Sarsfields out to retain Minor crown

Holders Sarsfields go into tonight’s Rebel Óg Premier 1 MHC final against Douglas in Mallow at 8.15pm (the venue last night changed from Páirc Uí Rinn due to weather conditions) with nine of the side which claimed victory after a replay against Killeagh/Ita’s last year.

While he knows it’s no guarantee of success, Sars manager Barry Myers is hopeful that past experience will provide something valuable to draw upon.

“Last year, in the drawn final against Killeagh/Ita’s, we were definitely nervous early on,” he says.

“We were down by 10 points after the first quarter but then the lads found some momentum. You’d be hoping that the experience of that will have them better placed to deal with it this time around.”

Douglas, in their first final, are without this year’s Cork captain Shane Kingston due to injury.

Sars are also missing a key component of last year’s win, however, and Myers feels the losses to each side are comparable.

“Edward Gaffey got injured earlier in the year and it’s only recently really that we’ve got used to playing without him.

“Obviously, Douglas are without Shane Kingston too but Edward’s as important a player to us as Shane is to Douglas.

“We feel we’re coming into form at the right time but, honestly, I can’t see there being a puck of a ball in it.

“I saw Douglas in the semi-final against Blackrock and it was the best performance I have seen in the championship. For the whole 60 minutes, it was an outstanding display.”

The game is preceded by the Premier 2 decider, with St Colman’s — an amalgam of Cloyne and Russell Rovers - taking on Charleville at 6.45pm.