From Brian Hayes to Donncha O'Connor: who's hot and who's not ahead of Cork Premier SFC quarter-finals

Assessing the form lines of the six teams striving to make the semi-finals of Cork's Premier SFC

Steven Sherlock in action for St Finbarrs. Pic: Denis Boyle.

Sunday: Castlehaven v St Finbarr’s, Clonakilty, 3pm

FORM LINE: Castlehaven’s two-point defeat to Newcestown two weeks ago represented just their second group stage defeat in the six seasons of the current format. Their one other early championship reverse, across 18 games, came at the hands of Nemo in August of 2022.

Two in front on 48 minutes, Castlehaven - so unusual for the back-to-back champions - were unable to manage a winning hand. They failed to score across the remainder of the contest, conceding four points in the process.

After being so flat, laboured, and unhurried in the Round 2 near-escape against Carbery Rangers, the familiar free-scoring Blues returned for their final group outing. 2-23 was ran up by the Barrs, the winning margin over Carrigaline finishing at 19 points.

Defence is more sure-footed for the return from injury of Sam Ryan and Billy Hennessy. Both former Cork footballers missed the 2024 campaign through injury.

TREATMENT TABLE: Brian Hayes is no longer resident on it. That’s the key piece of information for the Blues. He hasn’t featured since the opening round win over Clon.

The hurlers employed the returning Hayes as a target man last Sunday, the footballers will surely attempt to replicate the wreckage he oversaw at Midleton. Has scored in each of the five clashes with Castlehaven since 2020, totaling 1-9.

Castlehaven are reporting a clean bill of health.

WHO'S HOT: Hot again, more like. After the opening two rounds of group fare, it came to our attention that the Barrs were one of only two Premier Senior teams yet to raise an orange flag in the championship.

The stat made no sense. Steven Sherlock couldn’t keep them kicked over during their run to League glory. He arrowed over four of them during the League’s opening round against Cill na Martra, he closed out the League with three more on the evening of the decider.

From feast to famine. The two-pointers are missing no more. Against Carrigaline, Sherlock converted three frees from outside the arc. The showstopper was a sideline kick with the outside of his right.

WHO'S NOT: The 0-10 Castlehaven posted when falling to Newcestown was their joint-lowest championship total since the 3-15 to 0-7 quarter-final defeat to Ballincollig in 2016.

DID YOU KNOW? In the seven seasons prior to 2020, St Finbarr’s and Castlehaven had met just once. The pre-existing relationship was no relationship at all.

Sunday, in Clon, will be the sixth successive year they collide in the knockout stages. The previous five chapters were semi-final reads. Castlehaven claimed the most recent two and lead 3-2 overall.

Last year’s 0-18 to 0-14 Haven victory was no four-point game. It demonstrated the widest gap that has existed between the sides at any point over the five years.

Carrigaline's Kevin Kavanagh holds off the challenge from Carbery Rangers Mark Hodnett during the PSFC match in Newcestown. Picture: Howard Crowdy

Sunday: Carrigaline v Newcestown, Páirc Uí Rinn, 2pm

FORM LINE: Since their initial promotion in 2015, Carrigaline had only once managed back-to-back topflight wins. That was in 2017, against divisions Seandún and Beara.

The Éanna Desmond-delivered one-point victory over Carbery Rangers on the opening weekend, followed as it was by the shock but thoroughly deserved upsetting of Clon, saw the 2017 feat matched in their first season back up. Even though those results secured progression a round early, momentum was punctured by the subsequent 2-23 to 0-10 Barrs battering.

Late and competent surges have been the cornerstone of Newcestown’s unbeaten group campaign - the first time since 2019 they’ve strung together three consecutive top-tier championship wins.

Valley Rovers cut a seven-point deficit to the minimum with 10 minutes remaining. In reply, Newcestown kicked 0-5 unanswered to win by six.

A James Loughrey goal shoved Mallow two in front with three minutes remaining. Three David Buckley kicks - two of them two-pointers - took them across the line 0-19 to 1-13 winners. And, as mentioned elsewhere, a two-point deficit against Castlehaven on 48 minutes finished as a two-point victory.

TREATMENT TABLE: Brian O’Driscoll picked up a hand injury during Carrigaline’s Premier Intermediate hurling win over Ballymartle three weeks ago. He was thus absent for the Barrs defeat. He's expected to line out on Sunday, but to what extent is he curtailed.

The Cork senior carries indispensable status for his new club. If he’s not missiling two pointers at the opposition goal, he’s sitting in the pocket, orchestrating their defensive shape.

WHO’S HOT: David Buckley rose six orange flags across Newcestown’s opening two games. That’s more than Ballincollig, the Barrs, Castlehaven, Carrigaline, Carbery Rangers, Clonakilty, Douglas, St Michael’s, and Valleys managed across three rounds.

WHO’S NOT: The green flag isn’t getting half the Newcestown love as its green counterpart. Just one across their three games to date. Before that, four of their eight Division 1 league outings were also without a major. They also went goalless for the 2024 championship.

DID YOU KNOW? Not since St Finbarr’s in 2009 has the second-tier champions reached the last-four of the main event at the first attempt. Can Carrigaline go where no newly promoted side has over the past 16 years?

Darragh Cashman, Duhallow about to be blocked down by Aaron O'Sullivan, Muskerry in the McCarthy Insurance Group Senior Football Divisional/Colleges final at Ballydesmond. Picture Dan Linehan

Sunday: Ballincollig v Duhallow, Páirc Ui Rinn, 4pm

FORM LINE: Patchy and non-existent.

Let’s begin with the former. Ballincollig have blown cold and less cold. Arguably their most impressive spell was the first half of their Nemo opener, at the end of which they led 1-8 to 0-6. Familiar final quarter fading ultimately cost them.

Thereafter, there was more grinding than flow in accumulating the necessary points total, against St Michael’s and Douglas, to purchase a quarter-final pass. Stuttered through, rather than strode.

Duhallow’s divisions/colleges section decider triumph over Muskerry is now 11 weeks in the rearview mirror. With no desire to engage in guessing games as to where Duhallow are at 11 weeks on, let’s look at the form of their feeder clubs. Not good. Only Cullen, in Premier Junior, and Kiskeam, in Premier Intermediate, successfully negotiated the group phase. Ballydesmond, Millstreet, and Dromtarriffe are fighting relegation.

TREATMENT TABLE: It’ll be Saturday night before Duhallow boss Ger O’Sullivan knows who's above on the table and who’s escaped punishment. Millstreet, Ballydesmond, Cullen, Dromtarriffe, and Kiskeam are all in action a day before the quarter-final.

WHO’S HOT: Former Cork U20 Liam O’Connell, who signed a fresh AFL contract with St Kilda over the summer, is home in Ballincollig for the off-season and available to Podsie O’Mahony’s side. He was parachuted straight back into the starting team for the must-win Douglas fixture.

WHO’S NOT: Divisions and colleges actually capable of getting 15 players out on the field. Just three divisions - Duhallow, Muskerry, and Carbery - and UCC competed this year, a record low. It means this section was able to be wrapped up on July 15, a full month earlier than was actually supposed to be the case.

DID YOU KNOW? Donncha O’Connor top-scored for Duhallow in their 2004 county quarter-final defeat to the Barrs. 21 seasons later, the 44-year-old is still turning out - and delivering - for the division.

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