Youghal daring to dream

When it comes to newly-promoted teams, the cliché which is easiest to resort to is that anything better than relegation is bonus territory.

The avoidance of an immediate return back to whence you came is obviously a priority, but that doesn’t mean that looking upwards should be frowned upon. Youghal’s 2013 campaign ended in February of this year, when they lost to Galway’s Kilnadeema-Leitrim at the All-Ireland semi-final stage, but there was little time off as their first senior league was in March.

That was against neighbours and county champions Midleton, a 2-13 to 0-14 loss, but as September dawns, Youghal are in the county quarter-finals and the Magpies are out.