Cappoquin and O’Donovan Rossa set for Titanic battle

Waterford’s last chance to win a male All-Ireland Club final lies in the hands of Cappoquin, who this Sunday take on Antrim Side O’Donovan Rossa at Mullingar where the prize on offer for the winners is an All-Ireland Final Kilburn Gaels from London or Galway side Cappataggle in the All-Ireland Final at Croke Park next month.

Confidence within the Cornerstone Club heading to Mullingar this weekend is high, with all in Cappoquin rowing in behind the club, as was evident when the club held a fund raising quiz at the Central Bar where there was standing room only.

However while Cappoquin will travel in a confident mood, supporters and players will have to guard against complacency.

Clubs from Antrim have to be underestimated at your pearl.

The North east county have always produced some good hurlers, in fact some great hurlers but they have not always got the rewards that they deserve, a little like Waterford in a way.

Club hurling in Antrim is very strong, and you don’t have to go back too far to remember that Dunloy beat a Mount Sion side that in the eyes of many were odds on favourites in the club championship.

It’s also worth noting that Cusack Park in Mullingar is not a happy hunting ground for Waterford clubs. The above mentioned Mount Sion and Dunloy game was played there and there was a similar outcome as in that game for Ballysaggart just over twelve months ago when they lost an All-Ireland Junior Club Hurling Final replay against another Antrim side Creggan Kickhams.

O’Donovan Rossa are one of the stronger clubs in Antrim. They are the third most successful club in the county when it comes to winning senior hurling championships. They played in the senior championship until relatively recently. They have returned to what they regard is their rightful position having blood some young players playing in the Intermediate Championship, some of whom have played on different underage Antrim inter county sides.

2014 was a good year for the Belfast based club.

They played in a ten team division two league and won it without having to play second placed Clooney Gaels a second time.

The championship proved to be even more profitable for the Belfast Club.

They entered a knockout championship at the quarter final stages of the championship, where they had a good 0-20 to 0-9 win over Naomh Eanna.

In the Semi finals they had a 1-19 to 2-8 win over Carey Faughs, who had beaten Creggan Kickhams 2-8 to 1-10 in the first round of the championship.

Glen Rovers provided the opposition for O’Donovan Rossa in the County Final and again the Belfast Club had another good win, winning 2-16 to 0-10.

In the Ulster Club Championship, O’Donovan Rossa beat the Donegal Senior Champions Burt 1-17 to 3-7. The Donegal Club prior to this game won a fifth championship in Donegal in six years.

It was another senior club side for O’Donovan Rossa in the semi finals where they Armagh side Keady and in the Ulster Final they had a comprehensive 1-15 to 0-6 win over Eoghan Rua from Derry.

In that game however, Stephen Beatty was sent off early in the second half on a straight red card and will miss the game with Cappoquin as a result. Prior to his dismissal he was showing his worth to the team having hit 1-2.

However while Stephen Beatty will be a big loss to his sides chances this weekend, they will feel that in the likes of Seaghan Shannon, Kevin McDonnell, Christopher McGuinness, Michael Armstrong and Conor McClelland they have the players that can end Cappoquin’s dream of a Croke Final appearance.

If O’Donovan’s Rossa’s run to this weekends All-Ireland semi final is impressive, so too is Cappoquin’s.

Along the way they may have rode their luck, but they won’t mind too much. In their Western semi final win over An Rinn, the Western Final win over Ballinameela, the Munster Semi Final win over Feakle and the Munster Final win over Bruff just one puck of the ball separated the sides. The game against Saint Saviours was also hard won, only hitting the scores that secured the win in the closing minutes of the game.

After beating Bruff in the Munster Final before Christmas, Cappoquin have quietly worked away getting ready for this weekend. A small break was taken from the game after the Bruff game, but in recent weeks they have played challenge games against the Cork Minors, Modeligo and Waterford and Cork Institute of Technology sides who are at this point getting ready for their Fitzgibbon Cup Campaign.

Reports coming out of these games suggest that things are going well for the Cornerstone Club. However there are reports that some niggling injuries have been picked up along the way, but Cappoquin are expected to deal with a full deck for the game.

Donal O’Rourke will again start in goals. The Looby brothers could well make up the full back line with Paul Murray, Conor Murray and either David Cahillane or Shane Murray forming the half back line.

Keith Landers and one from Shane Murray or David Cahillane could well be in the middle of the field while Shane O’Rourke, Finan Murray, Andy Molumby, Shane Coughlan, PJ Curran and Killian O’Sullivan in attack, but don’t be too surprised to see Pat Morrissey, Aaron O’Sullivan Damien McCarthy, Colin Landers and Paudie Landers be also considered for selection from the start.

O’Donovan Rossa have been winning their games over the past while by bigger margins that what Cappoquin are winning their games but it should be pointed out that while O’Donovan Rossa are playing against sides with some good hurlers, Cappoquin may have played against better hurling teams more than individuals who can win you games.  

Both will feel that they can win this game and very little is likely to separate the sides.

As pointed out already Waterford sides have lost to Antrim opposition in the past and the Mullingar venue has not always been a happy hunting ground for Waterford sides.

Can Cappoquin turn the tide? It has to happen sometime, so why not this weekend, but it won’t be easy for them.