Small margins have put Dohenys in peril

Dohenys find themselves in tomorrow evening’s Cork SFC relegation play-off against St Vincent’s in Kilmurry (5pm) having lost their three games to date by a total of 24 points.

Take the 2-17 to 0-1 first-round loss to Nemo Rangers out of it though, and the Dunmanway side can count themselves unlucky to be just one game away from the drop to premier intermediate level.

“We fell short by a point in two championship matches, St Nick’s and Newcestown,” says Dohenys manager Jerry O’Mahony.

“It’s unfortunate, you’re left with a feeling of frustration and hard luck. We played a nice brand of football against a good Newcestown team, we had the game under control but they got a goal with five minutes to go to bring them back into it.

“The lads are very keyed-in and they’re interested in playing football and they enjoy their football but I suppose we’re suffering a bit with the balance of youth and experience. We’ve a fairly young team, we had a good year last year and were looking to build on it, Stephen Mohan has been a big help in the management, but these things don’t always work out.”

While most mentions of the relegation games are generally joined with the words ‘tension’ and ‘pressure’, O’Mahony is taking a fresh approach to the game against the city side.

“To me, it’s an intermediate final,” he says, “whoever wins will play senior next year and whoever loses will play premier intermediate.

“We played Vincent’s in the very first game of the year, in the Tadhg Crowley Cup. There was nothing in that game, it went down to the wire, I think at the finish we won it by a point.

“We know what Vincent’s are going to throw at us, they’re in the same position as us, fighting to stay up senior. They’ve a very good underage structure with some good minors coming through so they’ll want the same right to be up senior as anybody else.”

In 2011, Dohenys won the play-off with a good win against Valley Rovers, but O’Mahony isn’t convinced of the importance of that experience.

“I suppose it’s some bit of a help,” he says, “but at the same time a lot of the fellas who’ll be playing on Saturday weren’t around then.

“We’ve had a good few coming onto the scene since then. We’re working off 17 or 18 players, that’s our hand, anyone who goes to our matches would know that.

“At one time, that would have got you by but with teams able to bring on six subs now it means a big advantage for the sides who have a larger pick. We just have to go out and do it.

“The people of Dunmanway have given us great support and now we have to try to repay them.”