BY JOHNNY CAROLAN
IN TERMS of a championship opener, Dohenys could scarcely have wished for tougher.
The Dunmanway side begins their Bons Secours Hospital Cork SAFC campaign on Saturday in Rossmore against Newcestown (5pm). Even aside from the West Cork derby element, they are up against the team that are just down from premier senior.
However, Dohenys bring some form with them, having achieved promotion from Division 3 of the Cork Credit Unions Football League. Manager Declan O’Dwyer feels it was important to do it, both in terms of momentum for now and future development in Division 2.
‘Yeah, definitely,’ he says.
‘I suppose it's been well publicised, we hadn't won something at adult level in a long time, so that's always a boost when you win something.
‘We didn't set any target to go and win the league as such, but it's very important for that group to get up out of Division 3, I won’t lie.
‘Division 2, when you look at the calibre of teams there for next year, it makes a massive difference and winning's a habit.
‘It's nice to have to won something and for the last four weeks to be able to look forward to this game.’
There was an added bonus for Dohenys as they overcame Knocknagree – last year’s beaten SAFC finalists in the league decider – with extra time helping to give the game a quasi-championship feel.
‘They were probably physically bigger than us,’ says O’Dwyer, a Garda based in Bishopstown.
‘To grind that out was massive, even though both teams were probably down a few players for various reasons. To get it over the line, after playing very well all through the game and then getting hit by a few sucker-punches, to get it done in extra time was a great boost.’
In terms of personnel, Dohenys have had some incomings and ougoings since last year.
‘Cathal O’Donovan, who played midfield for us all through last year, he’s in Australia,’ O’Dwyer says.
‘We had a couple of lads home from Australia last year playing for us during the summer as well and they’re not available but we’ve brought a couple of new lads into it as well.
‘A few from the minor team last year are after progressing up and a couple of them are well in contention for this weekend.
‘Aaron Mannix is back too, after playing soccer with Cork City. He’s a good boost as well, he’s been exposed to a high-pressure environment after being around their first team.
He’s raw in that he hasn't played a lot of adult football because soccer has been his first sport but he's a big strong young fella so it’s good to have him around.’
In addition, while Fionn Herlihy hasn’t featured much for his club this year, that is offset by the fact he has been on the Cork panel, something O’Dwyer believes has brought him on a lot.
‘You can 100 percent see that this year, to be honest,’ he says.
‘Since he’s come back, he has gone up another notch. He’s more vocal and stuff with the group and he's been brilliant since we got him back.
‘We’ve had him for two training sessions I suppose since January up until a few weeks ago but he’s an example to everyone, in all fairness to him.’
On the sideline, O’Dwyer is assisted by clubmen Daniel O’Donovan, Paul Deane and David Mawe, while Bandon native Colm Aherne – who has managed the Lilywhites and Clonakilty – is the coach. Last year, Dohenys made the quarter-finals, eliminated by O’Donovan Rossa, and matching that is the base target, albeit a tough one given that Bishopstown and Ilen Rovers are also in the group.
‘Quarter-final is your minimum expectation, really,’ O’Dwyer says, ‘because that just means out of the group.
‘It's a great group. The Champions League structure is brilliant but we kind of had the same few teams for the last few years and whereas it's three completely different teams that we haven't played in a number of years now this year.
‘It’s great, it's totally different for the lads to look forward to. It’s a great opener, for everyone. You go back only three years ago and Newcestown were only a game away from a semi-final in the premier senior. It's amazing how quickly it changes with a small bit of luck going against you or whatever.
‘They were that far up and now they're in the grade, but this grade is extremely even – it’s extremely hard to call every single game.’
