BY KIERAN McCARTHY
CASTLEHAVEN are leaving no stone unturned in their quest to qualify for the Munster football senior club championship final.
The Cork champions’ provincial adventure takes them to Fraher Field, Dungarvan this Sunday for a semi-final showdown against Waterford kingpins Rathgormack (1.30pm throw-in).
Haven’s last Munster final appearance was in 2012, and it’s 25 years since they last won this competition (1997), so they’re determined to make an impression this season.
‘Our lads that are on the road a long time, they will see this as a great chance of winning a Munster medal. A lot haven’t done that with the county or the club so there is an opportunity there now. We will take every game as it comes, but there is a chance here to qualify for a Munster final,’ manager James McCarthy said.
Their intent on leaving their mark in Munster is highlighted by the meticulousness of their preparation for Sunday’s showdown. Given the 1.30pm throw-in, and the two-and-half-hour one-way trip from Castlehaven to Dungarvan, the Haven will travel on Saturday and stay overnight in Dungarvan.
‘We will leave no stone unturned because we want to win this game,’ McCarthy stated.
Castlehaven know they need to bring their A-game because they’re familiar with the quality of the opposition, Rathgormack. The teams clashed in a challenge game at Fota Island Resort in recent years, so McCarthy got to see the Waterford champs up close and personal. This season Rathgormack won the Waterford senior title for the first time since 2019, but they had also been in the final in 2020, ’21 and ’22; that’s five county finals in a row.
‘We played them two years ago and they were on top of us for about 40 minutes in that game. It was only a challenge, but you could see that they are a good football team, they are strong around the middle, solid at the back, lively in attack and with good forwards,’ James McCarthy noted.
‘They play football a good bit. They try to play football a bit more so they might not be as defensive as other teams we have met.’
While Rathgormack got a bye to the last four in Munster, Castlehaven beat Cratloe in the Munster quarter-final, and that was an important hurdle for the West Cork team to jump, given the high they were on after winning a first county senior title in ten years.
‘The Cratloe game was very tough, but we seem to have focussed again in the last week,’ McCarthy said. ‘This is a Munster semi-final and I can guarantee this will go down to the wire; you can see all the games now, they are low scoring, competitive and tight. Our goal is to make a Munster final and we’d be very disappointed if we don’t.’
Key to Haven’s success this season has been their defence – they have conceded only four goals in seven championship games, and have kept four clean sheets, too. St Finbarr’s (2), Clonakilty (1) and Ballincollig (1) are the only teams to breach their rearguard. In five of these games Haven have kept the opposition to 11 points or less. That’s a solid platform to allow their much-vaunted attack to go and get the scores to win.
‘Our defence has been rock solid and we are delighted with how our defence has been playing,’ McCarthy noted.
‘The panel is showing we are stronger. A different player is shining every day, and it’s the same in attack. It could be Michael (Hurley) one day, Brian (Hurley) another day, then Robbie (Minihane) the last day with the goal against Cratloe. Sean Browne pops up with a score. So does Mark Collins. We’re happy with where we are.’
McCarthy will be even happier if Castlehaven advance to the Munster final next month; that’s the target now. They have a few knocks and bruises, and held three players – Jack Cahalane, Jack O’Neill and Thomas O’Mahony – back from their U21s, who beat Gabriel Rangers in the Carbery U21A last weekend. All three should be available for Sunday’s provincial semi-final.
