Hazelwood grateful for Watergrasshill wake-up call

HEAD-TO-HEAD: For a group that reached four Senior A semi-finals in the four years before 2025, which in and of itself speaks to a side being a while on the road together, it is somewhat surprising to learn that seven members of the starting team from the win over Carrigtwohill - Denis Cashman, Conor Hazelwood, Cillian Tobin, David Barry, Rónán O’Connell, Adam Walsh, and Josh Ahern - are still U21. Picture: Jim Coughlan.

Bride Rovers selector Barry Hazelwood begins with the neighbours. Of course he does.

No, not their neighbours to the east who they’ll meet on Saturday evening, but rather their neighbours to the south.

On the final round of group action, Bride Rovers were in Ballynoe to face All-Ireland Intermediate champions Watergrasshill. 

Mathematically, it was still possible for Bride Rovers to be relegated from first to third and thus eliminated.

For such a scenario to materialise, though, they had to fall to the neighbours by 37 points. Every member of the Bride Rovers camp knew there’d be no 37-point beating and so the collective mindset was at ease heading into the game. Their championship wouldn’t end here.

Their championship, mind, did receive a reality check.

“Being beaten by Watergrasshill was a major influence on us going forward. That was a major factor in our campaign. We'd like to thank our neighbours for waking us up,” said selector Barry Hazelwood.

“We were after beating Blarney in the opening round, whereas Watergrasshill in the second round got a bit of a trimming from Blarney.

“Our lads, it was very hard to get the frame of mind right, even though it was a local derby. We got our wings clipped, and it was actually a good thing. Every other year when we got our wings clipped, we were eliminated from the championship there and then. This year, we weren't.

“We tasted defeat in a good way. It got fellas in the right frame of mind for the rest of the championship. We can thank our neighbours for that.” 

It is the neighbours to the east, Castlelyons, who have been on the mind for the past fortnight. Bride Rovers’ success at clearing the semi-final hurdle, at the fifth attempt, was followed an hour and a half later by Castlelyons upsetting Blarney.

The finalists' respective playing fields are no more than a five-minute drive apart. That’s how very local this Senior A decider is.

“Saturday is do-or-die, so you'd be hoping the lads give the best of themselves. We got to a final in 2008 (senior) when I was involved and played well enough. We might have let it slip a little bit, but we were experienced and at least we played, whereas this time, we are quite young. I hope the occasion doesn't get to them.” 

Reference to Bride Rovers being a young side is no attempt to downplay. It is simply stating fact.

For a group that reached four Senior A semi-finals in the four years before 2025, which in and of itself speaks to a side being a while on the road together, it is somewhat surprising to learn that seven members of the starting team from the win over Carrigtwohill - Denis Cashman, Conor Hazelwood, Cillian Tobin, David Barry, Rónán O’Connell, Adam Walsh, and Josh Ahern - are still U21. 

The first two subs in - Cormac O’Sullivan and Louie Roche - are also U21.

The club’s run to the 2021 Premier 1 minor final was achieved by this very collection of now Senior A starters.

“Corner-back Jamie Peters is 31, half-back Shane O'Connor is 27/28, the Roche’s are 25, and the rest are younger again,” Hazelwood explained But irrespective of age, when an opportunity such as Saturday presents itself, it must be grabbed. 

There are no future guarantees, even for a side with as healthy an age profile as theirs.

“We don't get into county finals too many times. The last was 2008. When you get a chance like this, you have to avail of it.”