Hodnett: CIT have never feared skull and crossbones

The poor relation as far as third-level football on Leeside is concerned? Liam Hodnett isn’t biting.

The Cork IT Sigerson Cup selector doesn’t buy into the argument, irrespective of however many times it is thrown at him, that UCC hold some semblance of a superiority complex over their third-level neighbours.

Playing numbers may be stronger. Household names, greater. Trophy cabinet, far more plentiful, but Hodnett is adamant CIT have never feared the skull and crossbones emblazoned jersey, nor have they ever viewed themselves as the poor relation — a theory that will again be tested in today’s Sigerson Cup opener at the Mardyke.

“No I wouldn’t agree with this term poor relation,” said Hodnett, now in his 22nd year serving at the coalface of CIT GAA.

“We have a fine college, excellent resources and we get some great students in every year. We have smaller numbers by comparison with UCC but we certainly wouldn’t have an inferiority complex about playing any of the bigger colleges.

“We start out each year giving ourselves a shout of winning both the Sigerson and Fitzgibbon. We always believe we can go the distance in both codes.

“Our record in recent years is testament to that. We’ve won the Sigerson and reached two Fitzgibbon Cup finals.”

CIT’s maiden Sigerson Cup success back in 2009, achieved on home turf and backboned by Cork footballer’s Ray Carey, Noel Galvin, Daniel Goulding, Paul Kerrigan and Colm O’Neill, suggested a shift in dominance on Leeside.

Alas, for them, normal order was soon restored.

CIT fell at the quarter-final hurdle to the emerging force that was DCU in 2010, and have since failed to return to the finals weekend. UCC, on the other hand, have reached the decider on four occasions in the past five seasons, silverware collected in 2011 and 2014.

“We would have been disappointed with our results since 2009 for we have had decent teams with some very good players. Even though we have had many victories since 2009, we have never put a run together in the Sigerson that has taken us beyond the quarter-final. That is disappointing. The semi-final has simply proven out of reach.

“The Sigerson Cup itself is getting very competitive, but we had very good teams in subsequent years. We just didn’t get over the line in the games. They were all very close, but we just seemed to come out on the wrong side each time.”

He added: “The knock-on effects of winning the Sigerson back in 2009 weren’t hugely noticeable. The GAA clubs in the college have always been the strongest clubs in the college, with the highest memberships and so on. On clubs day, you’d normally get 100-150 freshers signing up.

“The Sigerson win may have given the enrolment a boost, we are a relatively small college by comparison with the Universities but we have been punching above our weight for a long time.”

CIT’s 2014 Sigerson campaign was ended at the quarter-final stage by today’s opponents. Revenge may be the air but CIT’s recent form has been less than inspiring — failing to secure a victory between the third-level league and McGrath Cup.

“We improved as the league went on and our best game was our last game which was against UCC. We ran them to one-point in CIT (2-8 to 1-10). It was no harm to know you can compete with the likes of UCC. Both sides had chances to win it and we just came out on the wrong side again.

“That Waterford McGrath Cup game was close all through as well (1-11 to 0-9 the final scoreline). Waterford have gone on to win the McGrath Cup so that line of form wouldn’t be bad. Obviously we are playing a side with a great track record here. Paudie Kissane is our coach and he has worked tirelessly with this group over the last couple of months. Paudie has had a stellar career and the players have great confidence in him.

“The players on either side will know each other very well from post-primary and playing together on county minor and U21 teams.

“There will be no surprises in that regard. So, who knows?”