Cohesive Avondhu hold the edge over untested UCC

For the winner of Wednesday evening’s tie, the prize is a final date with Imokilly this Saturday evening (Páirc Uí Rinn, 7pm)

Wed, 23 Aug, 2023 - 07:05

Eoghan Cormican

Cork Premier SHC colleges/divisional section semi-final

Avondhu v University College Cork, Mourneabbey (S Stokes), 7.30pm

As you'd expect of any UCC hurling team, Wednesday evening's line-up will have plenty of fine talents within it. Among them are Cork senior Niall O’Leary and the All-Ireland winning U20 pair of Shane Kingston and Seán Daly. But college are at a clear disadvantage as they come into this fixture stone cold.

Their opponents, who beat them at this very stage 12 months ago, already have three championship games - and three wins - under their belt. Because of such, Avondhu’s cohesion and link-play should be far more refined than the untried students.

Mark Keane captained the division when they knocked out UCC last summer, but he is obviously no longer on the scene after returning to Australia. His Ballygiblin clubmates Darragh Flynn and Joseph O’Sullivan, mind, are still key figures from midfield up, while anchoring the defence in Keane's absence is 2019 Cork U20 captain James Keating of Kildorrery.

Another former Cork U20, Colin O’Brien from the all-conquering 2020 class, has hit 0-14 in the two games he has featured in to date.

Beside him in the inside line, Stephen Condon of Harbour Rovers has top-scored with 2-19 (0-7 frees) across their victories over Carbery, Duhallow, and Mallow.

For the winner of Wednesday evening’s tie, the prize is a final date with Imokilly this Saturday evening (Páirc Uí Rinn, 7pm). And for whoever is still standing after that, they move onto a quarter-final proper against the sixth seed from the group stages.

Verdict: Avondhu