesterday, for a change. It was point for point for about 20 minutes but then we clicked into gear, went in at half-time ahead by six, 10 points to four, which was a good lead after playing against a stiff breeze.

“We came out after half-time and tagged on a few more points fairly quickly, and that really took the sting out of them. We were able to bring on a few lads then with about 10 minutes to go, give fellas a run.

“You have to give credit to Fullen Gaels though; the fact that we have so many more games played than them was a factor — we’ve spent more time together, as a team. Overall we were happy with the performance and there was a great buzz on the way back to Charleville. A lot of relief that we had got there — it would to get so close and then miss out.”

That’s exactly what happened to neighbours Effin in their All-Ireland intermediate semi-final, beaten by Middletown of Armagh in Birr. Heartbreak, but no disgrace, says O’Flynn.

“In a way what they’ve achieved is even more praiseworthy: To go straight from winning a junior county to winning the intermediate, then to win Munster; you have to remember too that they wouldn’t have the kind of playing numbers that we have, so what they’ve done is fantastic.”

Awaiting Charleville in the All-Ireland final is Ballyragget of Kilkenny, and whatever about Fullen Gaels, Charleville can’t afford a slow start here.

“We know that. According to reports, they were very impressive against Ballygar. But any team from Kilkenny, you have to give them respect.

“There’s a winning mentality in that county, we can’t afford to give them a six or seven-point lead at any stage if the game because you know it’s going to be hard to get it back — they don’t concede scores easily, they make you work hard for every point. We’re going to have to hurl for the full 60 or 65 minutes.

“If we can do that and we lose then we’ll take our hats off to them and say ‘Well done, ye deserve it’. But, if we do play our game for those 60 minutes, any team will find it difficult to beat us.”