Opportunity knocks for inter-county fringe men
Sugrue was a dual U21 for Cork in 2013 as well as playing junior football and intermediate hurling.
He is named at centre-forward for Brian Cuthbert’s first game in charge of Cork against Limerick IT in Mallow tomorrow and, given that there are so many places up for grabs in the panel, he will know this is a great opportunity to stake his claim.
The Iveleary clubman won an All-Ireland junior medal with Cork last year and was also an U21 panellist as well as being a creative influence on the CIT team. He is U21 again in 2014 but is training with the senior panel and is surely likely to be given some game-time during the spring. A superb free-taker, his link-up play is very good too.
While he is a son of county board secretary John, there can be no allegations of nepotism regarding his place on the All-Ireland champions’ squad. Indeed, he might have been a starter last year but for suffering a broken ankle in January and then a broken collarbone in the summer. The Whitehall Colmcilles man is an explosive inside forward whose pace can be used to great effect.
Though Brendan McVeigh represents a significant obstacle to his aspirations of becoming the Down goalkeeper, Harrison gained some experience in the Ó Fiaich Cup before Christmas and more outings in the Dr McKenna Cup can only aid his development. An excellent underage netminder in soccer too, he will at the very least look to provide James McCartan with a selection headache between the sticks.
Though far from a greenhorn, Kavanagh is still only 28 and is likely to prove to be a big asset in attack for Alan Mulholland following his transfer from Kildare. Twice an All-Star nominee, he will provide a wealth of experience and should not have too many problems settling in, having grown up in Galway and won a Hogan Cup with St Jarlath’s College of Tuam.
Kerry and Kilkenny have already had Tommy Walsh namesakes in the past decade, and this Paul Murphy is even a corner-back like his Cats equivalent, though he can play on the wing too. The Rathmore man played against his native county for UCC in last year’s McGrath Cup but is given a chance against IT Tralee tomorrow as Eamonn Fitzmaurice bids to find some new defenders.
At 25, he is not ‘one to watch’ in the traditional sense, but given his injury travails in the recent past, Meath will hope the worst is behind him and that he can become a central figure of Mick O’Dowd’s team. Unsurprisingly given that he is Colm’s son, he is a fine forward but is named at midfield for tomorrow’s clash with DIT in Navan.
The DCU postgrad student plays his club football with Dublin champions St Vincent’s but, unlike club and county team-mate Brendan Egan, he will be available to new Sligo manager Pat Flanagan for the FBD League. With All-Ireland junior and Sigerson Cup medals already on his CV, he has a strong background and will look to show Flanagan he can play an integral role for them.
A member of the All-Ireland minor-winning team in 2010, Grugan was in and around Mickey Harte’s panel last year without really asserting his credentials. Now out of U21, he will seek to step up and push on to the next level. Having Seán and Colm Cavanagh in front of him in the midfield pecking order makes it difficult for him, however.
The Moynalvey man – a nephew of former Meath great Liam – won the young player of the year award in Meath in 2013, having earned a place on the senior side despite being just out of minor. His task this year will be to establish himself as a lynchpin of the side, though he won’t be seen in green and gold until the league. Good O’Byrne and Sigerson Cup campaigns with UCD will do his prospects little harm.
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